Dehumidifier Buying Guide: Here’s How to Choose a Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity levels in your space to make it breezy, breathable, and comfortable. To help you choose an optimal dehumidifier for your home or office, we have put together a detailed Dehumidifier buying guide below.
If water condenses on the windows, corners, and pipes of your home, it may eventually lead to the growth of mildew or mold. This happens when the humidity in there is too high.
Too much condensation has the ability to wreck a wall’s insulation and decay the structure. Cracked paint, blisters, or peeling on the wall are generally signs of this condition.
People who live in areas with high humidity can find the air around too uncomfortable, especially in summer. Besides, daily activities such as bathing, cooking, and using heating appliances can add moisture to the air. Humid air reduces your skin’s ability to naturally evaporate moisture to cool you down, which is why you feel sticky and sweaty.
That’s where a dehumidifier comes in!
Let’s have a look:
The following are the important factors you need to consider before buying a dehumidifier for your home:
There are 3 main types of dehumidifiers you can choose from:
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Compressor Dehumidifier
Also referred to as Refrigerant Dehumidifiers, these units are standard-level appliances that run between 15 to 35 ℃ temperature range and remove around 30L of humidity from the air. It is perfect for hot environments, ideally used in bedrooms or office rooms. They have good energy efficiency but can be a little noisy.
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Thermo-electric dehumidifier
Featuring innovative Peltier technology, the thermo-electric dehumidifiers have the quietest operation. However, they do not have the efficient performance to be used in spaces with high humidity.
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Desiccant Dehumidifier
These lightweight units comprise a large capacity tank and make use of silica gel to absorb moisture from the air. It can work well in any space of any size. They do not make much noise and are best for comparatively cold environments, say below 10 ℃.
All three types of dehumidifiers are able to soak moisture from the air efficiently. However, each of these differs in their way of working, energy consumption, noise, and ideal climate conditions.
The performance of a dehumidifier is affected when the tank gets full. Low tank capacity will call for frequent draining. Hence, for those who live in an environment with high humidity, it is better to go for a large tank capacity to keep up with the moisture absorption rate.
A large 3.5 Liter tank would be suitable for daily use; anything lesser would require frequent emptying.
Each humidifier differs in the area it covers for dehumidification and it denotes its moisture absorption capacity as well. Make sure to always check the area coverage of the unit- the more litres of moisture it absorbs from the air per day- the larger will be its area coverage.
Dehumidifiers do not require too much energy to run generally. But, energy efficiency is one of the crucial factors to consider when buying a dehumidifier. The larger the capacity of the dehumidifier, the more power it consumes. For example, a 30-L dehumidifier can easily consume 300W power per day.
Go for a unit with a high IEF (Integrated Energy Factor)- which means high performance with low power consumption. Or, look for Energy Star Rating to see how energy-efficient the appliance really is.
A dehumidifier has a moisture absorption capacity which is measured in Liters per day. The higher the Liters per 24 hours, the greater will be its extraction capacity. Here’s how you can decide which capacity of dehumidifier you should get based on the area.
Dehumidifier Size Needed as per Moisture Level and Area
Area Coverage | Moisture Extraction Rate (Liters Per Day) | Ideal Environments |
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100 sq. ft. – 280 sq. ft. | 1L to 12 L | Low humidity level. Small spaces |
300 – 500 sq. ft. | 20L to 30L | Low humidity level. Ideal for bedroom or living room. |
700 – 1000 sq. ft. | 35L to 50 L | Moderate humidity level. |
1500 sq. ft. | 60L to 70 L | High humidity level. Large spaces. |
There are different types of control panels provided for the operation of dehumidifiers:
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Continuous runtime
This is a traditional type of unit that operates until you turn it OFF. These are not so energy efficient.
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Manual control
These types of units require you to manually adjust the humidistat knob to your desired humidity level as needed. You need time to get used to its operation, and it can be complex for some users.
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Electronic control
It comes with electronic control buttons along with a digital display with similar humidity control functions as manual control.
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Smart Control
These units are the most energy efficient as it smartly and automatically turns ON and OFF as needed. It uses sensors to measure humidity every hour and accordingly operates to remove moisture from the air for 24 hours. Thus, it is great for saving costs as well.
