Dehumidifiers -

Humidity Blues? 11 Tips for Beating the Heat and Moisture

Fixing moisture sources
Using a dehumidifier
Exhaust fans
Closing windows and doors
Air conditioning
Moisture-absorbing plants
Using a humidistat
Drying laundry outside
Mechanical ventilation system
Cleaning gutters
Proper insulation

Fixing moisture sources

When you’re trying to prevent high humidity in your home, identifying the source of the humidity is going to be at the top of your list.

Leaks and dampness are often caused by damaged pipes and plumbing.

Gaps or cracks in your foundation or walls are also high humidity points.

As well as any leaks in the roof.

Finding and fixing any of the above problems is The first step to reducing the high humidity in your house.

2. Using a dehumidifier

Other areas in the house that can suffer from high humidity or damp basements in bathrooms.

You may need to consider getting a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture in these areas.

If you’re not familiar with dehumidifiers, they are machines that work by pulling air out of the environment and use a refrigerant to cool it down.

When the air cools the moisture condenses and either collects it into a tank or follows a hose outside depending on your dehumidifier and setup.

3. Exhaust fans

Another way to lower the humidity in your house is using exhaust fans in the areas where moisture is built up.

There’s a good chance you already have exhaust fans in a couple of the main humidity areas of your house.

Typically the kitchen in the bathroom or outfitted with the exhaust fans because they are identified as high humidity areas.

If you do not already have exhaust fans, they can be installed fairly inexpensively by a professional or you can do it yourself if you like taking on your own projects.

4. Closing windows and doors

When the weather is particularly humid it’s a good idea to keep your windows and your doors closed to prevent any outside moisture from entering the home. The simple thing like keeping the doors shut can help keep the humidity more consistent inside.

5. Air conditioning

Air conditioners unbeknownst to many people are also good at reducing humidity.
Similar to how a dehumidifier works, an air conditioner pulls the surrounding air and cools it off with refrigerated coils. The moisture usually follows a drain line outside. Running the air conditioner is a great way of reducing the humidity inside when the heat outside is the main perpetrator of the humidity.

6. Moisture-absorbing plants

Moisture absorbing plants are a way to naturally reduce the humidity in the air.

A couple of popular varieties of plants that are known for reducing humidity are snake plant which is also called mother-in-law’s tongue, and peace lilies.

7. Drying laundry outside

The laundry is also another huge source of humidity, especially running the dryer.

Avoid hanging wet clothes in the house and consider adding more ventilation to your laundry room to pull the humidity out when you’re doing laundry.

8. Mechanical ventilation system

A mechanical ventilation system can be used to reduce humidity in your home by exchanging indoor air without door air.

This is a more powerful version of using exhaust fans because it actually exchanges the air instead of just pulling it out.

9. Cleaning gutters

Keeping the gutters cleaned is also a good way of reducing humidity in your house. When gutters get clogged and damaged they can allow water to leak into your home and cause excess moisture.

10. Proper insulation

Insulation is also a great tool for keeping humidity down in your home. Installing proper installation can help prevent moisture from coming in your walls and your ceilings.
Ceiling up any gaps or cracks and adding insulation to your attic is a great way of keeping the humidity in check.

11. Using a humidistat

Use a hygrometer and a humidistat to keep the humidity consistent.
Some of the signs like static electricity and condensation on the windows are obvious signs that your humidity is too high, just going off of your frizzy hair is not exactly the best way to keep the humidity consistent in your home.

Consider purchasing a hygrometer to measure your humidity and a dehumidifier that is outfitted with a humidistat that will turn it on and off as needed to keep your humidity status quo.

Dehumidifier Smells Musty?

Does Your Dehumidifier Smell Musty?

Musty is a word that describes the smell of mold.

When your dehumidifier smells musty, it is almost more than certain that it has mold and bacteria growing in the water or the filter and you need to give the whole unit a thorough disinfecting.

Dehumidifiers like their cousin, the humidifier have a predisposition for becoming moldy because of standing water.

And dehumidifiers even more so.

Why?

1. The Dark

The fact that dehumidifiers are collecting water into a basin that is dark makes them more likely to grow mold and bacteria even faster. Low light and dark are essential for mold to grow.

2. Collect airborne contaminants

Dehumidifiers also have the added component of removing airborne germs like bacteria, molds, spores, and pollen from the air which go into the water tank and are allowed to grow and populate till the tank is emptied and cleaned.

3. Not visible

Unlike a humidifier that usually has a clear basin that you can see the water and get a visual idea of whether it is getting dirty, dehumidifiers collect water into a bucket that you cannot see.

And in this case, out of sight, out of mind, can mean that mold and bacteria can get a stronghold.

With all this in mind you can see that a dehumidifier has an even greater predisposition to growing bacteria and mold inside of the water than a humidifier.

This is a very serious situation when it is not taken care of in a timely manner.

Inhaling bacteria that has grown on water can make you very sick.

Legionnaires disease and Pontiac fever to a lesser degree or diseases that are caused by breathing in water grown bacteria.

Legionnaires disease is responsible for death in many people, especially the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Whether you’re talking about a dehumidifier, a humidifier, or an evaporative cooler, these types of appliances are prone to becoming germ farms.

And they all require a stricter attention to keeping them clean because of that fact.

Exception?

There is one caveat to helping you keep a dehumidifier cleaner longer. That is to run a continuous hose from it so that the water does not collect in the dehumidifier but goes outside.

But regardless, even with the continuous hose, they need to be cleaned often to ensure that they are kept safe and healthy.

How to Clean Your Dehumidifier

Routine cleaning of the dehumidifier is essential for keeping it from developing germs and bacteria and also for running efficiently.

The main components that you want to dial in on when cleaning a dehumidifier are:

The water basin
The filter
The coils
outside

1. The water basin

Arguably the most important part of cleaning a dehumidifier is keeping the water basin and around it disinfected.

Bacteria can begin to grow in water in as little as 48 hours. And since dehumidifiers have all the criteria; low light, dust, and moisture, for mold to flourish,
Special attention should be given to the water basin to ensure that it is kept clean and disinfected thoroughly and often.

Fortunately it’s not a tough job.

a. unplug the machine

No use risking the chance of being shocked regardless.

To clean the water basin on your dehumidifier, simply take the basin off and dump the water out.

Using cleaning vinegar, which is a little more acidic than regular white vinegar, completely scrub out the basin and rinse it.

Add a couple of cups of vinegar back into the basin and fill it up. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes.

Dump the vinegar out, rinse it out with warm water and allow it to completely dry.

2. The filter

Dehumidifiers are almost identical to window air conditioners in their mechanics.
And if the filter is allowed to get dirty enough to inhibit the airflow, the machine will not do its job properly.

To clean the filter, simply pull it out and knock off the loose material into the trash.

To take a cleaning brush and scrub the rest of the debris out of the filter.

Knock it off again, into the trash.

At this point, if the air filter is particularly dirty, canned air can be used to blow the filter out even further.

And if it’s still grimy after that, wash it under the faucet using warm water.

If you end up having to clean the filter with water, be careful to let it dry completely before you reinsert it.

Since water is one of the components of mold taking root.

3. The coils

The coils are less likely to be dirty and are not considered an essential part of routine maintenance. But they can still get dirty over time.

If the coils on your dehumidifier or window AC get dirty. The machine will not run as efficiently and use more energy.

Dirty coils can also cause the machine to freeze up quicker.

To clean the coils, a can of coil cleaner can make the job very easy.

Coil cleaner foams up similar to bathroom cleaner. Simply spray the coil cleaner all over the coils, let it foam up and sit.

After it has sat for the amount of time that the direction says, wash the coils off with warm water, preferably with the spray bottle, and let it completely dry.

4. Outside

Wipe the outside thoroughly with cleaning vinegar. Sure to get into the nooks and crannies where water can get access to and eventually cause bacteria to grow on the outside of the machine.

Recap

Does the dehumidifier smell musty?

A musty smell is almost always certainly an indication that there is mold somewhere in the vicinity.

When you smell that mustiness coming from your dehumidifier, then the most logical reason is that it has mold and bacteria growing or starting to grow in the water or even around the water basin.

Since dehumidifiers pull moisture out of the air that is filled with bacteria and allergens like mold spores and dust mites,

The moisture that is collected inside of the dehumidifier has a chance of developing mold and bacteria even faster than just standing water on its own.

And you couple that with the fact that it is dark inside of the basin, you have all the ingredients for mold and bacteria to take root faster.

Bacteria growing on standing water can be dangerous to breathe.

Legionnaires disease is caused by inhaling a certain bacteria that has grown on water.

So keeping the water basin emptied and thoroughly cleaned on a dehumidifier is very important.

Fortunately it’s a job that you can do with some household items like a scrub brush and some vinegar.

And if the area where you have your dehumidifier can accommodate it, you can skip the water basin all together and hook up a continuous hose. So that the water coming into the machine goes outside instead of collecting into a bucket.

Can You Run a Dehumidifier with the Window Open?

Should you run a dehumidifier with a window open?

A dehumidifier requires that a room be sealed off, at least windows and doors closed to function optimally. Letting outside air in while the dehumidifier is running dilutes the process and introduces new moisture that increases the amount of energy it takes and decreases the effectiveness.

