When is the best time to run a dehumidifier?
For many people, the problem of humidity can be severe. Symptoms of such are moisture growth, musty odor, and the physical deterioration of some of their furniture. Dehumidifiers exist to ensure that these moisture-caused problems can be prevented, allowing your place to achieve the proper humidity levels.
Of course, the proper use of a dehumidifier will enable you to maximize the device’s effectiveness. Hence, it is essential that you are aware of its proper placement, the ideal time of its usage, and even its configuration.
In this context, we are going to elaborate on the best time of day to use dehumidifiers.
Best Time To Run A Dehumidifier
Several factors can influence your dehumidifier usage. Certainly, your goal here is to ensure that you can operate the device to reduce the effects of excess humidity in your space.
Keep in mind that people have varying comfort levels when it comes to humidity. But when it comes to your health, the ideal humidity range should be 40% to 60%. Some would adjust this to 45% to 65%, 30% to 60%, or any numbers that are within the said range.
Dehumidifiers can run for straight 24 hours, depending on your needs and preferences. If you deem that your area is being riddled by excess moisture, then you are free to run these dehumidifiers continuously. Areas in your home that are notably damp, such as basements, should have a dedicated dehumidifier that regulates their humidity.
Also, keep in mind that humidity is high on warm days, especially during the summer season. Technically speaking, the warm air can hold more water. Hence, it is already a given that it can cause a spike in humidity. You may want to use a dehumidifier all day when the climate is particularly hot.
The Cost Factor
Again, it is best to continuously operate your dehumidifier to ensure that your home maintains the correct humidity level. This notion is particularly true for those spaces that are burdened by severe humidity problems.
But then again, running a dehumidifier will cost you money. The longer you use the device, the more it will add to your electrical costs. Therefore, if you don’t want to be burdened by high power bills, you have to control the time you use the dehumidifier.
If you are concerned about your electrical bill, then you should use the dehumidifier around midnight until dawn–or 11 PM to 6 AM. In this period, electrical consumption is considered to be the lowest, which, in turn, causes the electrical rate to drop significantly.
Interestingly, humidity is the highest during the early parts of the day, which should be around 3 AM to 5 AM. Therefore, running your dehumidifier on these hours is actually cost-efficient.
But then again, if your goal is to dry your space even before you sleep, then I highly suggest that you use your dehumidifier ahead of the suggested time. In fact, you should get your humidifier at a steady pace until such time that the moisture level in your area stabilizes.
You also have the option to time the hours that the dehumidifier operates. At this point, you would need the device to have a timer function so that you can achieve this feat automatically. For instance, you can time the dehumidifier to run five hours in the morning and six hours in the evening, depending on your needs. The more accurate your timing is, the easier it is to achieve cost-efficiency with your dehumidifying device.
Relative Humidity
Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air compared with the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a given temperature. For example, if the air is at a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and there is already one percent humidity, then the relative humidity would be one percent. If the humidity increased to, say, two percent, that would mean that it is 70 degrees and two percent humidity.
The relative humidity will drop when the temperature increases.
Your dehumidifier works to remove excess humidity from the air to make your home more comfortable and reduce the potential for mold and other damage.
Again, you have to remember that the ideal humidity level for any interior space should be around 40% to 60%. Mold can already start growing at 65% relative humidity. The primary function of a dehumidifier is to guarantee that you will not exceed the ideal range. If you deem that the relative humidity in your home is too high, then you should let the dehumidifier do its thing, regardless of the time of the day.
Moisture can increase due to human activities. Any tasks that require water, such as bathing, washing clothes, and cooking, will inevitably release moisture. If water is particularly abundant in your area, then you might need to use your dehumidifier for as long as you need it.
Between cost and comfort, I prefer prioritizing comfort. After all, high humidity is pretty damaging.
Effects Of High Humidity
In some parts of the world, high humidity can be a serious problem. This is even more likely in countries where large portions of the year are spent in a hot, wet, and muggy climate. In these places, high humidity is an issue that has to be dealt with.
Stuffy rooms, allergies, mold growth, mildew, and fungus are all results of high humidity levels. Because of this, people are often encouraged to purchase dehumidifiers for their homes. These machines help to reduce the level of moisture in the air, which helps to counteract the humid climate.
You will definitely know if you need a dehumidifier in your home or building if the following symptoms are already apparent:
- People dwelling or interacting in your property have prolonged issues of allergies.
- Your allergies are getting worse
- Water leakages are evident, especially after precipitation (i.e., rain or snow)
- The air is particularly muggy, which is a sign that the problem is already becoming visible
- Insects and pests are proliferating in your home, such as moths, spiders, and cockroaches
- Your garments and clothes are damp and exude a musty smell
- Cracks and stains in your walls and furniture
How Long Does A Dehumidifier Work?
The dehumidifier works by simply extracting excess moisture from the air. It does this by running a refrigerant through a semipermeable membrane filter. This filter allows water vapor through it but keeps the water droplets from passing back out. This refrigerant then runs through a compressor, which condenses the refrigerant back into a liquid. The condensed refrigerant then runs through a small expansion device, which cools it back into a gas, and the process repeats.
Ideally, a dehumidifier should take effect as soon as possible. The quicker it can absorb moisture from the air, the better. Now, some air dehumidifiers take a couple of hours before you can experience significant dehumidification. However, others are quite powerful in that they can start absorbing moisture the moment you switch them on.
To know if a dehumidifier is already working, you should have a hygrometer with you. The latter is a device that measures the relative humidity in a given space. Measure the moisture before and during you use the dehumidifier. It should give you an idea of the speed as to which the dehumidifier can do its job.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the best time to run a dehumidifier should be in the period where the humidity is the highest. It is the ideal way to ensure proper dehumidification without racking electrical costs.
However, if you are constantly troubled by moisture all day long, then you have no other choice but to keep the dehumidifier running. Otherwise, you’ll suffer from health problems and infrastructural damages.
I hope that you find this guide useful. For other inquiries, feel free to ask me in the comment section below.