No, your dehumidifier should not have to run constantly to regulate the air humidity. An optimal humidity level to shoot for is between 30 and 50 percent.
However, it's important to know when to turn the unit off. Once temperatures drop to around 65 degrees, it's best to turn the dehumidifier off. Doing so will help prevent moisture from freezing on the dehumidifier's coils, which could damage your unit.
How Long To Run Your Dehumidifier? So to recap, run your dehumidifier unit for at least 12 hours a day. This is a good rule of thumb. Again, it's okay if you don't stick to this schedule every day, but be aware that the more your family runs your dehumidifier unit the fresher and cleaner it will be all year long.
How often you should use a dehumidifier will depend on your home, climate and other factors. To achieve the highest energy efficiency, run a dehumidifier for at least 12 hours a day. This will allow you to remove moisture from the air without racking up the energy costs.
Can you dehumidify too much? There is a chance of dehumidifying your home too much with a dehumidifier, especially if you are leaving your dehumidifier running for several hours on a timer unattended. Over-dehumidifying your home can lead to an increased chance of respiratory illnesses and dry and cracked skin.
A dehumidifier should collect around 10-20 pints a day. However, factors such as relative humidity levels, size of the appliance, location, and temperature can affect how much it collects.
We suggest keeping your humidity level at 45-50%. You can adjust it slightly based on your comfort level, but keep in mind this is an ideal humidity level for healthy indoor air quality. Avoid mold and mildew by keeping your humidity level at or below 50%.
Where to Place Dehumidifier in Your House. You want to place your machine in an area where there is good air circulation so the unit can efficiently work. We do not recommend placing a dehumidifier directly against a wall or piece of furniture. Instead, put it at least six inches away from these vent-blocking surfaces.
Ideally, you should place it in the centre of a room, or at least 6 inches away from the nearest wall, furniture or surface. If it is a particularly large room, place the dehumidifier close to the source of the moisture to concentrate drying efforts on the source of the problem.
Although the energy consumption for small and medium-sized dehumidifiers is relatively low, long-term usage (especially older, less energy-efficient models) can add up to be quite a substantial amount. This is compounded by the fact that most dehumidifiers run 12 to 24 hours daily.
When a dehumidifier fills up quickly, you may have excess humidity in your home or an issue with the dehumidifier itself. Conversely, a consistently empty dehumidifier is also a sign of system malfunction. If either of these issues persists, repair services or other humidity control options may be needed.
The size of the room, the humidity level, and the extent of the water damage are some of the variables that affect how long a dehumidifier takes to dry out a room. A dehumidifier typically needs between 24 and 72 hours to completely dry out a room.
If your dehumidifier's water basin is filling up too quickly, you probably have extra water in the air due to an issue like a cracked pipe, water leak or open crawl space. If you're hardly getting any water in the basin, you may need to simply turn the control to a drier setting.
For now, we leave you with this simple one: use a dehumidifier during the spring, summer and early fall to keep moisture at bay, but unplug and stow it away during the winter to prevent damage to your unit.
If you are running your dehumidifier too often — for example, when the humidity levels are already acceptable — this may have a harmful impact on the environment. The unit may make humidity levels too low, which can result in medical issues such as dry and itchy skin or unproductive coughing.
Can I leave the dehumidifier running at night? Yes, we recommend using a dehumidifier 24hrs, however, be aware that there will always be a noise generated from the machine when it is operating.
Dehumidifiers work by removing moisture from the air. This can help to reduce condensation on walls and prevent mould and mildew growth. However, dehumidifiers will not necessarily dry out damp walls. If your walls are damp, you may need to use a combination of a dehumidifier and a fan to help dry them out.
Optimal Dehumidifier Humidity Setting
So, what is the best humidity setting for a dehumidifier? To prevent mold growth and keep your home's relative humidity at a comfortable level, we recommend aiming for 30%-50% humidity in your home.
The water is drained by gravity alone so for effective continuous drainage the dehumidifier needs to be raised a foot or two above the floor and the hose run to a floor level drain.
Set the Right Humidity
To get your manually-controlled dehumidifier up and running, set its humidity level. You want it set at 30 – 50%. If there's too much moisture, you'll get dampness and mould.
Most dehumidifiers allow you to set this fan to only two different speeds, high and low. High fan speed facilitates quicker moisture removal. Low fan speed results in less rapid moisture removal but the dehumidifier will run much more quietly.
Water Vapor
If there are no cold-condensing surfaces and the relative humidity (RH) is maintained below 60 percent indoors, there will not be enough water in those materials for mold to grow. However, if the RH stays above 70 percent indoors for extended periods of time, mold will almost certainly grow.
The basement humidity level should vary between 30% in winter and 50% in summer. 25% is too low and can cause skin conditions and peeling paint. Over 60% is considered too high and can lead to breathing problems, mildew, and fungal growth.
Having a dehumidifier that takes out all the moisture in the air can be just as problematic. The ideal setting for your dehumidifier should be around 50%.