Opening the window in lieu of running the dehumidifier is an option if the humidity inside the room is higher than the humidity outside.

For instance, you’ve recently taken a steamy shower and you want to air out the room. Opening the window or turning on the extraction fan is a better option than running a dehumidifier.

Other similar indoor humidity problems can be related to running an evaporative air cooler or simply washing clothes and dishes.

These are usually temporary humidity problems that can be alleviated by letting some fresh air in.

But typically the indoor humidity is relative to the outdoor humidity. A rainy season outside will cause the indoor humidity to rise as well.

Hot humid temperatures outside will gravitate inside.

“Opening a window while you’re using the dehumidifier when the outdoor humidity is as high or more than the indoor humidity, you have zero chance of decreasing the humidity indoors with a dehumidifier.”

In fact you will get a better result out of your dehumidifier if you take steps to seal up the windows and doors even further while you’re using a dehumidifier.

Most indoor humidity problems are related to the outdoor humidity affecting the indoor humidity levels.

Basements for instance, are usually built directly next to dirt that has a heavy moisture content. That is why the basement usually seems damp compared to other rooms.

Concrete walls can develop cracks where moisture can seep in from the ground and depending on your style a basement, pipes can be exposed and introducing moisture if there is any leakage.

Other areas like crawl spaces beneath the house can be continuously moist which has a direct effect on the moisture level inside of the house because of moisture coming up beneath the floor.

A typical problem with crawl spaces is water in the yard that has etched out a ravine running to underneath your house. Broken gutters or dirty stopped up gutters can also be a cause of water seeping under the house instead of being directed out from the house.

Crawl space encapsulation is a process that uses a barrier to keep moisture from the ground from keeping moisture that is in the ground from humidifying your house through the floor.

Crawl space encapsulation can also include putting a large industrial dehumidifier beneath the house to extract the moisture.

But if the indoor humidity is much higher than the outdoor humidity, then you need to locate the source of the moisture and take steps to stop it.

Anywhere you have a leak, you have extra moisture in your home. A broken pipe, gaps in your windows or doors, or a leaky ceiling can all be a continuous source of humidity inside the home that if not fixed will cause the humidity to be high indoors.

And running a dehumidifier even though it may be necessary to maintain a good comfort level in the meantime is only an expensive Band-Aid till you get the problem fixed.

Indoor humidity problems.

Humidity can do a number on the indoor structure of your house.

Window sills can warp and rot, wood flooring can expand as well as warp as well become creaky.

Ceiling texture can start cracking and flaking off and wallpaper can start coming loose.

And though very important, more important is the fact that your air quality can be compromised and cause allergies, headaches, fatigue, and even other more serious symptoms if mold has been allowed to take root and become part of your ambient air makeup.

How do you know?

How do you measure the humidity in your home?

Of course humidity is a relative term that means one thing to a person living in Arizona and quite another thing for a person living in Florida.

Certain climates especially if they are near the ocean are going to naturally have a higher level of humidity in the air.
And your personal comfortability meter is going to be a lot higher.

But if you are used to living in a dry climate and you take a vacation to the ocean, you may be completely overwhelmed by the humidity level.

So comfortability is not necessarily the best measuring stick for what is acceptable indoor humidity.

To be more exact and to keep an indoor relative humidity that is not only healthier but better for your home, you have to have a way to measure it.

The hygrometer is a gauge that usually comes in the form of a digital thermo hygrometer that you can install on a wall to be able to keep up with your indoor relative humidity level.

These little tools are inexpensive and can be placed in multiple locations throughout your house as a way to gauge where the higher humidity is coming from.

What should the humidity level be inside your house?

The national library of medicine says that most health issues related to humidity can be curbed by keeping the indoor relative humidity between 40 and 60%.

The homeowners association says that the humidity should be between 30 and 60%.

So the ideal humidity to try to achieve inside the home is about 50%.

Dehumidifiers typically come with a built-in hygrometer and humidistat to gauge the indoor humidity so that the machine will run until the set humidity is reached.

Humidifiers can be purchased with built-in hygrometers and humidistats as well when the indoor humidity has dipped below 30 to 40%.

Recap

Can you use a dehumidifier with the window open?

To increase the effectiveness of a dehumidifier, close any windows and doors to the room that you are trying to reduce the moisture in.

Since the outdoor humidity is generally one of the main causes for excessive humidity indoors, opening a window with the dehumidifier running will only cause a never-ending cycle of extracting humidity from the air. And cause the energy hog dehumidifier to be even more expensive to run.

If on the other hand, the fresh air outside is dryer than the air inside, then opening the windows in lieu of running the dehumidifier could be the better option.

Extraction fans in the bathroom and kitchen as well as the washroom will reduce the humidity without running a dehumidifier as a necessity also.

If the indoor relative humidity is consistently higher than the outdoor humidity, then you are more certainly looking at an indoor problem such as a leak from a pipe.

Fixing the issue is the only solution at that point.

If the outdoor humidity is continuously high then reducing the exposure indoors by sealing the house and fixing any issues with moisture and water humidifying from beneath the house is the key.

Maintaining an indoor relative humidity between 40 and 60% is the main objective.
You can use a hygrometer and even place them throughout your house to measure your humidity and gauge where the higher humidity levels are sitting in your home.

Wall Mounted Dehumidifier (What are Some of the Options?)

Excessive moisture in your home can cause mold to take root and dust mites to thrive in abundance.

The result can be damage to the wood and drywall as well as the insulation inside the walls.

Allergies also have a tendency to flare up when the humidity is high inside of the house too. Mold spore and dust mite allergies are two of the most common household allergens that have their origin in high humid air.

Fortunately, it’s a problem that can be solved with the use of a dehumidifier.

Dehumidifiers can reduce the moisture in the air at a surprising rate and amount.

They not only help save your hairdo but can save you a lot of money in energy cost by taking the weight off of the home air conditioning system.

Which will also lead to less maintenance on your HVAC unit.

But said dehumidifiers are not always the most sexy of appliances. In fact, they can be a big eye sore that takes a lot of space, especially when they have a hose and pump hooked into them.

This is one of the reasons that homeowners are searching for a way to reduce the humidity in their home or also looking for a way to keep the dehumidifier out of the way and out of the middle of the floor.

Another reason is that dehumidifiers more than not, come with a drainage hose option. That means that they depend on gravity for the water to drain freely.

Mounting the dehumidifier to the wall is a way to ensure that there is enough height for the water to drain properly.

Wall Mounted Dehumidifier – What are some of the options?

Depending on the area and how much humidity you need to consistently reduce,

The solution may be as simple as keeping a few small desiccant dehumidifiers around the bathroom and in closets.

Desiccant dehumidifiers use silica gel to absorb humidity. Silica gel is more popularly known as the little packets that come in different types of products like running shoe boxes or potpourri, etc.

When used as a full-size dehumidifier, the amount of silica gel is not only much larger, the units must be charged in order to absorb enough humidity to be useful.

But humidity problems that require a larger robust solution like in the basement, you may look at a full in- wall dehumidifier or whole house dehumidifier that is required to sit on a mounted shelf or suspended stage.

Here’s a little more of a breakdown and some suggested methods that could be employed.

The dehumidifier industry is packed with manufacturers that build huge dehumidifiers that can reduce a mountain of humidity.

But sometimes, you just don’t need that much power or humidity reduction.

Many times the problem is as simple as a bathroom that doesn’t have an exhaust fan or a big enough exhaust fan.

Wall Mounted Dehumidifier for Bathroom

The bathroom it’s typically the smallest room in the house and putting another appliance on the floor is out of the question and even having a big appliance like a dehumidifier mounted to the wall in the bathroom is going to take up an enormous amount of space.

But there is an alternative, and it just happens to be wall mounted.

Small Desiccant dehumidifiers like the Eva dry can absorb 4 to 8 oz. of water before recharging.

And the price for one is under $20.

Desiccant wall mount dehumidifiers are ideal for bathrooms, closets, cars, and gun safes.

And you could buy 15 of them for the price of one mid-size dehumidifier.

If your humidity issues are pretty much delegated to the areas in your house where there’s a lot of steam, aka the bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen.

Desiccant wall mount dehumidifiers can do a great job without ever having be emptied or have any type of hose attached to drain from. A huge plus.M

1. Eva-dry E-500 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier

Eva dry e500 is such a dehumidifier that uses absorption instead of extraction.

This small space mini dehumidifier is wall-mountable
Requires no batteries
Lightweight
And efficiently absorbs up to 8 oz. of moisture.

Eva dry is very portable and renewable.
After it runs for approximately 60 days, you simply plug it back in to charge it.
When the silica beads dry out and turn orange, the dehumidifier is ready to work again.

Extremely easy and completely free of the emptying and cleaning maintenance required for standard compressor dehumidifiers.

2.Pro Breeze Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

Similar to the Eva dry, this little rechargeable dehumidifier can absorb up to 5 oz and last from 20 to 30 days. The small portable size and the small price tag make these mini dehumidifiers easy and affordable enough to place throughout the house, including bathrooms, closets, laundry rooms, drawers and safes. They are all so easily wall mounted and can be done so using any type of wall tape fasteners.

