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Are Dehumidifiers Safe?
A Dehumidifier is actually a very safe machine to own.
The reason is, they come with multiple safety features including:
- Tilt shut off
- Overheating shut off
- Overfilling shut off
- Humidistat shut off
Against popular opinion, dehumidifiers cannot dehydrate you. Higher humidity levels can cause dehydration because it reduces the bodies ability to sweat.
In the South where I live, the humidity can get so high that you cannot even tell if the air conditioner is running or not.
Because of that, everyone wants to turn the air conditioner up higher so they can feel it. But turning it up, especially with all the humidity, causes it to freeze up. Then you’re stuck without an air conditioner till it thaws out.
The moisture in the air here, can get so heavy that your hands can wrinkle up on you like a prune or like you’ve been sitting in a bathtub for an extra long time.
Your clothes can to be wet from sweat before you even leave the house in the morning.
And you don’t need to worry about having a hairstyle. The humidity will decide on what your hair looks like.
Yep. Pretty humid. Pretty uncomfortable.
But there are ways to get around it.
A dehumidifier is a good solution when you’re living in humidity like this.
The truth is, having the dehumidifier running in the summer is the difference between coming home to hot muggy house or actually having some cool air to relax in.
But when you get to relying on a device like this so heavily, you start wondering whether it is safe to leave it on so much.
Dehumidifiers Safety Features
Tilt Shut Off
Dehumidifiers work a lot like air conditioners but instead of the condensation created by the coils dripping outside, the condensation drips inside the room into a large removable container.
Tilt shut off is an important safety feature that keeps the dehumidifier from continuing to run if it were to accidentally get knocked over in which it would dump the water out and keep producing more water on the floor or short out the machine.
Overfilling shut off
The same container that captures the water has to be emptied on a regular basis. The overfilling shut off keeps the dehumidifier from continuing to run once the water collection container is full. This is another feature that will help ensure that you do not end up with a wet floor for a power cord laying in water.
Overheating shut off
Dehumidifiers use a lot of energy. if you’ve ever ran one for long you know what kind of impact it can have on your electricity bill.
The overheating shut off is in place in case the machine becomes overworked. The overheating shut off not only protects the machine from continuing to run and completely burning out, it also protects the property and you also because of the possibility of a fire.
Humidistat shut off
Most dehumidifiers come with a humidistat that will shut the machine down once the desired humidity is reached.
After all the point of a dehumidifier is to dehumidify the room and not dry it out. Dry air has its own set of unique problems like dry throat and clogged nasal passages.
But though as a device they are very well-built and maintain their integrity for a long time, you may be wondering how safe a dehumidifier is when it comes to your health.
What can dehumidifiers do for your health?
Dehumidifiers are meant to be ran during times and in climates that have high humidity. Simply set your controls to shut off when the room gets to around 30- 50% and you will never remove too much humidity.
When you keep that in mind and follow those parameters, most any reason a dehumidifier may be considered adverse to your health is practically nonexistent.
Here’s what I mean?
Can dehumidifiers dehydrate you?
The answer is no. Dehydration comes from not drinking enough water.
Humidity on the other hand, can raise your body heat and cause you to sweat excessively which interferes with your body’s natural capacity to evaporate and cool you down.
Dehydration can zap your energy and eventually cause you to pass out. Dehumidifiers can help you from getting overheated in those critical months when it seems there is just no relief from the heat.
Can dehumidifiers give you headaches?
When used right, a dehumidifier is more likely to reduce a headache then to bring one on.
It is actually the humidity helps dehydrate you and dehydration causes a number of health problems including headaches.
Also humidity facilitates mold and dust mites. Both are which are known allergens that cause headaches as well as other health issues including sneezing, watery eyes, and exasperation of asthma symptoms like tightness in the chest
Getting the humidity under control in your house will help you feel better when you are exhausted by high heat and humidity and reduce the number of airborne allergens associated with high humidity.
There is one caveat. If you use a dehumidifier when you do not need one, like say in the middle of winter, you can add excessive dryness to an already dry room. A extra dry climate can mess with your sinuses. Which usually comes with a headache.
It is important to know what’s the humidity in your room is before you run a dehumidifier.
Your dehumidifier should come with a hydrometer setting to tell you what that number is.
30 to 50% is the target range. keep it in that range and you should be safe from doing anything to add excessive dryness to your house.
Can dehumidifiers cause you to cough?
Can dehumidifiers cause you to cough?No. Actually the opposite is true.By regulating the humidity in a room, you will actually begin to breathe better than in a high or even a low humidity climate.
High humidity is also a major component of mold and dust mite growth. Both mold and dust mites are major factors with people who suffer from household allergies. Which symptoms often include sneezing and coughing.
Are dehumidifiers safe for pets?
Are dehumidifiers safe for pets?Yes dehumidifiers are safe for pets. Animals need a cool place to get in high heat as much as humans do.
Dehumidifiers also help people to be safe from pets because they help cut down on allergens like dander that dogs and cats spread.
Humidity is not only uncomfortable and unbearable at times for people , it is hard on pets to.
Having a dehumidifier in hot months to help extract some of the humidity from the air will help cool the room down and give the air-conditioner a fighting chance to work.
Your animals can only benefit from having a place to get out of the heat and humidity.
One thing is, don’t let your pets drink the water that is extracted from the air into the machine.
Excessive moisture in the air is actually an absorber for all the contaminants in the air.
The water in the tank can be unhealthy for a animal to consume because it could have all kinds of dust and bacteria from the air in it.
Summary
Are dehumidifiers safe?
Dehumidifiers are actually very safe. they come with more safety features than a lot of other appliances. Much more than your typical humidifier for sure.
They are not only safe because of how they are built, they are safe for your health also.
Many of the problems with dehydration and high heat can be averted by using a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in your home.
They are also a great way to help reduce airborne allergens that easily facilitate in humidity.
And though remember to not let your dogs or cats drink the extracted water from the machine,
Your pets can only thank you we’re having a place to get out of the excessive heat and humidity outside.
