Benefits of a House Dehumidifier

If you happen to live in a sweltering climate or a part of the world where you get more than your fair share of rain, you will no doubt be aware of the problems that a moist atmosphere can cause in your house. Simple things like being unable to get salt out of the shaker because it is damp or maybe the sugar in the bowl has gone lumpy for the same reason. Muggy or damp air in your house can also be the root cause of mustiness and mold spores, which is as bad as dust for anybody with allergies. There is a cure for these problems but it would seem that few people give it second thought through either ignorance or little understanding as to what a house dehumidifier actually does.

Next time you go to your local home store, make a point to find the aisle where dehumidifying equipment is on show. You will quite likely be surprised at just how many different types and models are available.

However, what is a home dehumidifier I hear you ask and how can it help improve the air quality in your house

A house dehumidifier is designed to remove moisture from the atmosphere and return drier air to the home thus lowering the relative humidity level. A fan on one side of the unit draws in the humid or damp air and passes it over a refrigerated coil. This causes the moisture in the air to condense and drip into a collection bucket. The air then passes over a warm coil that raises its temperature to room level.

It is quite possible for some dehumidifiers to remove up to sixteen litres of water vapor from the air on a daily basis. That is a lot of moisture but where does it all come from.

It is estimated that each person in a house will produce up to two litres of moisture per day through normal activities such as breathing, cooking, washing and taking a shower. As well as that, if you have gas heating in your residence that heater can produce around two litres of water vapor for every litre of gas that is burnt.

In a clammy clime people will tend to open windows and doors in order to keep their homestead cool. However, outside humidity can easily be higher than that indoors causing that excess moisture to be absorbed into our homes.

The other problem faced by many in the developed world is the fact that modern homes are too well insulated and cannot breathe. Double glazed windows, thermal roof and wall insulation and wall to wall carpeting all add to the comfortable home feel but with the disadvantage that there is little or no air flow.

As the moisture cannot escape anywhere, it ultimately gets absorbed into wall linings, clothing, bedding and furnishings. This in turn leads to musty smelling rooms, mildew on walls, curtains, furnishings, and even wallpaper peeling from walls.

Other obvious signs of high moisture levels, especially if the outside temperature is a lot lower, manifests itself with water running down windows and accumulating in puddles on sills and floors.

As you can see, house dehumidifiers can serve an important purpose and once you can understand how they work and what they can do, you will be better prepared to purchase one to keep your home mold and mildew free.