3.Snapsafe

Snapsafe is a cylinder type dehumidifier that is roughly the size of a large candle.

And even though it is not exactly wall mountable, it can easily sit on the shelf hidden behind your other items out of sight.

It is rechargeable and excellent for your closet areas, cabinets, and gun safe.

3.DampRid

DampRid is a silica gel all-in-one bagged absorber. It is ideal for hanging in the closet, cabinets, or anywhere in the home where you are experiencing mustiness and damp air DampRid also has a version that comes with Activated Charcoal

Wall Mount Dehumidifier for Basement.

The average size basement is around eight hundred to a thousand square feet.

Which in dehumidifier terms means a whole different level of cost to purchase a wall mount dehumidifier.

Below is a few Ideas and Products for mounting a dehumidifier on the wall.

Storage utility hooks

A easy solution for mounting a dehumidifier on a wall if you are willing to think outside of the box and you’re not specifically looking to mount a dehumidifier for the aesthetic appeal,

Then coupling a dehumidifier that is outfitted with a carrying handle with storage utility hooks is a viable option.

Storage hooks can hold anywhere from 30 lb to 80 lb depending on the material that you put them into.

Since basements usually have cement walls, they are ideal for holding heavy objects.

Donatello dehumidifier with drain hose

This small dehumidifier covers 350 square feet and holds 68 Oz which equates to 34 lb. Which is easily in the range of weight that standard utility hooks can handle.

This dehumidifier runs without a compressor which means that it is very quiet and can run all day and all night without making any loud noises.

It does not however come with a hygrometer.
To be able to monitor your relative humidity in order not to run your dehumidifier too long or not long enough you will need to purchase a separate hygrometer.

Though it is a smaller dehumidifier, you can see how a dehumidifier could be mounted to the wall but simply sitting the unit on storage hooks using the handle.

A shelf that can handle 40 to 50 lbs. is the same concept. Sitting your dehumidifier on a shelf will get it off the ground and give it the gravity it needs to drain without a pump.

Basement in wall dehumidifier

Santa Fe Ultra MD32 in-wall dehumidifier

The Santa Fe Ultra MD32 in-wall dehumidifier fits inside your wall between two studs.

It can handle a 1200 square-foot basement very well and it has a lot of perks like almost silent operation since it is inside of the wall.

It will also collect up to 33 pints a day for multi-family housing.

It has an awesome finished look for a dehumidifier.

Some of the features include a

Moisture sensor

This is a sensor that alerts you when there’s any type of leakage.

4 year warranty due to its galvanized steel cabinet that is built to last.
Can work in a variety of temperatures. Including 49° which is cooler than most dehumidifiers.
Very quiet. At 46db it is approximately the volume of a refrigerator.

The downside is that it does not come with a pump and the installation kit for it is also purchased separately.

The drain hose will also have to be installed inside of the wall.

If your basement is not finished, it does have an installation kit for you too mounted on the outside of the wall.

This dehumidifier will keep you from having a messy portable dehumidifier with a pump and garden hose running out of it sitting in your basement.

2. EBac AD850E

This dehumidifier is wall mounted and can also be freestanding. It has the look of a hotel air conditioner.

It can easily handle a large basement up to 1700 square feet.

This commercial wall mount dehumidifier looks great. The noise is kept below 50 db and it can operate in a room as cool as 41 degrees.

But it does not come with a hose..

This dehumidifier also doubles as an air purifier and comes with two removable washable air filters.

It’s contemporary design lends itself for you in a variety of commercial settings including pools, spas, museums, schools, gyms, etc.

Crawl space whole house dehumidifier

If your primary reason for searching out a wall mount dehumidifier is not aesthetics, can purchase a crawl space dehumidifier complete with a pump and drain hose for a third of the price.

And have a much more powerful dehumidifier they can handle up to 6,000 square feet.

And Commercial dehumidifiers are usually mounted using a hanging kit.

Not exactly the same as mounting it on a wall, but if you’re willing to think outside the box, and the look of it is not your primary issue,

Then you could have a much better dehumidifier and still be able to keep it off of the floor and out of the way.

Colzer crawl space commercial dehumidifier

This dehumidifier comes complete with a pump and a drain hose and is able to pump out a hundred 45 pints a day.

Alorair Sentinel HDi65

Alorair is warrantied for 5 years.

It is a great fit for any basement, crawl space, garage, or any large room.

It comes with the heavy-duty condensate pump, Auto operation, auto defrost to keep the coils from freezing, and auto restart whenever there’s a power outage.

Alorair also has a hanging kit that is designed specifically to fit the dehumidifier. (Sold separately)

Mini split Air Conditioner

18000 CoVac BTU Ductless mini split with Cooling Heating and Dehumidifier

Humidity control is not the only issue that people have to deal with when they are trying to control the climate in thier basement.

Finding a way to efficiently heat and cool a basement can be just as much or even more so of a problem then reducing humidity.

Mini split air conditioners are the equivalent of having a HVAC specifically for the room they are placed in. Which means they automatically dehumidify as they cool.

And for much less than the price of a commercial in wall dehumidifier or a wall adjacent dehumidifier,

You can control the overall humidity plus the temperature in the basement and still keep it wall mounted and out of the way.

Window air conditioner

If you have one of the rare basement setups that offers a window big enough for a window air conditioner, then controlling the humidity in your basement can be as easy as putting a window AC in the window.

Unfortunately this is only an option if you have a window that can fit a window AC in your basement. Most basement windows are narrow and it is almost impossible to find a window AC that is made for a narrow basement window.

Window air conditioners are featuring heat as a standard part of operation more and more.

Just like in the case of a mini split, if you have a window in your basement, a window air conditioner can double as a dehumidifier and heater.

Koldfront Wac 12001W 12000 BTU

This s a window air conditioner / heater / dehumidifier that can heat and cool a spaceship to 550 square feet. It’s dehumidification capacity is 60 pints per day.

LG electronics 8000 BTU heat and cool window air conditioner

This unit is Wi-Fi integrated and can work with Amazon Alexa and hey Google using voice commands.

It cools up to 320 square feet and has the optional supplemental heat setting to help heat your room on cooler days.

This unit is very well reviewed. It has been said to be very quiet and very economical compared to a central heat and air system.

Crawl space encapsulation

The humidity in the basement and the rest of the house for that matter can all be reduced significantly through encapsulation and the use of a crawl space dehumidifier.

If you have a crawl space, then crawl space encapsulation is a much better option then trying to reduce the humidity inside of the basement via a portable dehumidifier.

The price may be a little more upfront, but it will pay for itself in energy savings and reduced maintenance on your house.

Considering the asking price for some of these wall mounted and in-wall dehumidifiers,

The price of encapsulating your crawl space and keeping a dehumidifier there is really not all that outrageous.

Recap

Wall mounting a dehumidifier doesn’t exactly come with a lot of easy options.

Reasons why people want to mount a dehumidifier to the wall are to generally to get it off of the floor and out of the way and or to get rid of the big eye sore if having a boxy dehumidifier with a garden hose attached to it running out of the house.

Desiccant dehumidifiers are inexpensive and come in small wall mountable units. And work great in smaller areas like bathrooms and closets.

But once you move in to a arena where you need much more dehumidifying power, like a basement,

The options become much more costly.

In wall dehumidifiers are a good option but they do require installation.

Other commercial options like EBac AD85OE look great and can easily blend in any room and have the look of a hotel air conditioner.

But you will pay substantially for those aesthetics.

If aesthetics, on the other hand is not the most important issue,
And if you’re only wanting to get it out of the floor because it’s a tripping hazard,

Crawl space dehumidifiers can reduce the amount of moisture for a fraction of the price. And they come with their own hanging system to keep them off of the floor.

Basements with window access can use a window air conditioner two double as a dehumidifier.

Most window air conditioners come with a dehumidifier setting so that you can run the dehumidifier without the cool running also.

Window air conditioners or also starting to feature Heating as well.

Mini split air conditioners or installed with the compressor outside.

But they are wall mounted and look great, and they also double as a dehumidifier.

Finally

If you’re going to go down the road of an expensive in wall system, then might want to consider crawl space encapsulation,

which could eliminate the need of a dehumidifier in the house or basement. And make mounting a dehumidifier completely unnecessary.

But before you go down the road so to speak:

Before you buy any expensive equipment or have any work done to close off your crawl space,

It’s important to figure out why you’re having the issue with high humidity in the house in the first place.

Leaking pipes can create a ton of moisture beneath the house that can radically increase the amount of humidity you have inside of the house.

And leaking pipes are something you’re going to have to fix regardless.

Fix the pipes first and you may not even need a dehumidifier.

Another thing that often causes heavy moisture beneath the house is gutters that do not lead rainwater far enough away from the house for it not to River down into the crawl space.

Making sure that you do not have any water from the gutters or sprinklers making its way down beneath the house is also another easy thing you can do that can reduce your indoor humidity.

Bathroom Dehumidifier – What are the Best Options?

Bathrooms are typically one of the most humid rooms in the house. And it’s no mystery why. The shower creates a huge amount of moisture each and every time it is run.

But unchecked humidity in the bathroom will eventually lead to mold growth.

