How Long Should A Dehumidifier Run Per Day?
Dehumidifiers improve the air quality and make the indoor air healthy by removing excess moisture and humidity. Also, it helps to prevent various respiratory diseases and damage to your house.
But, knowing the right duration of running a dehumidifier is important because it will help you to get the maximum benefit at a minimum cost.
Dehumidifier And Its Function
A dehumidifier is an electric household device that removes the excess water from the air and reduces the level of humidity in the environment.
Dehumidifiers pull the air then heats and condenses after that releases out the dry air. Most of the dehumidifiers have an automatic turn off option while reaching the ideal humidity level.
Some Basic Factors:
RH or Relative Humidity
Relative humidity or RH is the percentile of water vapour at a specific temperature in the air.
The recommended RH range is 30% to 50% which makes breathing comfortable with fewer allergic particles. RH is different from humidity as humidity is the level of vaporized water that the air contains.
The Daily Running Time of a Dehumidifier
It is better to run the dehumidifier for a minimum of twelve hours per day generally. But the running time will mostly depend on the room size, device’s features, dampness condition, the capacity of the unit and energy cost. Though you may need to run the dehumidifier all day if your room is excessively wet.
The dehumidifiers with an automatic shut off feature are the most appropriate one in this case as it turns the device off when the water tank is full or the humidity level reaches to the desired level.
Some dehumidifiers have a draining system connected to the floor drain that drains the water when the water comes to the tank. Therefore, you won’t need to empty the water tank manually every time.
But if your dehumidifier doesn’t come with the aforementioned features you have to check and empty the tank manually and make sure there is no overflow as it may damage your device.
In case of excessive humid air, you should identify the root of the excess humidity rather than running the humidifier constantly.
Is It Okay to Run the Dehumidifier Constantly?
No, you don’t need to run the dehumidifier constantly. Normally, it is enough to run the dehumidifier when the moisture level is 50% or more.
Experts recommend maintaining the humidity level in between 30% to 50% to make the air healthy and comfortable. However, setting low humidity level may cause wasting energy and excess electricity bill.
Running the Dehumidifier Overnight
You can run the dehumidifier overnight if your health permits you. But you should consider some issues before choosing to run the dehumidifier all night.
Auto Shut on/off
If you are willing to run the dehumidifier overnight it’s better to choose one with an auto on and off feature.
This feature will automatically turn the dehumidifier off and on to maintain the desired humidity level in the air. This feature will save your energy bill as well.
Noise
As the dehumidifier’s compressor generates sound it may interrupt your sleep. So, you need to check the sound output before you choose to run it at night.
Tank Capacity
A dehumidifier will a larger tank will be more suitable for overnight use as it will not overflow due to long-time use. Also, a continuous water drainage system may help to drain the water from the tank.
Turning the Dehumidifier Off
You can turn your dehumidifier off for a few months during summer-end and start using a heater for winter.
It will reduce energy consumption and save money. Running a dehumidifier in winter is quite unnecessary as air is naturally drier during winter.
The Cost of Running a Dehumidifier All Day
It’s not necessary to run the dehumidifier all day as most of the latest dehumidifiers come with humidistat. Humidistat automatically turns the dehumidifier off once there is no excess humidity in the air.
You can calculate the cost of a dehumidifier by multiplying the number of hours with the hourly energy consumption. The cost largely depends on the quality and model of the dehumidifier, but under £100 dehumidifier is the most popular and quality product.
On average the yearly expense remains between £25 to £350. You can enhance the performance and lifespan of your dehumidifier with proper maintenance and usage. Using a dehumidifier for all the can stress the compressor as well as increase the cost.
Some Tips to Use the Dehumidifier Properly
- You should place the dehumidifier in a well-ventilated area which will make the airflow free and help the device to work efficiently. Also, you can seal the door and window cracks to stop the external moisture from entering the room. Stopping the entrance of extra moisture with stop straining the machine.
- Kerosene or gas heaters can increase the moisture of the room. So, you can use alternative options to reduce the level of moisture in the air of your house.
- You should regularly empty the water tank because the dehumidifier may not work efficiently with a full tank. Also, there is a risk of damaging the circuit board that will increase your maintenance cost.
- You may install an exhaust fan in your kitchen and bathroom to reduce the dehumidifier’s energy consumption because there is a higher moisture level in the bathroom, particularly after taking a hot bath or shower. Moreover, installing an exhaust fan in the kitchen can also suck the moisture out which will reduce stress on the dehumidifier.
- Regular cleaning and maintenance of the air vents and coils are necessary as the clogged dust can damage the internal components. You can clean dust from the vents by using a brush. Also, clogged dust in the dehumidifier can increase the energy consumption of the machine.
The running time of your dehumidifier will solely depend on some factors of your house and your device. So the running time will vary from person to person as well as unit to unit.
Hopefully, you have got an overall idea of the usage, benefits, maintenance and running duration of a dehumidifier.
