One of the difficulties that people have about buying a dehumidifier is matching up the best dehumidifier to the size and needs of their home. When we’re talking about a two bed house, we’re estimating an average size of 80 to 100m2. Here, we remove the confusion about which dehumidifier is best and make this decision easy for you.
Why do you need a dehumidifier in a two bedroom house?
Smaller houses tend not to have room for a tumble dryer and therefore washing tends to be hung out to dry on a clothes horse, the back of chairs or on a radiator. During colder weather in the autumn and winter we close windows to prevent cold draughts from coming in and to stop heated air from escaping.
This results in the moisture from the clothes getting trapped in the house and the relative humidity starts to build up. Condensation and mould will start to appear on cold surfaces (windows, north facing walls).
If you do not have extractor fans in the bathrooms/shower rooms or in the kitchen above the hob then the problems will be even worse. Often fitting one or cleaning your existing extraction fans can make a big difference!
How will a dehumidifier help manage humidity for a house?
The dehumidifier will remove the excess moisture from the air before it can do any damage, this in turn will reduce the room relative humidity and will make the house easier to heat. The dehumidifier will turn the moisture into water in its water tank which you can then just pour down the sink (or use to water any non-edible house plants!)
What dehumidifiers do we recommend for a two bedroom house?
- MeacoDry Arete® One 10L Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
- MeacoDry Arete® One 12L Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
- MeacoDry ABC 10L Dehumidifier
- MeacoDry ABC 12L Dehumidifier
- Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier and Air Purifier
- Meaco DD8L Dehumidifier
- Meaco DD8L Junior Dehumidifier
In a two bed house, you don’t want anything too large because you don’t have much space, you don’t want anything too noisy because you can’t get away from the dehumidifier and you are likely to move the dehumidifier around to help you dry your laundry so you want something that is easy to move from room to room.
The cheapest from the above is the MeacoDry ABC 10L and it will do the job fine if you just want to spend the minimum. But the Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier will do the job better in that it extracts 20% more water from the air for 25% less energy (just 157 watts) and a louvre that helps to direct the air towards the wet clothes when drying laundry. Having the dry air hit the clothes means that they will dry faster.
The DD8L/DD8L Junior offers a different solution in that they are desiccant dehumidifiers which offer some differences to the above compressor machines. On their low fan speed they are quieter, on the second fan speed their noise level is the same as the compressor dehumidifiers. The air coming out of them is warmer which will help to dry the clothes faster and they are half the weight of the compressor dehumidifiers and are therefore easier to move about.
If the house is cold then the extra warmth from the Meaco DD8L would help to make it feel warmer.
The difference between the two DD8L models is that the DD8L has an anti-bacterial filter and ioniser, the DD8L Junior does not have these features.
What things to look out for when choosing the best dehumidifier for your two bed home:
- Extraction rate
Dehumidifiers are generally named after the amount of water they can extract in 24 hours i.e. 8L, 10L, 12L, 20L and so on. The extraction rate of the dehumidifier you choose should align with the size of your home. For a two bedroom house, a small to medium size dehumidifier, typically a 8L desiccant or either a 10L / 12L compressor dehumidifier will be the right size.
- Placement
Consider where you plan to place the dehumidifier. We recommend positioning the dehumidifier in a hallway, with all internal doors open and windows closed. If you have a slimmer hallway, you may consider the MeacoDry Arete® One range as it’s the only UK dehumidifier which can be positioned against the wall, leaving you plenty of room to pass around it.
- Portability
Equally, if you will be moving your dehumidifier often to dry laundry or have specific areas of your home that need more attention, look out for dehumidifiers that are lighter (desiccant dehumidifiers are always lighter than compressor dehumidifiers) or ones that come with castors and a handle for easy portability.
- Energy Efficiency
While dehumidifiers are actually one of the less energy hungry appliances in the home, it’s still a good idea to pay attention to the cost to run data. Often, spending more on a dehumidifier’s upfront costs can save you money on your bills long term. Take our Meaco Low Energy range, which you can run at just 4p per kWh.
- Noise Level
Look for models with a lower decibel rating and a Night Mode to avoid disturbing your daily activities and sleep. Dehumidifiers should just make a quiet hum that blends in with most background noise. Look out for the Quiet Mark accreditation for example our Meaco ABC 12L Dehumidifier at just 35dB.
- Drainage Options
Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air, and you’ll need a way to dispose of this water. For many dehumidifiers, you will have to empty a small water tank which isn’t a problem for most owners, but for convenience, you can consider a model with a continuous drainage option. All Meaco dehumidifiers come with the option of draining water via a hose, this allows the extracted water to drain directly into a floor drain, sink, or external container.
- Air Filtration
Some dehumidifiers, like our Meaco Low Energy and MeacoDry Arete® One range, come equipped with HEPA filters that help remove dust, allergens, and odors from the air. If you or your family members have allergies or respiratory issues, a dehumidifier with this feature can improve the air quality as well as the humidity levels in your home. It’s also great for those who have pets as the HEPA filter collects any pet dander and prevents it from entering the dehumidifier and blocking the internals.
Products featured: Meaco 10L, Meaco 12L Low Energy dehumidifier, Meaco DD8L and Meaco DD8L Junior, MeacoDry Arete® One range.
22 responses
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Hello,
This blog is dedicated to information and advice on our dehumidifier models and best practice.
Kind regards,
Omar@Meaco.