A dehumidifier is a machine that maintains the humidity level by removing excess moisture from the air, generally for comfort or health reasons or to eradicate musty odor, and to suppress the growth of mildew. Dehumidifiers are used for household and commercial applications worldwide. Several different dehumidifier models with advanced features are available in markets.
Although a dehumidifier is so useful as it provides a pleasant environment by removing access moisture from homes, offices, and other places, there are some concerns associated with its misuse that you need to consider.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Dehumidifier?
The following are the disadvantages of using a dehumidifier.
#1. Electricity cost
Using a dehumidifier on regular basis consumes a considerable amount of electricity. Although electricity consumption depends on the brand and size of the unit, a big 70-pint dehumidifier can consume up to 700W of electric power. Although modern dehumidifiers are based on advanced energy-saving technologies, still the amount of electricity consumed by them cannot be neglected.
#2. Noise
Most electronic devices produce noise, so dehumidifiers are also no exception. The noise produced by dehumidifiers ranges from 30b to 55Db. Bigger units produce more noise than smaller units and also cheaper brands produce more noise than the more premium brands.
#3. Dehumidifier cost
Although the cost varies from brand to brand and from size to size, you have to spend more or less money to buy a suitable dehumidifier for your home or office. But if you make the right selection a dehumidifier can return the cost.
#4. Heat
The heat produced by desiccant dehumidifiers can be a problem at the places where this extra heat warms the environment thus making it unpleasant for the people living there.
#5. Maintenance
Dehumidifiers do not generally an active intervention, but still, some maintenance is required. The most common maintenance is the water removal from the tank, which is a tedious job and it requires to be done regularly based on the running time of the unit and the amount of moisture removed from the air.
Does A Dehumidifier Cool A Room?
A more humid room is felt hotter than a less humid room even though both rooms have the same temperature. Humidity is a heavy muggy feeling due to the excess amount of water vapors in the air. Although a dehumidifier cannot cool the air like your air conditioner that is designed specifically for this purpose, it can cool your room to some extent because it reduces humidity which causes discomfort in the room. Dehumidifiers can cool the air because all the air being dried up, gets cooled after the removal of the excess moisture.
Are Dehumidifiers Safe To Leave On?
If your dehumidifier runs all day every day in a room this can lead to levels of humidity that are too low, thus causing a lot of problems for you. Having too low moisture levels in your home is a thing that is so bad for your health, as some disease-causing bacteria that cannot survive in the presence of moisture, get a chance to thrive in a very low humidity environment produced as a result of continuous running of a dehumidifier for a long time.
Cracked skin, respiratory disorders, and dry itchy eyes are also some of the health issues that may arise due to the continuous running of a dehumidifier. Also, the conditions like pneumonia can become worse if the environment is dried too much.
What Does A Dehumidifier Do For Your Health?
Common allergy triggers like dust mites, mildews, and mold can thrive in environments with high humidity levels. A dehumidifier makes your home environment unsuitable for such allergens. It helps to reduce irritation to the skin and respiratory system, thus allowing you to feel comfortable breathing easier in a clean environment containing moderate humidity.
Can A Dehumidifier Dehydrate You?
A dehumidifier cannot dehydrate you even if you keep it running throughout the night. A dehumidifier is designed in such a way that it can absorb moisture from the air, so if a humidity level is set between 30-50% your dehumidifier will not allow the humidity level to fall below that point. If the dehumidifier is turned on at turbo speed and is kept running for consecutive hours, it will not disturb your body fluid balance to any considerable extent.
Are Dehumidifiers Worth It?
Dehumidifiers are worth it, as they provide you an environment that is so comfortable for you, by removing excess moisture from the air. They also help to make your room unhospitable for allergens and other disease-causing agents thus helping you to avoid infections and allergies. Also, your food, clothing, furniture, and other household items remain safe due to the absence of different agents that can pose harm to these items.
Are Dehumidifiers Safe For Babies?
Dehumidifiers are safe for babies and do not pose any potential harm to their health if they are set to run keeping humidity levels between 30-50%. But too dry conditions can affect their health just like too moist conditions and they can be prone to several different disease-causing agents, and illnesses.
Conclusion
A dehumidifier is a machine that keeps the moisture in your room within a comfortable desired range and removes excess moisture from the room. Several different dehumidifier brands are available in markets that offer you multiple options regarding their operation and functionalities. A dehumidifier prevents the growth of different disease-causing agents and helps you to live comfortably in your home.
Although there are so many benefits associated with a dehumidifier there are also some concerns that you should consider while buying a dehumidifier for your home or office like purchasing cost, electricity consumption, and noise and heat production, etc. The other aspects like quality, reliability, durability, and capacity, are also must be considered to make a reasonable selection.