Dehumidifiers collect moisture, dust, dirt, mold or mildew, and various other pollutants through filters. Due to this, these filters require regular cleaning and washing for optimal performance in the long run. Hence, look for dehumidifiers that come with washable filters.
A transparent window allows you to keep an eye on the moisture collected in the tank. Though most of the latest dehumidifier units come with an alarm for a full tank, it is still good to have a water level window for better prediction.
The indicator light for the filter will notify the user when your filter needs cleaning or washing due to dirt accumulation. It is a cool feature to have for regular maintenance.
When the water tank gets full, most of the units require manual draining. However, there are myriads of the latest dehumidifiers that offer continuous drainage options.
Sometimes, you can drain the water with a garden hose. Simply, connect the hose to the backside of the dehumidifier, so the water will easily drain due to gravity.
Or, if the floor drain is not possible, you can go for dehumidifiers that come with a built-in pump. It will drain the collected moisture in a sink, out of the window, or anywhere else.
The ‘Auto Defrost’ feature is quite important, as moisture absorption from air leads to a buildup of frost on the coils in cold environments. This may affect the performance of the unit.
Auto Defrost feature will automatically remove frost buildups whenever detected. If sensors detect ice accumulation in the unit, it will stop cooling the coils for some time, causing the ice to melt.
Large dehumidifiers may be too heavy, weighing anywhere from 15 to 25 kgs. On the contrary, lightweight or portable units weigh around 5 to 10 kgs. As per your dehumidifying requirements, choose a unit with ideal weight and capacity.
A timer feature will allow you to schedule the dehumidifier for automatic runtime. This feature comes in handy when you’re outdoors most of the time or want to sleep. Besides, a timer feature is also beneficial when you want to cut down costs.
For optimal performance, look for smart and innovative functions in your ideal dehumidifier. These features will define the efficiency and apt performance of the unit which decides user experience to a great extent.
Check whether your dehumidifier has a child lock for safety, an LED display for a sleek look, and other key features such as an easy-to-read control panel.
If you’re planning to get a large-sized dehumidifier, it may not be portable to use in multiple rooms. In this case, you will have to pin its position for permanent use such as in your bedroom or office, without shifting it at all.
As for lightweight, portable dehumidifiers, you can easily carry them around across rooms. These types of units are perfect for duplex or multi-level homes.
Also, look for convenient features such as carrying handles and transportation casters for ease of portability.
This feature allows the dehumidifiers to automatically turn OFF when the water tank is full, thereby preventing the leakage or water overflow.
As per the humidity level in your space, multiple fan speeds allow the user to set the running speed of the dehumidifier. Hence, it allows the unit to run quietly as and when needed.
Dehumidifier Buying Guide: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you live in an area with high humidity, plus there are many heating appliances in the home- you might want to consider getting a dehumidifier. Not only will it make your space more breathable and comfortable, but also be safer. This is especially needed for people with respiratory or allergy problems.
You don’t want to inhale the molds or mildew often formed due to high moisture levels in the air.
Dehumidifiers use a fan to force the input air over internal coils filled with refrigerant or coolant to remove moisture. The excess moisture will either be collected in the internal water tank or drained via whatever drainage option the appliance offers such as a built-in pump or hose. Drier air is then released back into the room as output.
When buying a dehumidifier, look for important factors such as type of dehumidifier, extraction rate (Liters per day), water tank capacity, area coverage, power consumption, filters, portability, etc.
- A 600ml to 12L dehumidifier would be enough for small spaces with 100 sq. ft. to 280 sq. ft. area
- Go for a 20L-30L dehumidifier for rooms with 500 to 700 sq. ft. area.
- Get a 50L – 70 L unit for large spaces with 1000 sq. ft. to 1500 sq. ft. area.
- Power Pye
- Eva Dry
- Kedum
- Ansio
- Honeywell
- Sharp
- BBH (Bright & Better Homecare)
- Seavon
- Hysure
- Pro Breeze
- Koryo
Dehumidifier Buying Guide: Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our detailed dehumidifier buying guide. Hope this guide gave you invaluable insights into the functions and features to consider in a dehumidifier before final purchase. Additionally, also make sure to check the manufacturer’s warranty and after-sales service provided by the brand to ensure a smooth experience.