Do I need a Dehumidifier?

Wondering ‘Do I need a dehumidifier?” That’s probably because you’ve come across some of the key telltale signs that your have excess moisture or high humidity levels in your home. It’s true that a dehumidifier can help to improve the air quality in your home, which in turn can improve your overall health. Here, we’ll cover the key signs that the answer to your question might be ‘yes’!

How a dehumidifier can improve the air in your home

Dehumidifiers are an essential piece of equipment if your home suffers from excess moisture. But how can you tell if that’s the case? Well, there are certain signs that show that this might be the case – let’s look at them and see how a dehumidifier can help.

• Condensation – if you have noticed condensation in your home, that’s a clear sign that there is too much moisture in the air. The most common place to find condensation is on windows, but you may also see it on the walls, especially in your bathroom or kitchen.
• Damp patches – Usually on walls, although you may also see them on floors and carpeting, damp patches are a giveaway. There may be several reasons for damp, and you will need to get to the root cause so that the problem doesn’t get any worse.
• Mould – when you see mould spores in your home, that’s because you’ve had a damp problem for a while. The most common place to see mould is in bathrooms and kitchens – on the walls or near appliances – but you might also see mould on soft furnishings.
• Flooding – whether from natural causes, burst pipes or a problem with a kitchen appliance, flooding can cause significant problems and take a long time to sort out.
• Musty smell – even if you can’t see damp or mould, you can often smell it. There’s a musty smell that will alert you to any potential problems, so don’t ignore it.
• Dust mites – you can’t see dust mites because they’re too small, and because they often live in carpets and soft furnishings. But you’ll know they are there, especially if you or someone in your family suffers from asthma or breathing difficulties.

I have some of these problems – so do I need a dehumidifier?

A dehumidifier can help with all of these problems. It is important to treat and repair the cause of any damp and excess humidity quickly before it causes real damage to your home. If you’ve discovered that you have some of the issues above, there are other steps you can take, including keeping your home well ventilated, installing extraction fans and cleaning regularly. But a dehumidifier actively removes moisture from the air in your home and so will start to make an immediate difference as soon as you plug it in.

When should I buy a dehumidifier?

This depends on the extent of the damage, damp problems, excess moisture or high humidity. If you have suffered from a severe flooding problem or have structural damage, it is best to get everything repaired and the source of the water issue sorted first, and then use a dehumidifier to restore your home to a drier, more comfortable and healthier environment.

If you have only just noticed a problem, buying a dehumidifier can be a cost-effective way to start to make a difference straight away.

How does a dehumidifier improve air quality in my home?

Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air, creating drier air in your room or home, depending on how widely you use it. Essentially, the machines draw in air and reduce the water content. Dessicant dehumidifiers do this by passing the air over material that absorbs the moisture. They then heat the drier air before expelling it back into your room. This type of dehumidifier is ideal for a room or home that has seen flooding problems, and work well in colder environments.

The more common type of dehumidifier is a compressor or refrigerant unit. This passes the air over cold coils, which causes condensation. The resulting water is collected in a tank within the unit, or passed through a drainage hose to go straight down your sink.

Both of these dehumidifiers reduce the amount of excess moisture in the air in your home, reducing humidity levels and helping to prevent further problems with condensation, mould and damp.

Do I need a dehumidifier – hire or buy?

Whether you invest in a dehumidifier or just hire one for a short time depends on the reasons you need one. For more serious flooding, hiring might be enough – and we can help you hire the right model from our range, so that you can dry out the immediate area straight away.

If you have longer term issues, it’s probably more cost-effective to buy a dehumidifier. They are relatively inexpensive to buy and cost a lot less to run than you might think. But they can make a huge difference to the health quality of the air in your home, make your home more comfortable and even reduce your energy bills.

The expert team at Meaco  have an impressive catalogue of dehumidifiers that can help your home to recover from the issues we have listed. We can give you all the help and advice you need to live more comfortably and safely in your home. To find out more, just call us on 01483 234900.

Products featured: dehumidifier