To keep your home healthy and mold-free, a dehumidifier is something that you can rely on. If you have a family member suffering from asthma and allergies, it can make a better breathing environment by decreasing the air’s moisture. However, like any other home appliance, it has some drawbacks as well, which is why you must consider before investing your money into one. Let’s have a look into the pros and cons of Dehumidifier and help you make a decision.
What is a dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier is used to maintain the humidity level in the house. It sucks in the excess moisture from the air, reduces the humidity, and finally releases air that makes a healthy breathing system and controls the molds from growing. The benefits of a dehumidifier can be defined as a machine that keeps your home environment healthy.
Function and options:
As apparent from the name, the function of a dehumidifier is the opposite of a humidifier. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, whereas a dehumidifier takes out the humidity from the air. It intakes the air and removes the moisture, and finally blows the air out. The device takes out the moisture in two ways, Refrigerant, and absorption system. The most popular one is the Refrigerant one, where it functions like a refrigerator or an air conditioner. Here, the humid air is drawn inward by an electric fan, and then it passes through a coolant set inside a freezing pipe. Once it cools, the moisture transforms in liquid form and flows downward with the pipe. Finally, a hot compressor heats the air, and it is blown back outside.
The absorption method functions with a mopping system. It mops the moisture from the air using an absorbent material and squeezes the water to remove it. This method is less popular than the first one as it takes more energy to heat the absorbent material, but it can work at a lower temperature than the refrigerant system can.
Pros and cons of Using a Dehumidifier
Sometimes, we become stuck between a buy and a not-to-buy situation. This happens only because we become confused about the advantages it offers and the disadvantages we face while using this product. The study tried to draw a clear picture of the merits and demerits of using a dehumidifier. Let’s have a great start from the advantages!
Pros of using a dehumidifier:
A dehumidifier has a huge fan base all over the world as a home appliance because of the benefits it does offer. Let’s have a look at the advantages for which a dehumidifier may be worth spending the money:
- Prevents molds: A humid environment is the favorite one for molds to grow. That’s where a dehumidifier can play an essential role . Keeping the humidity level within 50-55% creates an unfavorable environment for microorganisms to survive.
- Helps to fight allergies and respiratory diseases: The mycotoxin elements in the molds can result in allergies such as skin problems, red eyes, coughs, and sneezes, etc. In the worst scenario, it can cause extreme damage to your liver and lungs. To level up the game, getting a well-performing diffuser can be a big help too. Putting essential oils with antioxidant and antiviral properties in an essential oil diffuser can help fight these allergies along with a dehumidifier.
- Better breathing environment: Dehumidifiers can make breathing more comfortable and easy for asthma patients by maintaining the humidity level from 30 to 50%. This ensures that you inhale air that is neither damp nor dry and makes a safer breathing environment.
- Prevents rust and decay: The excess moisture can do severe damage to your home’s structure. The humidity may decay in the roof, walls, and windows; in a word, everywhere. The metals are prone to rust if exposed to excess moisture. Not only that, your furniture, clothes, books, and other household items can easily catch mold. To prevent all of these from happening, a dehumidifier can be a big help.
Cons of using a dehumidifier:
Like any other device, in dehumidifiers, there is another side of the coin as well. Let’s go through the downsides or disadvantages of a dehumidifier:
- Heat and noise: A running dehumidifier makes some humming noise, which may become louder with speed. Apart from that, the warm air coming out of the Dehumidifier can make the environment uncomfortable in the summer.
- Heavy on the pocket: Generally, while used in summer, a dehumidifier can increase your electricity bill from $15 to $35. You may need to cut off some extra expenses to stay within the budget.
- Regular maintenance: In damp weather, you may have to clean the Dehumidifier every 1 to 3 days to keep it well-functioning for a long time. However, you may buy a drain hose to collect and flow the water in a floor-level drain.
Should I have a dehumidifier?
Now that we know both sides of the coin, you have to ask yourself, do you need this investment? If you live in a warm atmosphere and can feel a musty smell all around your home, see molds growing, metals getting rusty, you may consider getting a dehumidifier. Additionally, if you have a family member suffering from allergies or asthma, a dehumidifier may bring many comforts. In these scenarios, if you can compromise with the downsides, you suggest getting a dehumidifier.
Where to place dehumidifiers in the basement?
Placing a dehumidifier in the basement can transform the con of loud, disturbing sound into a pro. To place your Dehumidifier in the basement, you must install it near the outlet. Make sure that the basement is free from any container having stagnant water. Finally, seal all the windows and doors of the basement securely to prevent outside air from entering.
How long should a dehumidifier run per day?
Depending on the unit, a dehumidifier is safe to run from 10 to 12 hours a day. While there is no certain limitation on how long it should run, running one the whole day when it is not needed can overburden the machine and rapidly raise your electricity bill.
Bottom line:
Now that we have discovered the pros and cons of dehumidifiers, in the end, it can be said that, even though there are a few disadvantages of having one, the advantages of a dehumidifier are heavier. A dehumidifier can make your home stay mold, rust, and decay-free in the long run and prevent numerous health hazards. Even though it can cost some extra bucks and require regular maintenance, it is worth considering the personal and home-health benefits it offers, because in the end, family matters!