And though mold in the shower is easy to see, it’s all the other mold growing in dark spaces as well as on your towels, toothbrushes, and other items in the bathroom that makes it so disgusting.

Not only disgusting, damaging.

Mold can do a huge amount of damage and in a very short time. Areas like window frames and drywall can experience mold rot very quickly when mold is left to increase.

If you have a bathroom that doesn’t have an exhaust fan or maybe it does but it just can’t keep up with the level of moisture and condensation that you seem to be experiencing,

There is an option that will help reduce the humidity in your bathroom and it’s one that doesn’t carry that high of a price tag.

What I’m talking about is a small bathroom dehumidifier.

Do dehumidifiers work in bathrooms?

Dehumidifiers work well in bathrooms. Not only does a dehumidifier easily reduce the moisture in the bathroom,

Being close to a sink or shower makes the maintenance of emptying a dehumidifier or running a continuous drain hose much easier.

Bathrooms in most houses generally do not come in over 40 square feet.

And the smallest portable compressor dehumidifiers typically cover around 250 square feet.

So a dehumidifier can keep the air in the bathroom very dry.

Will a dehumidifier keep mold from in the bathroom?

A dehumidifier will help keep mold from growing because moisture in the air is essential for mold to take root.

And that is exactly the point of a dehumidifier, to remove moisture from the air.

But If you want to eliminate the chances of mold growing in your bathroom, you will have to address other standing water issues on a regular basis as well as running a dehumidifier.

What is the best dehumidifier for a bathroom?
In our opinion the best bathroom dehumidifier is the Medea 1500.

It is not only small enough to completely dry out a bathroom, it is large enough to use in a laundry room, bedroom, or kitchen.

It also has a built-in pump and a washable air filter. A couple of things hard to find on a small bathroom dehumidifier.

Being such a small room, the bathroom actually has a few good options for what you might consider to be the best bathroom dehumidifier.

The first option

Desiccant Bathroom Dehumidifiers

Desiccant humidifiers come in small mountable units that can be placed on the wall out of the way.

They do not require the typical maintenance of emptying a dehumidifier. Nor do they have to have any type of pump or garden hose ran to them.

The only maintenance is that they are recharged once every couple of months.

These small bathroom dehumidifiers are perfect for helping dry out a medium to a small amount of humidity.

They are all so perfect for closets, pantries, and other small areas

The downside is there is no measurable way to reduce the humidity.

So they will require a separate hygrometer to actually keep tabs on the humidity level inside of the bathroom.

1. Eva-dry E-500 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier

Eva dry dehumidifiers are completely silent, have a 10-year lifespan, and do not require any refills whatsoever.

These are small absorbing dehumidifiers that are designed for small spaces like closets and safes, and might require more than one unit for a bathroom.

These units can absorb up to 8 oz of moisture without any of the maintenance and canister emptying annoyances of compressor dehumidifiers.

2.Pro Breeze Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

Very similar to the Eva dry. These mini dehumidifiers are inexpensive and can make a big difference in a musty bathroom.

Pro breeze can remove moisture in areas of the 333 cubic feet up to 1 month before recharging.

They are safe, space saving, non-toxic devices they can be used in larger areas like a bathroom or much smaller areas as small as a gym bag.

These are very small dehumidifiers that are meant for areas with only mild humidity problems.

3.DampRid

Damprid is a container that comes in various sizes of silica gel. It can also be purchased in hanging bags.

One variety of Damprid contains activated charcoal which is very good at getting rid of musty odors.

Damprid is a good solution for absorbing excess moisture in a bathroom. And it can be placed out of sight very easily.

Desiccant Dehumidifiers will need a hygrometer to be able to measure the humidity in the bathroom

4. Govee WiFi Thermometer and Hygrometer

The Govee is a Wi-Fi thermometer/ hygrometer that can hook up to your Wi-Fi or through the Bluetooth.

It has multiple alert functions that you can set up to keep you aware of any changes in your temperature or humidity and be able to react quickly when one or the other falls out of range.

It also keeps a record of your data up to 2 years and can be exported in CSV format entirely for free.

5. JEDEW 2-Pack Mini Hygrometer Thermometer

If you just need to know the relative humidity and the temperature of the room but you don’t necessarily want or need alerts coming into your phone,

Then JEDEW is a super basic gauge that does just that.

These thermo-hygrometers are very sensitive and measure the humidity every 10 seconds.

They work with temperatures from 32 to 152 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity levels from 10% to 99%.

Option 2

A small portable bathroom dehumidifier

A mini dehumidifier works exactly the same way as a full size portable dehumidifier.

The only difference is that it is much smaller and works in a smaller room.

And even though these dehumidifiers are small, they still can dry out the air in a room that is 250 average square feet.

That means you will not have any problems drying the air out in a room the size of a bathroom.

And it also means that you will have a great small dehumidifier to use in your laundry room, kitchen, or bedroom.

The benefit of using a traditional bathroom dehumidifier is that they or much more exact and can be set to reach a specific humidity level when desired.

They also have features like Auto shut off when the tank is full, and humidistats to shut the machine off when the desired relative humidity is reached.

There is maintenance involved in the form of emptying the bucket when it is required.

But there’s also the option of hooking a continuous drain line in order to avoid ever having to empty the machine.

But just like a humidifier, they have to be cleaned regularly to avoid mold and bacteria from taking root in them.

1.Pro Breeze electric dehumidifier

Pro breeze also has an electric dehumidifier they can cover up to 215 square feet.

It is capable of removing up to 9 oz. of water a day and has a 16 oz/ tank capacity.

Very compact and lightweight, it can easily sit on the bathroom counter.

Downside

It doesn’t have drain hose capacity. But since it is intended to be used in the bathroom, there is very easy access for emptying the canister.

2.Levoair Dehumidifier

A very small dehumidifier that features a drain hose.

This little dehumidifier can work in areas of 333 square feet.

It is whisper quiet. Because it does not feature a standard compressor which is the reason most dehumidifiers are so loud.

It is a portable handle and is leak proof.
Which means you can carry it from room to room without spilling.

Built-in drain hose means you can run it without having to empty it.D

3.Beyn Mini Bathroom dehumidifier

Beyn is an extraordinary very attractive dehumidifier that comes with a removable water tank or an optional drain hose. It covers 269 Sq. Ft.

It is lightweight and portable and comes with automatic shut-off to provide you with the security of knowing that it will not overflow when it is full.

The optional drain hose will allow easy drainage into your sink.

This is a very well reviewed product.

The only downside is that it will require an elevated shelf to sit on because it is gravity-based.

4.Midea 1500 square foot dehumidifier

Portable dehumidifiers can take up very little room in the corner of a midsize bathroom.

But they can reduce a significantly larger amount of moisture. And they can easily be used in other areas besides the bathroom.

The Midea 1500 filters the air as it needs humidifiers and can do so in a room 1500 square feet.

It features:

Auto restart for power disruptions
Optional drain hose capacity.

5.Whirlpool 40 Pint Portable Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump

This dehumidifier covers 3000 sq. ft. and has a

built-in pump
a 24-hour timer
Auto shutoff
Washable air filter
And auto restart for power disruptions

It’s small enough to use in the bathroom and big enough to use in the basement.

It can remove up to 40 pints of moisture per day.

It also filters the air as it extracts the humidity from it.

Built-in pump makes it perfect for continuous drain into the shower or gym shower drain.

6.COLAZE Electric Portable Dehumidifier for 480 Sq.ft

Colaze dehumidifiers for small rooms are perfect for areas up to 500 square feet.

They feature a LED display so that you can monitor your humidity level and know the temperature of your room at a glance.

A drain hose
Humidity setting to dial in the humidity level you want
Timer
Auto shut off so that it can never overfill
And defrost function to keep it from freezing over and stopping.

Q & A

What can happen if you have excess humidity in the bathroom? Mold, damage?

Having excess moisture in the bathroom can cause a lot of damage. Specifically mold damage.

When you’re having a problem with excessive moisture in the bathroom, you will eventually discover that you have mold growing.

And when it becomes visible in the shower, you can be sure that it has found a whole host of dark places to take root as well.

High unchecked humidity in the bathroom will eventually lead to mold feeding on your wood surfaces, window frames, baseboards, etc. and can lead to significant damage.

Other areas you may find mold growing:

Ceiling tiles, wall tiles
Carpet and rugs
Gypsum board (drywall) and the insulation inside the walls. Drywall typically bows out when it’s full of moisture and the paper begins to peel.

Once mold has become a problem in the bathroom, the spores from the mold will be everywhere from your towels, toothbrushes, as well as your pillows and bedding if your bedroom is adjacent.

When do you need to use a bathroom dehumidifier? Winter, summer?

The summer months news typically when you find the higher levels of humidity outside and when you have the most problems controlling the humidity inside.

But humidity inside of the bathroom can be an issue in the winter also when the outside air is cold and it is coming in contact with the warm inside air via the window.

You have probably noticed condensation on your windows during the winter.

The condensation will lead to mold just as fast as any other type of moisture.

So controlling the humidity in the bathroom can be a all year endeavor

Where would you put a dehumidifier in the bathroom?

Finding the space in a bathroom for a dehumidifier is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you, like me, live in a house with a lot of females.

