Removing excess moisture from your home can sometimes be no easy task. And when there’s constant moisture in the air, it’s even harder so your dehumidifier may need to run more often. However, this can be quite costly, and can even run up your electricity bills a lot faster the more that it runs. This is actually because of the many mistakes that consumers make when purchasing more than they need, as well as other factors. In this article, we’re going to go over some energy-saving tips for dehumidifiers.
Don’t Overdo It: Size Matters
One of the most common mistakes is not getting a dehumidifier big enough for your actual needs. You want to get a unit that is slightly larger than you may need as you can see with these picks. For example, if you have a space that is approximately 900 square feet, you may want to go with a larger model that covers a 1200-foot square space.
If your unit has a higher “pint capacity” for how much moisture it will hold, this can also benefit your energy bills. The reason is that the larger unit you purchased will actually not run as often or as long as a smaller unit will. And you won’t have to empty it quite as often. So even though the common rule that some people think that size doesn’t matter, it does when it comes to humidifiers.
Consider Your Humidity
You need to figure out how much humidity you have. There are numerous ways to test, from barometric readers that are for use in-home, as well as moisture calculators. Another way to tell is if it actually feels like there is moisture in the air (You may notice that it seems kind of clammy or musty in the room). And more than likely, if there is a musky smell in the room, you may have more humidity than you realize.
How To Save Money and Energy
According to humidityexpert.org, aside from picking the right unit, there are other ways you can get the maximum energy efficiency from it. Run your dehumidifier continuously until your room’s humidity drops to an acceptable point. Once it gets there, set the dial all the way to low. If your humidity is more than 50%, that’s really the only time you need it because that’s the only time they’ll be able to effectively remove moisture in your air.
Also, make sure that your coils are clean, and just like an air conditioner, the coils can start to frost. If they do, and your machine starts to freeze, just turn it off for a while and thaw them out. If it’s covered in dust and debris, you may need to wipe them down with a wet washcloth or towel and clean them.
Be sure that when you use your dehumidifier with all the windows and doors closed. This will ensure that proper humidity is removed. Just like an air conditioning unit, it’s really pointless to leave windows or doors open because you’re just drawing in more moisture from outside the room you’re trying to eliminate the humidity from.
