A plumbing and heating guide to dehumidifiers

In winter, the condensation you notice on your windows could also be collecting on your walls, you may have excess humidity in your home. Damp can be created through simple everyday tasks – doing dishes, cooking, taking a shower, drying clothes. All that moisture created ends up hanging in the air, or as damps in your walls or clothes and linen. Damp in the walls can cause structural damage and lead to rotting and ruined insulation. Which ultimately affects your heating, making it difficult to keep your house warm.

A balanced level of humidity is also important for you and your family’s safety. Breathing mould spores is very dangerous, plus breathing dam air can be the reason you’re waking up each morning with blocked sinuses.

Signs you might need a dehumidifier.

If you spot mould on your walls, you notice your wall paper is peeling, or the paint is cracking, these might be signs of high humidity. In summer, if you notice that its difficult to cool down, or you get excessively hot and clammy while inside your home, it might also be a sign of unusually high humidity.

Do this before getting a dehumidifier

Before deciding to purchase a dehumidifier you may not need, try simpler ways to get rid of humidity. Make sure the exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom are clean and working. Use your extractor when cooking and open the windows in your bathroom when you take a shower. All these things go a long way to increasing air circulation in you home and can have significant effects on the humidity levels.

Types of Dehumidifier

They come in different sizes and brands and can cost you anything from tens to hundreds of pounds, depending on what you need. Before you delve into the world of gadgets and extra gizmos, we thought this guide might be helpful.

Refrigerant

These are more common in Britain, because it is believed that they work better at higher temperatures and higher humidities. A fan works to draw the air in the room through the dehumidifier and cool it over metal plates, causing the moisture to condense and drip into the water tank over time. This eventually reduces the relative humidity in the room and the refrigerant humidifier will switch itself off.

Desiccant

This type of dehumidifier works better in colder environments – like your garage, shed or conservatory. They use an absorbent material to extract water from the air. The material is then heated, and the moisture drops into the water condenser.

What size dehumidifier?

Portable dehumidifiers are the ones you simply plug in. They’re a good choice if you’ve got occasional humidity issues. They’re easy to use, affordable and effective.

Humidifiers come in different sizes, from 0.5 to 20 litres. The size you need will depend on the level of humidity in your home as well as the size of your home, or the space you want to use it in.