What is a dehumidifier, what is it used for and when is it used?
Advice from the specialist
In some regions, the humidity level of the environment is very high. For example, on the coast or inland, where precipitation or fog is frequent, it is inevitable that moisture will accumulate inside the house. Excess moisture in the atmosphere, in addition to being annoying, can be harmful to health, especially for people who suffer from asthma, respiratory problems or skin or bone diseases. Faced with this scenario, a dehumidifier can become a possible solution. Continue reading this post from Euronics to find out what a dehumidifier is and what it is used for.
What is a dehumidifier and how does it work?
An air dehumidifier is an air conditioning device that removes moisture from the air in the room it is in. It does this by absorbing air and causing the water in the air to condense and collect in a tank, which must be emptied periodically. Before leaving, the air passes through a hot zone where it recovers its temperature.
Secondly, if you want to know what a dehumidifier is used for, the answer is quite obvious. The main function of a dehumidifier is to reduce the relative humidity of the air, but not only that, it also maintains the percentage of humidity in the room in a controlled and constant manner. In this way, we will obtain a much more comfortable and healthy environment. With dehumidifiers, we will have less heat in summer, because excessive humidity makes the feeling of heat greater, and also less cold in winter, because a high humidity level also makes the feeling of cold greater.
A relative humidity of up to 50-55% is considered correct. If the figures are higher, it is necessary to consider the purchase of a dehumidifier, because high humidity can cause problems for the health of people living in the house and damage to the house itself (paint, mold, flooring, rust on metals, etc.). On the other hand, another of the questions frequently asked about the use of this type of device is: how long can a dehumidifier be used? Ideally, you should let it run for about 12 hours a day, as this is usually the average amount of time your dehumidifier will be able to achieve the ideal humidity percentage in your home.
How to use a dehumidifier?
It is advisable to use a dehumidifier when the relative humidity in our home or workplace is above 50-55%. And even more if we suffer from any type of allergy, respiratory problems, asthma, bone diseases ... Some signs of excess humidity in our home are the appearance of mold stains, the smell of moisture when entering or finding the windows of our house with water condensed on the glass in the morning. The use of a dehumidifier prevents water condensation on the walls and therefore the formation of mold.
Now that we know what a dehumidifier is, we are faced with the eternal question: which dehumidifier to choose? In order to make the right decision, we need to look at different aspects. First of all, we need to be clear about the size of the room where we will install it. Another important point is the amount of liters it can extract. The size is usually one of the most important points to consider, because these devices are very bulky. It is also important to take into account the energy consumption of the dehumidifier, which can vary from model to model, although it should be kept in mind that, regardless of the model, the higher the relative humidity and temperature, the more energy it will consume.
Which is better, a dehumidifier or air conditioning?
These are two devices that basically have different functions. The dehumidifier only reduces the relative humidity of the room where it is located, although as a result, we can feel a decrease or increase in temperature. However, the main function of the split air conditioner is to cool the environment, although it is true that among the functions of these devices can be found dehumidification. This function is only activated in summer, so in winter we would also need a dehumidifier. The use of a dehumidifier in conjunction with the air conditioning or heating system allows for significant energy savings.
Benefits of a dehumidifier
If we refer to the advantages and disadvantages of a dehumidifier, there are several advantages:
These devices can be portable, which allows us to move them to where they are needed, as they are usually equipped with wheels to facilitate their movement.
The energy savings of using a dehumidifier compared to an air conditioner are significant.
It can be used to speed up the drying of clothes in places where the weather is very humid. In this way, in addition to drying clothes in a shorter time, we will also avoid the smell of moisture that accumulates in the clothes.
They are perfect for people who suffer from allergies, because by reducing the percentage of relative humidity in the house, dust mites and molds can not reproduce as easily.
They do not require any type of installation, just periodically empty the tank where the condensed water accumulates.
Among their disadvantages are their high energy consumption due to the number of hours they must be on to work properly and the fact that they can be a little noisy.