The ideal spot for a dehumidifier in a bathroom would be on an elevated spot on the sink countertop.

That way you could run a small hose to the sink from the dehumidifier and not have to continuously empty it.

The same concept would work well for the shower too. An elevated spot next to the shower would give you excellent access to either emptying the dehumidifier we’re running a continuous drain hose to the shower drain.

Desiccant dehumidifiers come in small portable units easily hung on the wall next to the shower.

Desiccant dehumidifiers do not extract nearly the amount of water as a traditional mini compressor humidifier, so using more than one in the bathroom is a good idea.

Does a bathroom dehumidifier use a lot of electricity?

The amount of electricity that a bathroom dehumidifier uses depends on the level of humidity and the runtime of the dehumidifier to extract the humidity everyday,

You can expect a small dehumidifier to use as much as 30 Watts and a larger dehumidifier to pull as much as 70 Watts.

How loud are bathroom dehumidifiers?

Bathrooms are pretty loud spots in my house, it’s not uncommon to hear the radio blasting, shower running, and hair dryer is going at the same time.

Dehumidifiers can be compared to the level of noise you would get from a window air conditioner. Around 65 db.

Pretty loud.

But the bathroom is not exactly in use as much as the living room or a bedroom.

What’s the difference between desiccant bathroom dehumidifiers and mini dehumidifiers?

Desiccant dehumidifiers absorb humidity much like a sponge. They also never have to be emptied or run with a continuous drain hose.

They are also much quieter.

Desiccant dehumidifiers for small spaces like bathrooms and closets, or easily mounted to the wall or hung from a hook.

You probably know “desiccants” as the little silica gel packets that come and everything from shoe boxes to keeping gerbil snacks fresh.

Desiccant dehumidifiers are the same concept in a much larger version.

Traditional compressor dehumidifiers extract moisture from the air exactly the way that a window air conditioner does. It pulls air in with a fan, drags it pass a series of condenser coils that capture the moisture and then releases the air back into the room dry.

A mini compressor dehumidifier can extract moisture from a room as big as 200 or even 300 square feet.

That’s much more then you will be able to achieve with a small desiccant dehumidifier.

But there is also maintenance to be considered with compressor dehumidifiers.

If you do not go the drainage hose method, you ‘ll have to empty the bucket for the dehumidifier to run.

And the potential of having standing water is much higher. Dehumidifiers must be cleaned often to avoid mold growing in the machine.

They can also be quite loud.

But One mini portable dehumidifier is big enough to use in the bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, and kitchen.

Will a dehumidifier soak up water?

A dehumidifier will make it easier for water to dry and is often used to help clothes to dry faster on hangers.

But it is primarily a device to remove moisture out of the air.

Although it will help considerably to reduce the capacity for mold to grow, it will not soak up standing water, nor will it wipe down or squeegee off shower walls, or condensated windows.

Bathroom dehumidifier versus an extractor fan

Installing a dehumidifier is as simple as plugging it in and turning it on. But you will have to empty the bucket on a continual basis and keep the machine clean.

Which to be fair is a much easier endeavor when you are next to a sink or a shower.

On the other hand, a humidity extractor fan just has to have a switch flipped on. No other maintenance involved.

But installing a humidity extractor fan will take much more than plugging it in.

It will require cutting a hole in the ceiling, and hardwiring it into your existing electrical grid.

Recap

Though the bathroom can be one of the most humid rooms in the house

Dehumidifiers are devices that can do a great job of remedying that problem.

Small dehumidifiers that you can benefit from using in your bathroom come in both desiccant and compressor type.

Desiccant dehumidifiers use chemicals to soak up moisture in the air. They are very inexpensive and work well for light to medium humidity.

They are also very safe and require very little maintenance. The only maintenance that you will have to keep up with using a desiccant dehumidifier is keeping it charged.

A small compressor type bathroom dehumidifier uses refrigerator cooling coils to condense the moisture in the air.

The water that is captured through the condensation process either goes into a bucket that has to be emptied or can be drained through a continuous drain line.

Compressor dehumidifiers can extract much more moisture out of the air then desiccant dehumidifiers are capable of.

Traditional bathroom dehumidifiers also I’m more likely to come with bells and whistles like built-in hygrometers, auto shut off when the tank is full, and auto defrost if the temperature is lower.

Desiccant dehumidifiers will require a separate hygrometer in order to be able to keep tabs on your relative humidity.

What Do the Numbers on a Dehumidifier Mean?-11 Question Set

What do the numbers on a dehumidifier mean?

Dehumidifiers can be a mysterious thing when you first begin to mess with one.
The different settings and symbols and not to mention the numbers can be confusing.

The main number that appears illuminated on a dehumidifier is the relative humidity inside of the room where you have the device.

It’s the number that you are attempting to lower by using a dehumidifier.

According to the national library of medicine-PubMed, 40 to 60% relative humidity is the Ideal moisture level to avoid problems with either high or low humidity.

BLACK+DECKER 4500 Sq. Ft. Dehumidifier for Extra Large Spaces

Are dehumidifiers safe to leave on?

Dehumidifiers are safe to leave on because they almost exclusively come with an auto shut-off that turns the machine off when the bucket or the basin is full of water.

That means you’re not going to come home to a floor full of water if you happen to leave the house with your humidifier running.

Should I run a fan with a dehumidifier?

Running a fan and a dehumidifier at the same time can be advantageous because both the fan and a dehumidifier have a drying effect on the air.

After all, if you have done a recent painting project that you need to dry faster you would probably put a fan blowing on it to help it do so.

The same goes for drying your hair, if you want to dry it faster, you can sit in front of a fan or better yet use a hair dryer. Which is essentially a hot fan.

A fan will also help move the humid air in a room towards the dehumidifier where it can do its job better.

And the entire purpose of a dehumidifier is to extract moisture from the air to dry it.

Not to mention that the two can be purchased together in one unit.

So there is no conflict in using a fan and a humidifier at the same time.

Should I run a dehumidifier with an air conditioner?

Using a dehumidifier at the same time as an air conditioner can actually help reduce the wear and tear on your air conditioner because even though an air conditioner dehumidifies as it cools,
It has to work harder when the air is extra humid.

Running a dehumidifier can’t take the strain off of an air conditioner and help it cool easier.

But, remember dehumidifiers operate much like a window air conditioner that exhaust heat out of the rear. Which helps with the humidification process but tends to make the room feel a little swampy.

So if you’re using a portable dehumidifier, the room that you place the dehumidifier on is not exactly going to feel cooler even though the air conditioning may be working better.

How to know if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier?

If you live in an area that is typically dry, then higher humidity is easy to identify. Your skin is clammy and your hair is frizzy.

But if you’re used to living in an area where high humidity is part of the climate, you may not even be aware that your humidity is spiking.

A hygrometer is a gauge that is designed to tell you what the relative humidity is inside of a room or your house.

If the humidity inside your home is above 60%, then running a dehumidifier is needed to bring that number down below the 60% mark.

Honeywell Small Room Dehumidifier

Is it okay to sleep in a room with a dehumidifier?

Sleeping in the same room as a dehumidifier doesn’t have any adverse effects health wise, there is no threat of dehydration or anything that will harm you but..

Dehumidifiers can be compared to running a window air conditioner. If you’ve ever walked behind a window air conditioner, you probably remember feeling the heat coming off of the rear of the machine.

Dehumidifier works much the same only the heat that comes off the rear of it does not expel outside but inside of the room.

Dehumidifiers are also not the quietest of devices.

Technically there’s no problem with sleeping with a dehumidifier in the same room,

But you may be looking at a swampy feeling, loud night.

What’s better: a dehumidifier or an air purifier?

Dehumidifiers and air purifiers both reduce allergens.

Dehumidifiers reduce humidity problems like high dust mite populations and mold growth which results in high populations of mold spores.

These devices, by reducing the humidity, reduce the allergens caused by the humidity.

Air purifiers reduce allergens by filtering them out of the air.

And they do so regardless of whether the humidity is high or low.

Air purifiers are not dependent on the humidity being at a certain level for them to do their job whereas a dehumidifier is useless when the air is dry. Which is about half the year.

Which is better? A dehumidifier or an air purifier? An air purifier is more useful throughout the year than a dehumidifier.

But it is definitely better to own both and use a dehumidifier when needed.

When should you not use a dehumidifier?

Dehumidifiers or devices meant to extract moisture out of the air when the humidity level is too high inside of a house.

If the humidity in the home is already at the optimal level of between 40 and 60%, then you should not use a dehumidifier.

Another issue that can interfere with a dehumidifier that can keep you from using it is lower temperatures.

As you probably will know if you have read the rest of this article, dehumidifiers run very similarly to window air conditioners that use refrigerant to condense the humidity out of the air.

Just like on an air conditioner, if the temperature is too cold, the condenser coils on a dehumidifier will freeze over.

There are many dehumidifiers that come with a defrost setting for this very problem.

There are also dehumidifiers called desiccant dehumidifiers that do not use a compressor at all. Though not as powerful at removing moisture from the air, it can be a good alternative if your primary issue with humidity is during the cold season.

How long should you leave a dehumidifier on?

