Energy is one of crucial issues at these days! Perhaps in this modern living we cannot live without the energy but on other hand the energy resource that we have is limited! Therefore, it is an obligation for us to use each BTU of energy wisely and effectively. Realizing this situation, today’s home appliances are also prioritized to work more efficient, including dehumidifiers! Like other home appliance products, there are also a lot of manufactures and brands of them but if you concern to your energy bill and your environment, efficient dehumidifiers must be on your first list when you want to upgrade your old unit.
When we are talking about efficient dehumidifiers then there are also a lot of options and selections which one of them is energy star qualified units! They are designed with a better efficiency performance of fans, coils and compressors, particularly if compared to other conventional units! They are great choice for anyone who is looking for units that can consume less electricity energy to remove the moisture. Furthermore, they also will be able to remove the equivalent amount of moisture as similarly-sized conventional models, but they will be better for the efficiency performance (only require 15 percent less energy). This is excellent solution for your monthly energy bill, isn’t it!
So are you looking for an efficient dehumidifier? What anything that we should know first before making a purchasing?
1. One thing that must be concerned as well is about the right capacity of the unit that will be purchased.
The capacity of dehumidifiers is usually rated in pints /24 hours, which closely influenced by two crucial factors: the existing conditions of the room before dehumidification and the large size of the room that will be dehumidified. Check table below:
Source: Energystar.Gov (“AHAM” Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers)
2. Consider about “operating-temperature”!
For the temperature below 65 degrees Fahrenheit of the space being dehumidified, it’s better to look for a unit that is specifically designed for utilization at lower temperatures. You should know that when the temperature drops drastically below 65 degrees will cause bad effect to the performance of the unit. This is caused by bad performance of compressor (turn off & on without optimally removing the moisture from air) and the frost build up on the condensing coils.
There are now available dehumidifiers that are equipped with a smart anti-frost sensor. This feature is a smart feature that will be so useful to make the unit automatically turn off when the temperature drops drastically below a certain value. Energy star qualified dehumidifiers are available for utilization at air temperatures as low as forty two degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Then take a look at about water-removal feature!
Like air conditioner appliances, dehumidifiers also require water-removal mechanism! Mostly water-removal feature usually comes with a removable bucket to collect the water and also with a warning light that has function to give a signal when the bucket is full & must to be emptied (otherwise the unit will be automatically turn off). This means the unit requires manual assistance to run continuously. If you don’t like this model, you can choose a unit that has a fitting that will allow user to directly hook a hose to the bucket, which then can be directed into a sump pump or floor drain.
4. Don’t forget to consider the energy factor!
It is a crucial factor if you are looking for an efficient dehumidifier. The energy factors mean how much energy consumed (kWh or kilowatt-hour) to dehumidify the room (in litters of water removed), which stated by L/ kWh. Higher value of energy factor indicates higher efficiency performance of the unit.
5. Concern to humidity!
A certain amount of water vapor or moisture in the air is a certain value of humidity. When we are discussing about the humidity then it is always associated to RH or “Relative Humidity”. RH can be defined: the amount of moisture (water vapor) that is actually present in the air stack up to the maximum amount of water vapor the air can hold at the same temperature.
In many cases, commonly the optimum value of RH for a building is between around 50 percent and 30 percent. The conditions above this range will lead to bad effect of the bacteria build up. In order to avoid window condensation during heating season, the level of humidity should be around 30 percent to 40 percent RH.
Today, most of dehumidifiers are designed with a built-in humidistat. It is useful feature to allow user to get the desired RH value as well. And once the desired level is reached then the unit will cycle automatically on & off to maintain the desired RH level. Other option if your unit is not equipped with this humidistat feature, you can buy separately a hygrometer then hang it near your unit. It is a gauge that also has function to measure RH that eventually will be helpful for you to monitor the situation about when the right time to turn off your dehumidifier and when should you turn on it again!
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