What Size Dehumidifier Do I Need For My House

GUIDE: What Size Dehumidifier exercise You Need?

Choosing the right size or chapters is vital when buying a dehumidifier. Unfortunately, many people are dislocated by what sizeactually ways and how it affects h2o extraction. In this commodity, we'll take you lot through the basics of size to help you choose the best dehumidifier for your home.

What is Dehumidifier Size?

When people talk about a dehumidifier'due south size, they ordinarily don't mean its physical dimensions. Instead, the size or capacity is how many litres of h2o it's able to extract per day. In practice, larger capacity models tend to be physically bigger likewise, but this isn't always the instance.

Capacity is not the same as the h2o tank size. This is listed separately by manufacturers and is usually between ii-6 litres. As you'll discover, most machines accept a tank that'due south considerably smaller than the daily capacity. This doesn't mean you'll need to empty it multiple times per 24-hour interval though, equally it'due south rare for a dehumidifier to extract its full capacity each day (extraction varies depending on temperature and humidity).

How to Choose a Size

The Meaco Dehumidryer has a large 25 litre per day capacity that'southward swell for whole houses. Information technology'south a refrigerant model though, then doesn't piece of work also in cooler conditions.

Every brand provides a capacity for their machines. This is a useful figure for comparing machines, but is usually the maximum extraction in ideal atmospheric condition. If y'all become to a manufacturer'southward website, they frequently provide the humidity and temperature the capacity was measured at.

In reality, a dehumidifier volition rarely attain these numbers, and then it's not the merely cistron affecting a machine'south extraction effectiveness. This is because extraction varies greatly depending on the temperature and humidity of the air.

That doesn't mean chapters should be ignored though. Equally a general rule, bigger chapters dehumidifiers can deal with larger spaces and higher levels of moisture.

A low chapters model that can manage humidity in a small room with mild damp may struggle with multiple rooms. And if yous desire a whole house dehumidifier, it's essential to choose one with a large capacity.

To clarify this further, there are 3 main considerations when choosing a dehumidifier size:

The size of the environment you desire to dehumidify. This should be measured in square metres, as that'due south the unit quoted by manufacturers in the UK.
The level of moisture in the environment. This is a more than subjective measure, unless y'all apply a humidity monitor. But you should accept an idea of how damp a space is by noticing where wet is accumulating.
The temperature of the environment (more on this in a minute).

The DD8L Zambezi is an case of a desiccant dehumidifier. These models often accept lower capacities but work best in cooler environments.

It'southward probably obvious that the larger the room(s), the greater chapters yous'll need. Rooms with astringent damp problems besides crave larger capacities. Signs of severe damp include stains on walls, condensations on walls and, in the worst cases, wet floors.

What isn't so obvious is that temperature can impact your decision. This is because desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers work better in dissimilar weather.

Desiccant dehumidifiers tend to have lower listed capacities than refrigerant. This doesn't mean they should be ignored though, as they are far more than effective at removing water in libation atmospheric condition. For example, at temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius or below, a desiccant dehumidifier with an 8 litre/twenty-four hour period capacity may extract significantly more than water than a refrigerant model with a higher listed capacity.

On the other hand, refrigerant models normally accept a higher maximum extraction charge per unit in platonic weather condition (high humidity and temperature).

What Sizes are Available?

Dehumidifiers range in capacity. The smallest start at effectually 500ml per mean solar day. These models are often cheap but are just suitable for single rooms, boats or caravans.

At the other stop of the spectrum, the most powerful dehumidifiers tin can have capacities of upwardly to 25 litres per day. Meaco, for case, produces the first-class Low Free energy Dehumidryer with a 25 litre chapters. As you would expect, the largest capacity models tend to exist more expensive.

Virtually dehumidifiers fall between the two. Refrigerant models often accept larger capacities of 10-20 litres per day. Desiccant models usually fall in the 7-12 litres per 24-hour interval range.

Dehumidifier Size Recommendation Chart

The chart beneath provides a quick guide to sizing a dehumidifier. The numbers are based on those provided past the Clan of Dwelling house Apparatus Manufacturers in the U.s.a., but we've converted the units to friction match Uk models.

Keep in mind that these numbers are but a guide. As we've discussed, there are other factors that touch the effectiveness of a dehumidifier, including the type (desiccant models tend to accept lower listed capacities but are more effective in cooler atmospheric condition) and temperature of the environment.

The top row is the size of the room or surroundings you lot want to dehumidify. The starting time column is how much moisture the room contains.

Surroundings Atmospheric condition	45 Square Metres	90 Square Metres	135 Square Metres	180 Square Metres	225 Foursquare Metres
Mild Damp	5.five L/twenty-four hours	eight 50/twenty-four hour period	10 50/day	12.5 50/twenty-four hours	14.5 L/day
Moderate Clammy	6.five L/solar day	9.five L/twenty-four hour period	12.5 50/day	15.5 50/day	18 L/24-hour interval
Severe Clammy	seven.v L/day	11.5 L/twenty-four hours	14.5 L/solar day	xviii L/day	21.v L/solar day
Wet	eight.v 50/day	thirteen L/day	17 L/day	21 L/day	25 L/24-hour interval

Summary

Size, which refers to the quantity of h2o a machine can extract per 24 hours, is one of the nearly of import factors when choosing a dehumidifier. Every bit a general dominion, the larger or damper the room is, the greater the required capacity.

This is just a broad guideline though. In reality, the extraction efficiency of dehumidifiers varies a lot depending on the quality and type of the auto. Ii machines with identical capacities, for case, might perform very differently once yous get them into your dwelling house. That's why it'southward important to read dehumidifier reviews earlier you lot buy.