About Dehumidifiers

Mike Mousicos asked:


Dehumidifiers can help maintain a more constant level of humidity in the home. They remove the excess moisture created by activities such as cooking, showering or boiling the kettle.

High levels of humidity can cause condensation, damp and mould as well as being an ideal breeding ground for dust mites. All of these things can create an uncomfortable living environment for people with conditions such as Asthma and Arthritis. Also a more humid home is harder to heat and will therefore attract higher heating bills.

Investing in a good dehumidifier will solve many of the above mentioned problems. Listed below is a quick guide to assist in selecting the correct device for your home.

A key feature to look out for is the extraction rate of a dehumidifier. This is an important factor in determining how effective the machine will be. The figure is quoted as the amount of water, in litres, which can be extracted in a 24 hour period. In the UK, a typical 3 bedroom home requires a dehumidifier with an extraction rate of 18litres/24 hours or above.

Some models have an auto-stop feature allowing the unit to stop when the water tank is full. Others can be fitted with special plumbing kits to provide a permanent drainage facility. Variable speed settings and humidity sensors adjust the extraction rate of the device based on the moisture level in the home. Another useful feature is a boost setting for drying laundry.

As these machines need to operate for prolonged periods of time and possibly overnight, check models for energy efficiency and noise level.

A good domestic dehumidifier will cost around £130-£180. Judging by the low stock levels of high street and online retailers last year, the dehumidifier seems to be a very popular choice for dealing with what appears to be a common problem in condensation.



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Dan asked:


The dehumidifier works great at controlling the humidity in the basement but it and the computer are in a small room and was wondering if the dehumidifier generates electromagnetic fields that could potentially damage the hard drive. Whatever advice that could be provided would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help!

Carrier Heat Pumps

Rob Colbourn asked:


There are a lot of gadgets available in the markets that conserve energy. These products are a win – win situation for all helping to cut your energy bill as well as contribute to the cause of conserving our environment. High cost of energy recently has given a push to the use of these devices. Let us look at some of the common energy saving products available in the market.

CFL Lamps.

Although higher in cost than the incandescent lamps, these compact fluorescent lamps consume a quarter of the energy used by them. Hence your initial investment is returned with a profit as these bulbs lost longer and cut your electricity bill drastically.

Energy saving cooking tops.

A lot of energy that goes in preparing of meals can be conserved by using energy saving induction cooking tops. On average these induction cooking tops save 40 percent more energy as compared to the electric and the conventional gas cooking tops.

Solar water heaters.

Solar water heaters are the most efficient way to heating water for various purposes. They are usually installed at the roof of the house and use sun’s energy for heating water and to operate the pump used for pumping water. Since solar energy is (till now) free (and is not taxed), these solar water heaters cost nothing to operate.

Energy saving Dehumidifiers.

Less energy is used by the dehumidifier devices that are certified to adhere to Energy Star criteria compared to the ordinary dehumidifier removing the same amount of moisture.

Power Strips.

Power strips save energy by turning off the power consumption when the connected device is switched off or put in standby mode. Some of the more sophisticated ones like Smart strip cut down the power supplied to the computer peripherals when computer is shut down and have features like motion sensors and remote control. On an average power strips can save 100 pounds a year worth of electricity.

Programmable thermostat.

These devices can be set to convenient temperature to suit the requirements. These programmable devices have been found to use 15 percent to 20 percent lesser energy as compared to the conventional ones.

White LED Lighting.

White LED lighting is a recent development that saves energy by converting more amount of electrical energy for the intended purpose of lighting instead of heat energy as is the case with incandescent lamps.

Tankless water heaters and Insulating Blankets.

These appliances do not have tanks for storing water to be heated which can lower the energy consumption costs by approximately 50 percent. Further 4 to 9 percent of the electricity can be conserved by using insulating blankets that prevent heat loss by radiation.

Solar cookers.

They use sun’s energy to cook food also maintaining the nutrition value of the food.

Indoor and Outdoor Clotheslines.

Instead of using dryer to dry clothes you can use these to air – dry your clothes especially in summers. It can knock off about 50 pounds from your electricity bill.



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Alyssa W asked:


I was just wondering, if you over use a dehumidifier, can that create sinus problems? I have irritated sinuses/etc. and was wondering if my dehumidifier could be the source. Thanks!

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