Allergy & Air on April 10, 2015 30 Comments If you commonly get allergies, you know that they can get rather miserable at times. When you live in a humid climate, there are many triggers for these things—dust mites, mold, mildew, and seasonal allergies. If you find that you are suffering a lot, a good dehumidifier can help–in more ways than one. Here are some benefits of a dehumidifier and how to choose the right one for you. Allergy Triggers Thrive in Humidity Many of the most common allergy triggers, especially dust mites, mold, and mildew, thrive in humid environments. Whether you live in a humid climate, or you just have a living space that tends to be more humid, you may be suffering from these things. Small living spaces with limited ventilation, such as bathrooms or kitchens in a small apartment or basement apartments, are common areas where moisture can build up, even in dry climates. Some of the most common reactions to allergy triggers include: Stuffy nose Itchy, watery eyes Sneezing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing Skin rashes and other irritation Mold allergies are also a significant contributor to childhood asthma, which can be a debilitating and costly disease for children who develop it at a young age. This article expands on some of the dangers that allergens present when they are in your home. Benefits of a Dehumidifier There are several benefits to getting a dehumidifier in your home, basement, apartment, or office space. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity levels, making your home less hospitable to allergens such as dust mites, mold, and mildew. They are not disruptive to your daily life, and run quietly and efficiently in the background without most people even noticing. Dehumidifiers help reduce odors that can accompany mold and mildew in your home—getting rid of that “musty” or “rotting” smell. These devices help to reduce the possibility that you will develop mold on your clothing, furniture, and other linens (such as curtains or bed sheets). Dehumidifiers reduce irritation to your skin and your respiratory system, allowing you to breathe easier and feel comfortable in your home. A less humid environment in your home means clothing will dry faster, breads and cereals will remain fresh longer without getting stale, and you won’t find signs of rust or corrosion on things like computer equipment, electronics, and tools. Running a dehumidifier helps reduce dust in your home, so you won’t have to clean as often. A dehumidifier also lowers energy costs because it helps your air conditioner run more efficiently. When the air in your home is more humid, the A/C must do the function of cooling the air and removing moisture, which means it has to work harder. This also causes your A/C to wear out sooner, which means you will need to replace and repair it more often. Signs You Need a Dehumidifier In addition to suffering from constant symptoms of allergies, you may want to consider a dehumidifier if you have some obvious signs of high humidity in certain rooms or areas of your home, including: Water stains on the walls or ceilings of your home High humidity rooms with poor ventilation or no ventilation (especially in areas like bathrooms that have no windows) Frequent condensation on the windows in certain areas of your home Small black spots (mold spores) growing on the walls or in areas with high humidity, such as the bathtub or shower Must or mildew smells You may also want to consider a dehumidifier if you live in an apartment building, since mold and mildew spores can travel through ventilation systems, and can build up in the walls between apartments. Even if you keep your living area clean, these allergens from other areas of the building can be harmful to yours and your family’s health. Choosing a Dehumidifier There are several different options when it comes to dehumidifiers, and the one you choose depends on the space in which you plan to use it, as well as the humidity levels. There are small capacity models for a single small room, large capacity models for larger areas such as a large room, basement, or an apartment, and there are whole-house models available as well if you live in a very humid climate, you suffer from significant allergies, or you have a large home. For more specific and unique needs, consider purchasing a dehumidifier with special features. Getting a dehumidifier can help you live a healthier, happier life, so if you are suffering from allergies and other symptoms, the answer to the question of whether you should own a dehumidifier is probably yes. Find out more about the different models and options available, and see which one will fit your budget and help you get clean, healthy air in your home.
Barbara Jasso says June 23, 2015 at 3:06 am I have only had the Danby dehumidifier running for about a month, but so far so good. It is successfully keeping the humidity in my basement in the 50’s (50 is ideal), and preventing mold and my tools from rusting. This dehimidifier is designed to run constantly, it doesn’t auto turn on and off. It has 2 fan speeds high and low and is relatively quiet, I can’t hear it at all while I am on the floor above, and it isn’t that noticeable while I am in the basement. It can be configured to collect water in the tray or drain the water through an included hose. I currently have it draining into my washing machine drain, set it and forget it. Reply
cindy haas says August 5, 2018 at 9:00 pm Hello I was really wanting to know if it changed the cost of your electric bill? Reply
yep says July 20, 2015 at 1:45 pm Good article about dehumidifiers. I have one in my closet because it tends to get a lot of humidity in fliroda. Reply
Ashley says January 14, 2016 at 10:13 am I have allergies and live in a very humid climate. Recently, my house had a serious mold problem, so after a deep clean and ozone treatment to kill all the mold, followed by ventilating, I have now installed two dehumidifiers and an IQ Air purifier. My question is, how do I ventilate? I feel like if I leave the windows open, I’m just letting in more moist, allergen-filled air, but if they are all closed, how am I getting fresh air and oxygen into my house? Any tips? Reply
Muhammad says June 24, 2017 at 7:30 pm You cannot run out of oxygen if you keep the windows and doors closed, ever. That doesn’t even happen inside cars that you drive to longer distances with closed windows. Unless you’ve air-locked your house, this won’t be an issue. Reply