40 to 60% humidity is the optimal humidity inside of a home or building according to the national library of medicine.

If you are using a dehumidifier to bring down the moisture level inside of your house, then you should be prepared to leave it on till you have reached the relative humidity of 60% and below.

ThermoPro TP50 Digital Hygrometer

Do humidifiers make the room colder?

Dehumidifiers can have a cooling effect on a room when the temperature is not too hot and humidity is the main thing that is making the room uncomfortable.

But unlike an air conditioner or a fan, the dehumidifier is better left to run before you are planning on using the room.

Even though in theory, you are lowering the humidity which is the main threat to your comfort, The heat that expels from a dehumidifier will have the opposite effect of making a room cold while the dehumidifier is running.

Should a dehumidifier run constantly?

There are times when the humidity is so high that a dehumidifier may seem like it constantly runs and never turns off.

For instance, running a dehumidifier in a crawl space or a humid basement will require a humidifier to run much longer to reduce which is essentially an everlasting problem.

On the other hand, if the humidity level in a room does not warrant the use of a dehumidifier, then the dehumidifier may run constantly because it can’t extract enough humidity to ever reach the point where it shuts off.

That also answers the question of why your dehumidifier may not be collecting any water. There is simply not enough humidity for it to do so.

But if the relative humidity is high, and your dehumidifier is not collecting any water, you have definitely ruled out the relative humidity being a problem, and can focus on the issue being a mechanical problem with the device.

Negatives to Crawl Space Encapsulation

Crawl space encapsulation is a broad term that includes the entire gamut of things you can do to weatherize the space underneath your house.

The main items that make up the encapsulation process are:
placing a plastic barrier on the ground and beams underneath the house , sealing any openings, insulating the walls, and installing a dehumidifier.

This can be quite a big list considering we’re talking about that space underneath the house then no one really ever thinks about it in the first place.

That’s until you’re forced to get under the house to repair your foundation or plumbing and find out that you’re going to have to pump the water out first to be able to do so.

Or if you have recently found out that the air quality in your house is as much as 50% dependent on the air quality underneath your house.

And that the air quality underneath the house is coming from a place where the formation of mold is very high.

It’s at that point you began to realize this is a project you’re going to have to tackle.

Negatives to crawl space encapsulation

1. Expense

Easily the biggest negative to encapsulating the crawl space beneath the house is the expense.

Experts say that you can expect to spend about $5,500 to adequately weatherize and protect your crawl space.

Not only is the project going to cost you the materials and labor to have it done,

There is the upfront cost of a dehumidifier that can carry the load of practically running day and night and the added energy that it will require to do so.

And running a dehumidifier is basically the same as running a refrigerated air conditioner.
Which unfortunately falls at the top of the list of appliances that use the most energy.

Aprilaire Dehumidifiers Whole Homes up to 5,200 sq. ft

2. No Room to Work.

Crawl spaces are tight. If you’re lucky, you have an area that is big enough for you to walk or to hunch over and get around, but if you’re not, you’re probably looking at crawling around on your hands and knees or even scooting along on your belly or your back.

As you can imagine putting a plastic barrier on the ground underneath your house, and doing so that there are no leaks, is a huge undertaking whether you plan on doing it yourself or paying someone.

3. Muddy

The ground underneath the house in the best of circumstances is going to be moist. After all, moisture underneath the house is one of the main reasons that people consider encapsulation.

If you have moisture under the house, then you are probably having an issue with water rivering from the yard under the house, or pipes that are leaking somewhere beneath the house.

Which adds up to having a muddy surface beneath the house in which to work.
Standing water under the house is going to have to be pumped out before you can do any work.

Which circles back to the original problem of bad air quality coming from your crawl space.

Standing water in a dark muddy place is the ideal environment for mold and bacteria to grow.

Mosquitoes may well be an issue also.

4. Nasty

You probably don’t want to think about it, but the area beneath the house is providing shelter for a whole lot of pests.

Pest like rodents that can basically get in through a crack in the wall or if there hasn’t been properly blocked entry access the area,

You’ve probably provided a living environment for stray cats, possum, foxes, you name it.

That means a lot of excrement. And it could mean clearing out some dead animals.

5. HVAC Zoning

If you have your central heat and air installed in the crawl space, sealing off the area can interfere with the airflow originally figured into the design of your HVAC venting.

If that is the case, it would be well worth your time and money to have a HVAC tech involved before starting your encapsulation process.

Crawl space encapsulation is definitely not something you want to have to do twice or go back and fix because of something like HVAC zoning that you did not think of in the first place.

Advantages of Crawl Space Encapsulation

Fortunately the advantages of encapsulating a crawl space can be worth the effort and expense.

1. Improved Air quality

The air quality in a crawl space can be responsible for as much as 50% of what is being breathed inside of your home.

And because the air quality inside of the crawl space is more likely being tainted by mold and bacteria growing in standing water,

It’s not that hard to add two and two together and realize that many of the issues that stem from bad air quality like allergies and headaches and so forth, could be originating from the bad air that you are breathing.

Encapsulating the crawl space is a huge step to creating a healthy breathing environment.

2. Reduce Pest and insects

Most insects including termites need moisture to survive. Not only does the crawl space provide shelter for pests and insects, it supplies nutrition for them to populate.

Encapsulating the crawl space will dry out the area which in turn will start out insects.

Termite damage will be reduced significantly when the source of nutrition and moisture that termites need to live is removed or greatly hampered.

3. Minimized Mold Damage

Mold damage beneath the home will cause rotting wood. Rotting wood will eventually cause your foundation to start falling.

Which can cause everything from the floor rotting out to the walls cracking.

Encapsulation is a small expense compared to fixing the foundation of your house.

4. Extra Storage

By drying up and sealing space under your house you will be creating extra storage space.

However large your home, as time elapses, you quickly realize how little storage space you actually have.

Depending on the size of the crawl space beneath the house, you could be sitting on a big chunk of real estate that could be easily used for storage if it were sealed up properly.

Even a small crawl space can make a good storage area for non-perishables or holiday decorations, etc.

5. Energy saver

Though it is easy to see the expense it takes to encapsulate the crawl space,

The result of encapsulation will be closing off open windows and leaks that can cause your central heat and air to work much harder and cause your bill to spike much higher.

Encapsulating the crawl space is like shutting the door that’s letting the air out.

And in turn making your home much more energy efficient and the amount of money it takes to heat and cool your home.

Recap

Encapsulating the crawl space beneath your home is definitely not a desirable task.

The expense and the less than favorable conditions to work in make the disadvantages stand out and loom large.

But when you measure the disadvantages against the advantages of crawl space encapsulation,

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages for most people.

The improvement in air quality and the additional savings in energy, plus the protection of your home from mold rot make encapsulation well worth it.

And the additional storage real estate is a big plus.

Do You Put Water in a Dehumidifier?

It can be a little confusing deciphering all the different types of devices on the market that do something to your air.

For instance, You got air conditioners, air purifiers, air humidifiers, air compressors, just to name a few.

And trying to understand what each one does compared to one another is a pretty big demand to place on the consumer.

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are a couple of devices that people seemingly confuse with one another quite often.

And why not, they practically sound like they’re the same machine.

But the similarity in name is where it ends.

Do you put water in a dehumidifier?

You do not add water to a dehumidifier like you do to a humidifier.
Dehumidifiers are the opposite of a humidifier. They are a device that removes moisture from the air.

Compared to a humidifier that effectively adds moisture to the air.

Dehumidifiers pull the moisture out of the air by reducing it to condensation and funnel it into a container which is built-in as part of the machine.

When the container gets full, you dump it out. Dehumidifiers often come with a garden hose hook up to drain the water from the machine rather than dump the container when it fills.

Humidifiers on the other hand, are made to add moisture back into the air.

So they do require you to add water to them before they can perform their function.

Dehumidifiers – remove moisture from the air and require you to dump it out of the machine.

Humidifiers- add moisture to the air and require you to add water to the machine.

What is the purpose of a dehumidifier?

The purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove excess moisture out of the air.

One of the most popular ways of using a dehumidifier is to help dry out a basement.

Basements, being carved underground and basically sitting in moist soil, tend to be very moist inside as well.

The air in the basement can be very humid compared to the rest of the house.

And where there is excess moisture in a home, there is the high possibility of mold growth in that region.

Areas like basements that have high humidity also tend to have a lot of bugs because moisture provides a source of nutrition for them.

High populations of dust mites are another symptom of having high humidity that often occurs in a basement.

Using a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture inside of a humid room like a basement helps cut down on the amount of mold and allergens caused by mold and dust mites, making it easier to breathe, and protecting the area from mold damage.

In short, it means getting an overall better use out of the room.

Do I need a dehumidifier?

For a lot of people, the dry mode (dehumidifier mode) on their air conditioning may be plenty to keep the high humidity inside of their home in check.

But there are many times when the temperature does not warrant running an air conditioner but the humidity is still high.

The basement for instance.

So if you have above normal humidity but the temperature does not warrant using an air conditioner, then you do need a humidifier to reduce the excess moisture from the air.

What is the purpose of a humidifier?

Humidifiers are machines that intentionally add moisture into the air.

