Dehumidifier question anyone got one?

[episodic]

Hi, I live in the south - the south south. . .

Humidity capital of the world - place where the houses start molding before they are built

Lots of days - like today - I run my central AC just to get the humidity out of the air. I was wondering would a dehumidifer for my small (900 sq foot) home be more economical than central AC - in general ?

Lots of times I'm just fine with the temp - I just hate the 'mugginess'. . .

Thanks for info

 

[Brainonska511]

We use a dehumidifier in my basement at home to keep it dry, but that's on LI, NY.

The one problem I could see with running that instead of the central AC is that it would also dump heat into your home. Leaving the central A/C on all the time (just set a temperature and forget it) might be more economical overall, as once your place is cooled down, it doesn't take much to keep it cool. If you let it warm up again, the compressor will have to work harder to cool all that furniture back down and pull the humidity back out of the air.

 

[alfa147x]

lol i just got done watching to Friends episode where Chandler is complaining about Ross's dehumidifier

 

[alfa147x]

i was going to say "Ask Ross" but you probably wouldnt understand it

 

[tasmanian]

I would recommend the ac. Just keep it at the temp you want.

 

[iGas]

ductless split or central AC is a good way to keeps humidity down. Have the heatpump check to make sure that it is not over size or not in proper working order such as low refrigerant. Switch from high to mid-low fan speed or single mode low only if the heat pump is over size to make sure that the heatpump have adequate dehumidify time. Keep the house shaded or cover windows to prevent solar heating, insulation, and adequate attic ventilation are some of the things that you want to consider as well.

Good luck

 

[iGas]

Originally posted by: alfa147x
i was going to say "Ask Ross" but you probably wouldnt understand it

You mean that she just regurgitated it out of a book wih out enought knowleged to realy tell you what it mean.

 

[Squisher]

http://masterhandyman.com/colu...s.cfm?pubdate=20060513

 

[runzwithsizorz]

I use one in the basement, (aprox. 2000sq.ft.) for the summer months. It is made by Danby, and has removed up to 3 gals. of water a day. You might only need one of their smaller units.

 

[thomsbrain]

How loud are they?

 

[Dulanic]

I use....

http://www.amazon.com/Soleus-C...&qid=1234305595&sr=8-6

works great, just run a small hose yourself and you dont even need to empty it. I picked this one because it is very quiet and is very energy efficent.

 

[Chaotic42]

I've got one. It uses a tremendous amount of power. I think it does 12 gallons/day, but I haven't used it since I got my new central unit which keeps the air relatively dry. It will work, but you'll have to change it out a lot, deal with its loudness, and the extreme power bill.

My first power bill in the house here was for June and it was $320. That only got the humidity down to about 60% in the afternoon and it includes the old AC.

 

[natto fire]

I just open a window, humidity was 15% here last week. Usually swings between 20-30% in my place.

 

[Baked]

There's no window in my bathroom and the fan's not powerful enough to suck out all the steam during rainy and cold weather. I think I'm gonna give the Eva-dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier from amazon.com a try. It hold up to 16 oz. of water in its reservoir. It's only $46, so it's affordable. That $190 one somebody linked is too expensive for my budget.

 

[zinfamous]

Dehumidifier question anyone got one?

*shudders*

so are you asking if I have a humidifier or if I have a question regarding a humidifier?

 

[Scarpozzi]

The advantage of a dehumidifier is that you can see the results... You can either have the water collect in a tank or filter out through a hose. If you go the tank method, you'll have to empty it...so that's something more to think about.

The advantage of running the AC is that they tend to have more powerful fans. You'll be more likely to circulate dry air throughout...but it is stationary.

I would make sure you have a fan in your bathroom to pull moisture out when you shower. Also make sure you have a fan that vents to the outside in your kitchen when you boil water or bodily fluids on the stove. If you don't, a dehumidifier could definitely help collect any excess moisture in these two problem areas by treating them at the source.