Health Benefits of a Dehumidifier
If you suffer from the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism, excess moisture in the air of your home can aggravate painful symptoms. A dehumidifier can also protect your family from asthma attacks due to dust mites, which aggravates asthma symptoms. Dust mites die if humidity stays below 50%.
If you live in a humid
limate, you know that
air conditioning doesn’t
remove the excess moisture
from the air. Even in other
climates, normal daily
activities such as cooking
and taking showers also
put moisture into the air
of our homes. New homes
are being built ever more
air tight, trapping excess
moisture inside and creating
an environment for mold
spores to thrive. Toxic mold
spores cause allergies and health
problems.and are very expensive to remove from walls, furniture and clothing.
Benefits of a Dehumidifier for your Home
Excess moisture and condensation can cause damage to your walls and increases mold on everything from clothes to furniture.Your home will be susceptible to musty smells, mildew, condensation on windows and glass, dampness and mold.
Drier air in your home is also more energy efficient as moisture absorbs heat, causing you to turn up the thermostat to stay warm.
Choosing a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier works by extracting excess moisture from the air using a refrigeration system and collecting the water in a reservoir. Some require a pump system to drain them and some have a collection container which you can empty by hand
Most dehumidifiers work within approximately 64° - 90° F temperature limit and 40% - 95% relative humidity limit. For basement use, some dehumidifiers function under temperatures as low as 44° F.
Capacity of the Dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers are rated according to the maximum amount of moisture the unit can remove from the air in a 24-hour period. If you purchase a 30 pint dehumidifier, it will remove 30 pints of moisture in 24 hours. Units can be purchased which will remove 30 pints, 40 pints, 55 pints and extra large dehumidifiers will remove 65 pints.
When purchasing a dehumidifier, first measure the room where you will use it and then buy one with a capacity for that size. For instance, a small room, up to 8x10, will need a medium size unit. If you want to dehumidify the entire home or if you live in an area with high humidity, you will also need a more powerful unit than if you live in a dry area.
For basements, you might want to consider a pump model, even though this will cost more. As basements are damp, you will need a model which is capable of emptying itself to save you the trouble of continually carrying heavy containers of water upstairs.
Dehumidifiers for the home are available in free-standing, attractive units which came be moved from room to room.
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