Humidity is fickle and in order to maintain optimal health and environment, a relative humidity of between 40 and 60% is required.

While dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air when the humidity is too high, humidifiers add moisture when the air is too dry.

Dry air is usually associated with winter for a couple of reasons.

One, the climate produces less humidity, and two, heaters are used regularly. And heaters have a drying effect on the air.

Dry air is air that has a relative humidity of 40% and below.

The symptoms of dry air are many.

1.Dried and cracked nasal passages and skin top the list.

2.Low humidity also aids in the spread of colds and viruses.

3. Sinuses and allergies are also symptoms of low humidity.

How does a humidifier help with so many of these everyday problems?
Simple.

Moisture droplets are heavier than dust.

Without enough humidity in the air, dust, including dust particles like pollen, viruses, and bacteria,

are free to float and travel further through your air and eventually come in contact with your eyes, mouth, and nose.

Humidified air causes dust to be too heavy to float and out of the ambient air that you breathe.

Most of us have no idea how impactful the relative humidity is on our health.

Hygrometer

You may be thinking, that’s all fine, but how do I know what my relative humidity is or how would I track it?

Fortunately, there is a handy device that you can purchase cheaply at your local hardware store that measures humidity.

It’s called a hygrometer.

They are usually paired with a thermometer. Called a thermohygrometer.

How do you read a hygrometer to know when to run a humidifier?

A hygrometer gives you your relative humidity in the form of a percentage.

If the hygrometer reads 40% or below, you need to run a humidifier to raise your humidity to about 50%.

If the hygrometer reads 60% or more, reducing the humidity is necessary.

That may mean using a dehumidifier unless the temperature is high and the dehumidification process of the AC can handle the humidity.

Recap

It’s easy to get confused between what a humidifier is and a dehumidifier is.

There are so many air related devices that sound similar, and knowing which device does what is not always intuitive.

Dehumidifiers are appliances that remove moisture water from the air and do not require any water to be added to them.

Humidifiers add moisture to the air and do require water to be put in them.

One is for removing moisture. One is for adding moisture.

60 Percent Humidity in the House? 70? 80?

Humidity has a big effect on your health and property, and the truth is, it is much more serious than you probably ever gave it credit for.

Both high and low humidity comes with its own problems and symptoms.

This article is about many of the symptoms and problems that you can expect with high humidity. And some solutions too.

40 to 60% relative humidity is the optimal range to protect your home and family from the spread of germs and avoid damage to your personal property.

A direct statement by ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
says “health effects caused by road of humidity would be minimized by maintaining indoor levels between 40 and 60%”

60 percent humidity in house

At 60%, the humidity in the house is nearing the outside of the range of what is considered comfortable and safe humidity inside of the home.

At 60% RH, you have already begun to enter into an area of relative humidity that can provide enough moisture in the air for mold to take root.

As that number increases, the likelihood of mold being found somewhere in your home increases.

70% humidity is the ideal moisture level that you will find mold growing.
And with mold comes mold spores. A significant household allergen.

70 humidity in house

At 70%, you are already noticing the telltale signs all around you.

The AC will begin to feel like it’s not running at all and condensation will be nearly pouring from it.

You will undoubtedly feel very clammy and will have no chance of dealing with your frizzy hair.

You might also find yourself sneezing and rubbing your itchy eyes.

Why is that?

It’s because dust mites thrive in temperatures that hover around the 70 to 80° range with a relative humidity of 70 to 80%.

80 humidity in house

At 80% humidity, you may start wheezing because of the amount of dust mites and mold spores in the air.

And the risk of dehydration will become a real threat because your body will not be able to produce sweat nearly as easily at that level.

Your performance will be off and you will find that you’re not able to do as much without getting tired.

Humidity sustained at that level will begin to rot the wood around your home including window sills and floorboards.

And any musical instruments you have around the house will have probably gone way out of tune by now. And the risk of them bowing to a point that they may never play well again is serious.

Uhh!!

As you can tell, a sustained high level of humidity is not good for your health or your home. If any of this describes your situation then you should be taking steps to remedy the situation.

Determining the Origin of the Humidity

Climate

Of course there’s not too much you can do about the weather. And if the outside humidity is shooting up then you’re inside humidity is going to shoot up with it.

Solutions

Air Conditioning

Refrigerated air conditioners, either the type you have built into your house via the HVAC

or window air conditioners which would include portable air conditioners that vent out of the window,

will reduce the humidity inside of the house.

This type of air conditioner pulls humidity out of the air, reduces it to condensation, and either drips or funnels it outside.

And most refrigerated ACs you find these days have a dehumidifier setting that will reduce the humidity in the room without having to have the cool function running.

The dehumidifier setting on an AC is usually called “dry mode”. It’s symbolized by a water drop, if your unit has symbols instead of words.

Dehumidifier

The dehumidifier is a device that is similar to a refrigerator air conditioner except that it doesn’t have any type of cool setting.

It’s only function is to reduce the humidity.

Humidifiers exhaust heat similar to the way a window air conditioner does.

If you have ever walked behind a window air conditioner then you probably remember feeling heat coming off of the unit.

But the heat that is exhausted on a dehumidifier is expelled inside of the room.

A factor you’ll want to consider when you’re thinking about operating a dehumidifier.

Depending on the reason for the humidity, the heat exhausting from the machine it’s not exactly a welcomed feature if the temperature is already hot outside.

When is the AC not useful in humidity?

Even though refrigerator air conditioning is the easiest and most effective way to bring them the humidity level indoors, there are times when air conditioning will do the opposite.

AC humidity problems

1. Running the AC with “fan on” setting engaged.

There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to running the air conditioner with the “fan on” setting engaged versus the “auto on” setting engaged.

The “fan on” setting well actually makes your home feel more humid.

The reason is, one of the primary ways that an air conditioner cools down a room is by extracting the humidity and turning it into condensation.

But when the “fan on” setting is engaged, the humid air that is being pulled into the air conditioner does not have a chance to stay in front of the condenser coils of the AC long enough to turn into condensation.

So the result is humid air being pulled into your air conditioner and redistributed throughout the house without the humidity being extracted.

2. Too Large of an Air Conditioner

Another problem that can occur with air conditioning and humidity is that you have too large of an AC unit.

The result of running an AC unit that is too large for a home is a phenomenon called “short cycling”.

Which means that your air conditioner turns on and off more frequently.

This affects the way a air conditioner extracts humidity because the air conditioner is continually turning on and off,

and not giving the condenser coils enough time to turn the humidity into condensation and funneled out of the house.

3. Evaporative cooling

Evaporative coolers are essentially a large fan blowing over water as a means of cooling the air off.

Evaporative coolers are also known as swamp coolers because they can make a room feel swampy.

Number one, if you were trying to use a evaporative cooler when the humidity is high, you will not be able to feel anything much more than a fan coming from the unit at that point.

Number two, you are only adding more humidity to an already elevated moisture level.

And for some people this may be the reason your home feels humid in the first place.

Any devices or machines like evaporative coolers or humidifiers that disburse water droplets into the air, should not be operated when the humidity level is high in the house.

Humidifiers are for dry air only.

Leaking pipes

If you have above average humidity in your home but the climate outside is not especially humid, then you have another problem altogether.

Basements are usually known to be extra humid because of being located beneath the ground.

The moisture in the ground can find itself inside of your home.

Dehumidifiers can be outfitted with pumps and drainage hoses to reduce the humidity inside of a basement.

Leaking water pipes are also found in the basement quite often and can cause the humidity level to soar.

Telltale sons of leaking pipes inside of your home usually appear as drywall that is bowing or that feels damp to the touch.

Discoloration of the walls usually indicates a leak of some sort also.

Leaks in the ceiling are usually very easy to locate and are very noticeable because they appear as some liquid that has been spilled on the ceiling.

If the high humidity inside of the home is due to leaking pipes, then as you probably guessed, you’re going to need a plumber.

Symptoms of High Humidity in Your Home (A Long Frizzy List)

If there is one thing that I have learned this past summer season is that a little humidity goes a long way.

This has been, no doubt, one of the rainiest spring and summer seasons I have ever lived through.

The heat has been through the roof and the air conditioners don’t even feel like they’re on half the time.

I guess we all know how miserable, excessive humidity can feel going through our regular work and school days.

And just about everybody has had an experience with their hair looking terrible because of the humidity outside,

But comfortability and great hair could be the least of your worries when the humidity has risen sky high in your home.

Symptoms of high humidity in your home

If you tell tale signs that the humidity inside of your house is too high.

1. Condensation on the windows

Everybody knows what it looks like in the bathroom when they get out of a hot steamy shower.

The mirror gets completely fogged over in the windows get a layer of condensation on them.

That’s par for the course and completely understandable in the bathroom.

But if you have condensation on the windows in other parts of the house, that’s not normal.

That is definitely a symptom of high irregular moisture in the air.

2. Allergies and breathing issues

Air that is heavy with humidity can be harder to breathe. Especially if you’re coming from an area that is dry and traveling to an area that is extra humid like the tropics.

But adapting to breathing extra wet air is not the only thing that makes humidity tough on your respiratory system.

Humidity just happens to be one of the main ways that dust mites get their nourishment.

