Should You Leave a Dehumidifier On All The Time? (2024)

FAQs

Should You Leave a Dehumidifier On All The Time? ›

'In damp rooms, it is safe to use a dehumidifier continuously. It should then automatically shut off once the tank is full,' assures Katie Holland at Russell Hobbs. 'However, we would always recommend that people only operate dehumidifiers for 8 hours at a time when doing tasks such as drying laundry.

Should a Dehumidifier Run Constantly? 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. Your dehumidifier should reach this in 8 to 12 hours.

In the winter, as the temperatures get colder, the air becomes dryer. You don't want to have your dehumidifier constantly running and make the air too dry. To get the best performance out of your system, only run your dehumidifier in the warmer months like the spring and summer.

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.

On the flip side, when the air is too dry, it can lead to skin irritations, dry sinuses, and noses, and even respiratory problems. Luckily, this issue is quite manageable with the right tools.

'In damp rooms, it is safe to use a dehumidifier continuously. It should then automatically shut off once the tank is full,' assures Katie Holland at Russell Hobbs. 'However, we would always recommend that people only operate dehumidifiers for 8 hours at a time when doing tasks such as drying laundry.

Mini models can use as little as 22 watts, while high-volume dehumidifiers go up to around 500 watts. An example dehumidifier that can extract up to 20 litres a day, with a wattage of 480W would use 0.48 kW every hour. meaning that an hour's usage would cost just 12p.

Cons of Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers blow out warm air from the back of the unit, whilst this maybe a perk in the winter during the summer it could result in excess overbearing heat. The machine would also be needed throughout seasons; winter to combat damp but summer to cut down on pollen.

During cold winter months, the air in your home is usually dry, which means a dehumidifier is not necessary. In fact, dehumidifiers actually work most efficiently in warm temperatures and decrease in efficiency as the temperature cools.

Should I turn my dehumidifier off in the summer? ›

Running a dehumidifier in the summer months is one way to improve indoor air quality and help lower the occurrence of allergy symptoms and asthma attacks. By removing excess moisture from the home's air supply, whole house dehumidifiers help reduce allergens such as mildew and mold growth in the home environment.

So what is the best humidity setting for a dehumidifier? According to Energy Star, the optimal level of relative humidity in your home should be between 30% and 50%. Anything below this range may cause extreme dryness in your home and levels above may promote bacteria growth.

It's typical for a industrial-grade dehumidifier to last between 9 and 11 years. However, with adequate maintenance, an appliance can last even longer. Similarly, if a unit doesn't receive regular maintenance, like emptying or cleaning, it may become clogged, which will ultimately shorten its lifespan.

You can find often that your white Westinghouse dehumidifier doesn't seem to be working properly, just as with any other appliance. Common issues include frost on the coils, a leaking tank, noisy operations, little or no water collected, no air flowing out of the unit, a terrible smell, and a broken humidistat.

The ideal amount of humidity is around 30-50%. If your house's humidity is consistently higher than 50% or lower than 30%, you could be putting your home — and your health — at risk. If you have too much humidity in your home, you could face harmful mold and mildew growth, and even structural damage.

If you're concerned about spending too much on your electricity bill, you can try calling your energy company and asking about the “best times.” Usually, the best times to run your unit, that will save you money, is between 10 pm and 7 am — this is when less people are consuming energy, which drives down the rates.

Let's take a standard model that operates at 280 Watts-hour. If the current power rate is 15 cents/kW, an electric dehumidifier uses 4.2 cents of power per hour. Therefore, if you run it for 10 hours a day, the cost is 10 hours * 4.2 cents = 42 cents/day or about $153.30 per year.

Running a dehumidifier in the summer months is one way to improve indoor air quality and help lower the occurrence of allergy symptoms and asthma attacks. By removing excess moisture from the home's air supply, whole house dehumidifiers help reduce allergens such as mildew and mold growth in the home environment.

A dehumidifier should collect a certain amount of water each day - generally, around 10-20 pints of water per 24-hour period. This should require you to empty most dehumidifiers daily or bi-daily when in operation.