sally says January 20, 2016 at 2:06 am Whynter makes a great portable unit. we had our first one over the summer and lost it due to a power surge. we retuned it. we just today got in another unit this time we bought 4 yearswarranty on itfrom best buy. it works really well. we had 2 other models that just did nothing -literally nothing like 3 drops ina week . if we had not had the whynter first we would have never known they werent working right. its nice to have dry air in our home.’ Reply
Herry says March 6, 2016 at 6:31 pm This is an intresting article.. Do you think we need a dehumidifier for our home if we have a little money? what would be the best alternative method for dehumidiers? Reply
wilfred weihe says April 24, 2016 at 2:58 pm Wow, great post and in-depth described benefits. I have similar post about 5 signs you need dehumidifier. You can check it out if you want… Reply
Emma says May 24, 2016 at 11:42 am This is really a great post. It clears a lot why people need a dehumidifier. Thanks for sharing. Reply
LYNDA Christman says December 4, 2016 at 4:24 am I have a question…. We have a dehumidifier. It goes 24/7 My husband has had a dry cough for 2 weeks now. Are we suckling to much moisture out of the air for him to heal? Reply
Patty says November 22, 2018 at 10:22 am A good dehumidifier will have a control that measures the water in the air. If it goes below 50% it will shut off. Some machines will keep running no matter how dry the air is. Those type are a waste of electric Reply
Angee Arceneaux says December 18, 2016 at 12:14 am I live in Louisiana and our attic gets no ventilation and the summer’s here have absurd humidity. Is this something to buy for that particular area in our house? Reply
Rick says June 23, 2017 at 10:54 am Having no ventilation is the best case to have a dehumidifier since there will be very few places from where humid air will get to the attic. When I think of attics, they are generally with slanting roofs and have less volume compared to other rooms around the house which means your dehumidifier has to do less work. A 30 pint dehumidifier would do a very good job of drying out the air. But please bear in mind the while dehumidifiers take out moisture, the temperature of dry air coming out is closer to 100F (or more). I live in Alabama where the humidity and temperatures in summer are just as bad and what I generally do is that I run the unit for few hours in my basement when I am not using that room, and then turn it off when I am in there. Reply
Angela says April 13, 2017 at 4:14 pm Hi, I had the same concerns as you so I leave the windows open for a few hours a day and I set an alarm to put my dehumidifier and other appliances on at 5 pm everyday because my power is half price after 5pm. Not sure if it is the same in your area or not? This seems to be the perfect level of use for me anyway. It means the air is dry when I go to sleep and I rarely need a heater now. 🙂 Reply
Tna R Murphy says May 6, 2017 at 4:13 pm Use duct tape to secure if necessary. Cover exposed soil in house plants – The water will evaporate if not covered, increasing humidity and causing you to need to water more often. Air conditioning – Set your AC to a “dry” setting to remove moisture but not cool. Reply
Jeri says September 20, 2017 at 12:10 am If I lend my dehumidifier to a neighbour who has really high RH levels in his basement apartment, and has had a bit of mold in the past, will mold spores get on the filter, or anywhere else on my dehumidifier? I don’t want to risk bringing mold back to my house! Am I being paranoid? He is a friend and cannot afford to buy a dehumidifier, since I want to help him out. Please advise. THANK YOU. Reply
Mick says September 25, 2017 at 8:03 am Yeah, I’d like to know where you live, also! 1/2 price power after 5pm? Cool! Reply
Ji says October 22, 2017 at 6:12 pm My home had elevated moles in my guest room and in my air-conditioning vents where the spores are blowing out on me. I am starting to feel sick with allergies I would like to know is what can I do to clean the mold to get rid of it. Reply
Willie says October 20, 2018 at 9:53 am If it is inside the walls that is a problem. If it is just on the surface Spry on pure white vinegar. Leave it on for about half and hour or a bit less, then wash it off. Vinegar kills mold. It can be used to clean floors anything. When i wash my walls I use about 1/2cup of vinegar in pail of water and also add some Dawn dish soap. A squirt or two. You don’t have to rinse it off. That can be used for floors as well. Reply
Jo Ann Merrifield says November 20, 2017 at 6:44 pm In sept & Nov. our dehumidifier produced 2 30 qt buckets. Now it is not producing a bucket a day. How do I know when to use it. Is this a seasonal thing. Reply
Scott says November 24, 2017 at 11:28 pm Yes that is very strange I would think it would cost more after that Reply
Jim Willeford says January 30, 2018 at 3:43 pm The ideal humidity which is shown in an electronic window on my Frigidaire, dehumidifier, is 45-50. I love how the machine has improved the air quality in my home. Reply
Jim Willeford says January 30, 2018 at 3:44 pm Sounds to me like it’s not working correctly, unless you live in a desert community. Reply
joyce says May 11, 2018 at 4:21 pm I now live in South Carolina and the humidity and heat are far different than the West Coast. My dog and I cannot function…we cannot stay awake because the humidity is sucking up the oxygen. My dog is small and I am 72 yrs. young…My house has lots of trees to keep it cool, but we cannot get enough air to move even tho it is cooler. This is our first summer in the South…What are the chances we’ll be able to function for at least 1 season with the a/c on and the 30 gal. dehumidifier.??? would deep breathing exercises help? Reply
Aurangzeb Chowdhry says November 10, 2018 at 1:33 am In summer the temperature touches above 40 C. Does it help to reduce room temperature. Reply
Suzette says December 19, 2018 at 6:11 pm We have a very wet basement.If we keep our dehumidifier running ,will it help to rid the basement of the standing water?? Reply
[…] who need to have a sufficiently dry environment in order to avoid having their allergies triggered are going to find that even pricey dehumidifiers are worth it. Some people find it almost […] Reply
[…] dehumidifiers. There are many benefits to having a dehumidifier in your home all year round; however, they’re particularly important […] Reply