Heavy humidity can cause an explosion of dust mites. Which are a common household allergen that can cause you to have multiple symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, and coughing.

Another allergen known to be spurred on by higher humidity is mold. More specifically the mold spores that are released from the mold and travel through the air looking for the next place to take root.

Allergies and breathing problems while in the house can definitely be a symptom of high humidity.

3. Visible mold growing on the wall

If you have mold on the wall, there is no doubt that you have an issue with high humidity in the area of said mold.

Humidity is not only caused by climate, you can just as easily because of a leaking pipe.

Mold only needs a simple recipe of dampness, darkness, and something to feed on.

That’s why you find mold growing in places like under the kitchen and bathroom sinks so often.

If you find mold growing on the walls, you will also find a source of moisture fairly close by. Guaranteed.

4. Wet drywall

If a room is exposed to heavy humidity for too long, the drywall can begin to absorb moisture out of the air.

The result can be areas in the drywall that are damp to the touch or slightly bowing.

Damp drywall can also be a symptom of humidity inside of the walls caused by a leaking pipe inside and near the damp part of the drywall.

Discoloration of the drywall is also a telltale sign that you have excessive humidity somewhere in the area.

If you have a dark discoloration in the drywall, you can be fairly sure that you have a leaky pipe in that area.

You probably noticed the leak like this in the ceiling before.

5. The smell of mildew

Mold and mildew have a specific smell that is hard to miss.

Even when you don’t see any signs of mold growing on the walls or find any areas of dampness,

The smell of mildew is a surefire indication that there is mold growing somewhere.

Your nose always knows so follow your nose.

Excessive humidity in your house can cause mildew to grow in any dark corner it can find.

Which means it will not be obvious to your eyes. So trust your nose, if you smell mildew, you are smelling a symptom of high humidity.

6. Air conditioner doesn’t feel like it’s running

High humidity can make the air conditioner feel like it’s doing very little or nothing at All.

If you got the air conditioner on and you know the filters are clean and there’s nothing going on with the thermostat,

There’s a good chance that the humidity level is just at a point that it’s causing the AC to feel pointless.

An Air conditioner not feeling cold can definitely be a symptom of high humidity and excessive moisture in the air.

7. Excessive condensation coming from your air conditioner

If you are running a window air conditioner or using the air conditioner in your HVAC system and you notice a lot of condensation building up and dripping out of your unit,

You can bet that the humidity is high.

That is because these units convert the humidity in the air to condensation and funnel it outside.

Another way the air conditioner can provide you with a symptom of high humidity.

8. AC is set to “Fan on” instead of “Auto”

If your air conditioner is set to the fan on position, the humidity that is typically funneled out of the air conditioner doesn’t have enough time to evaporate and is blown back into the house through the vents.

This can also happen when your air conditioner unit is too big for your house.

If your unit is too big then it can cause rapid cycling which will also not give the humidity enough time to evaporate before it’s blown back into the house.

Improper settings and unit size of an air conditioner can cause and be a symptom of high humidity in the home.

Summary

Symptoms of high humidity in the home come in the form of condensation on the windows and mold growing on the walls.

Other symptoms that suggest does the humidity is too high inside of the home is an air conditioner but just doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything

or having a hard time breathing because of the amount of dust mites and mold spores traveling through the air because of the high level of moisture feeding them.

And if you are smelling the musty smell of mildew, you can bet there is mold growing somewhere around you.

Another symptom that you have high humidity in your home.

What to do?

Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier is a device that pulls humidity out of the air. Dehumidifiers come in all sizes and range from simple ” dump the water out yourself models” to modern Wi-Fi units that include humidistats with a pump and a hose attachment that make it super convenient to use.

Dry mode on the AC

There’s a good chance that the settings on your air conditioner include “dry mode”.

“Dry mode” is the dehumidifying function of a refrigerated air conditioning unit.

The AC itself

Though the humidity can get to a point that it makes the cool function of an air conditioner seem like it’s not doing anything,
Running the air conditioner, provided we are talking about a refrigerated AC, will still reduce the humidity inside of your home.
And many times, it’s not the temperature that’s making your home uncomfortable, just the humidity itself.

Fixing moisture sources

2. Using a dehumidifier

3. Exhaust fans

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12204" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/close-the-door-1024x853.jpg" alt="close the door" width="660" height="550" />4. Closing windows and doors

5. Air conditioning

6. Moisture-absorbing plants

7. Drying laundry outside

8. Mechanical ventilation system

9. Cleaning gutters

10. Proper insulation

11. Using a humidistat

Does Your Dehumidifier Smell Musty?

Why?

Exception?

How to Clean Your Dehumidifier

1. The water basin

2. The filter

3. The coils

4. Outside

Does the dehumidifier smell musty?

Should you run a dehumidifier with a window open?

<img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-10268" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Untitled-design-2022-04-18T153637.747.jpg" alt="" width="1801" height="1500" />Indoor humidity problems.

How do you measure the humidity in your home?

Can you use a dehumidifier with the window open?To increase the effectiveness of a dehumidifier, close any windows and doors to the room that you are trying to reduce the moisture in.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9513" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/wall-mount-dehumidifier-1.jpg" alt="wall mount dehumidifier " width="869" height="492" />Wall Mounted Dehumidifier – What are some of the options?

Wall Mounted Dehumidifier for Bathroom

Small Desiccant dehumidifiers like the Eva dry can absorb 4 to 8 oz. of water before recharging.

1. Eva-dry E-500 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier

2.Pro Breeze Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

3.Snapsafe

3.DampRid

Storage utility hooks

Donatello dehumidifier with drain hose

Santa Fe Ultra MD32 in-wall dehumidifier

2. EBac AD850E

Crawl space whole house dehumidifier

Colzer crawl space commercial dehumidifier

Alorair Sentinel HDi65

18000 CoVac BTU Ductless mini split with Cooling Heating and Dehumidifier

Koldfront Wac 12001W 12000 BTU

LG electronics 8000 BTU heat and cool window air conditioner

What I’m talking about is a small bathroom dehumidifier.

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9437" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Do-dehumidifiers-work-in-bathrooms.jpg" alt="Do dehumidifiers work in bathrooms" width="856" height="460" />Do dehumidifiers work in bathrooms?

Will a dehumidifier keep mold from in the bathroom?

What is the best dehumidifier for a bathroom?In our opinion the best bathroom dehumidifier is the Medea 1500.

Desiccant Bathroom Dehumidifiers

1. Eva-dry E-500 Renewable Mini Dehumidifier

2.Pro Breeze Wireless Mini Dehumidifier

3.DampRid

4. Govee WiFi Thermometer and Hygrometer

5. JEDEW 2-Pack Mini Hygrometer Thermometer

A small portable bathroom dehumidifier

1.Pro Breeze electric dehumidifier

2.Levoair Dehumidifier

3.Beyn Mini Bathroom dehumidifier

4.Midea 1500 square foot dehumidifier

5.Whirlpool 40 Pint Portable Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump

6.COLAZE Electric Portable Dehumidifier for 480 Sq.ft

What can happen if you have excess humidity in the bathroom? Mold, damage?

When do you need to use a bathroom dehumidifier? Winter, summer?

Where would you put a dehumidifier in the bathroom?

Does a bathroom dehumidifier use a lot of electricity?

How loud are bathroom dehumidifiers?

What’s the difference between desiccant bathroom dehumidifiers and mini dehumidifiers?

Will a dehumidifier soak up water?

Bathroom dehumidifier versus an extractor fan

What do the numbers on a dehumidifier mean?

BLACK+DECKER 4500 Sq. Ft. Dehumidifier for Extra Large Spaces

Are dehumidifiers safe to leave on?

Should I run a fan with a dehumidifier?

Should I run a dehumidifier with an air conditioner?

How to know if you need a humidifier or dehumidifier?

Honeywell Small Room Dehumidifier

Is it okay to sleep in a room with a dehumidifier?

What’s better: a dehumidifier or an air purifier?

<img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9413" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/When-should-you-not-use-a-dehumidifier.jpg" alt="When should you not use a dehumidifier" width="871" height="584" />When should you not use a dehumidifier?

How long should you leave a dehumidifier on?

ThermoPro TP50 Digital Hygrometer

Do humidifiers make the room colder?

Should a dehumidifier run constantly?

4. Closing windows and doors

Indoor humidity problems.

Can you use a dehumidifier with the window open?

To increase the effectiveness of a dehumidifier, close any windows and doors to the room that you are trying to reduce the moisture in.

Wall Mounted Dehumidifier – What are some of the options?

Do dehumidifiers work in bathrooms?

What is the best dehumidifier for a bathroom?
In our opinion the best bathroom dehumidifier is the Medea 1500.

When should you not use a dehumidifier?

1. Expense

4. Nasty

Advantages of Crawl Space Encapsulation

You do not add water to a dehumidifier like you do to a humidifier.
Dehumidifiers are the opposite of a humidifier. They are a device that removes moisture from the air.

Dehumidifiers – remove moisture from the air and require you to dump it out of the machine.

Humidifiers- add moisture to the air and require you to add water to the machine.

Do I need a dehumidifier?

How does a humidifier help with so many of these everyday problems?
Simple.

Hygrometer

3. Evaporative cooling