There are many places in the United States where it doesn’t seem to matter what season it is, damp, mold and humidity always seem to make their way into our homes. It always seems to be either the wet weather of winter making damp crawl up from below your crawl space or the humid hot weather making everything feel a little sticky. If you live in one of these areas then you need to buy a dehumidifier before the moldy effects of the damp air take hold of your house. If you’ve tried shopping for a dehumidifier you’ll know that the abundance of options and features can make this task a little daunting. Here’s what to look out for when you’re trying to find the best dehumidifier.
Firstly it’s important to understand where you intend using your dehumidifier. This is important both from a room size as well as environment perspective. The size of the room combined with the maximum humidity you expect to experience will determine the capacity of the dehumidifier you’re going to need. The capacity of the dehumidifier is usually quoted in “Pints per day” which is an indication of how much water it can remove from the air in a day. It’s important to know how strong the fans are though because this will impact how quickly the unit can process all the air in the room.
If you plan to use the dehumidifier inside your house then a regular commercial type unit will be fine. If you will be using it in the garage or basement then you may need some additional functions. If these areas get really cold then make sure you get a dehumidifier with auto-defrost function. The best basement dehumidifier options will all have this option. This will enable the unit to keep the compressor going even when it gets cold. Don’t expect a compressor type dehumidifier to be effective below 40 degrees though. If it regularly gets down to that kind of temperature then you’re going to need a desiccant dehumidifier.
It’s clear then that buying a dehumidifier isn’t just a matter of walking into a store and buying the cheapest one. It’s important to make sure that you have a good idea of where you’ll be using it, the temperature of the space as well as the maximum humidity. It’s also a good idea to make sure you get one that is Energy Star rated so that you minimize how much extra you’ll be paying on your power bill. It’s going to cost you a few hundred bucks for a good unit but it’s worth it when you consider how much damage mold and damp can do to a home.
