How Often Should a Dehumidifier Cycle?
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Dehumidifiers Run Only When Needed
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Home dehumidifiers remove moisture from air using a refrigerator coil. Their fans and condensers operate only when air passing over their aluminum coils exceeds the humidity level set on the machine, leading to an on-off toggling called cycling. Every machine cycles differently depending on capacity, settings and design.
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Over-Cycling Causes Problems
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Some thermostats are inaccurate, causing excessive cycling. Air temperatures below 68 degrees Fahrenheit will cause ice to form on the coils; machines with dirty coils or that that have too little capacity for a space may also cycle too frequently, which causes wear on the machine and wastes energy.
Bottom Line
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Dehumidifiers that cycle constantly may be set too high for the room temperature, or may have dirty coils or defective thermostats. Before buying a dehumidifier, make sure that it has a large enough capacity for the space it is to treat. Test a new humidifier under a variety of conditions to establish typical cycles.
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- Photo Credit steel condensation image by BigDog from Fotolia.com
