We know that a humidifier works best in an airtight are i,e when the windows and doors are closed. But after the humidity level is balanced is it good to open the windows right away? I was also thinking about it and after some research of my own here’s what i found.
If the atmosphere outside is more humid compared to indoors, opening the window just after using the dehumidifier will make the indoor area humid again as a result of diffusion. Therefore, the windows should be kept closed after using the dehumidifier.
The humidity levels are not going to change instantly after opening the windows. So for a short duration of time like 5 – 10 minutes the windows can be opened.
But if the outside atmosphere has normal humidity level and the reason for humidity is something inside the house, like the bathroom, or internal leakage within walls then the windows should be opened after using the dehumidifier.
Can you keep the windows partially opened after using dehumidifer?
Moisture from air from outside can enter in the room from even tiny openings. Partially opened windows would also allow entry to moisture in dehumidifed area. The entry is going to be slower compared to having windows fully opened by eventually high moisture levels will get restored in the room.
Therefore, try to keep the windows and doors closed as long as possible once the dehumidifer has been used in a particular room.
Should Ac be turned off while using a dehumidifier
No! the Ac should be kept running while using a dehumidifer
Normal wall-mounted air conditioners used in homes makes the air cooler, In the process of cooling the air inside the room looses moisture which is the water that drips out of air conditioner.
Using a dehumidifier along with air conditioner speeds up the process of removing moisture from the air. As the air inside the room is already cool and it is much easier to condense cool air than warm air. That’s because cool air has less kinetic energy and when air looses moisture it is basically condensing into its liquid state as result of loss in kinetic energy.
AC vents open or close while using dehumidifer?
The return vent should be closed while using a dehumidifier as it may restrict the flow of air to the coils of dehumidifer. If the supply vent has cooler air 18 degree celsius or less only then it should be kept open.
If the supply vent is giving air of normal temperature then that air may carry high level of humidity if the humidity level outside is also high. Therefore, in this scenario it would be good to just let the dehumidifier to its work and keep all the vents closed.
How many & what size dehumidiers are required in one room
Just one in each room is enough.
Dehumifiers comes in different size which are dedicated to cover specific size area to dehumidy. Some can dehumidify an indoor area as big as 1500 sqft.
Ussing two dehumidifiers instead of one will indeed speed up to dehumidification process but a much smart thing to do is to have one ac and one dehumidier in the room. This can also speed up the dehumidification process.
| Bedroom size | dehumidifier’s area range |
|---|---|
| small <250 sqft | 300 sqft |
| medium ~500 sqft | 600 sqft |
| large >700sqft | 1000 sqft |
To pick the correct size dehumifier simply measure the total sq ft area of the room. Then pick that humidifier which can cover an area slightly greater than the sqft area of the room in which it is to be placed.
Can you use a big size dehumidifier to two adjacent rooms?
Yes, if two rooms are opening in one another than one big size humidifier would de sufficient.
If a big size dehumidifier is placed in a living room which is also opening into a bedroom then just by keeping the door of bedroom open, the moist air from the bedroom will rush into living room where it will get condensed and heated back again before returning.
Just add the sqft area of both living room and other room that opens into living room and keep all the windows closed.
This technique can also be used to dehumidify all those rooms that are linked directly.
Day vs Night: What is the best time to run dehumidifier?
Most probably during day.
To determine the best time to run the dehumidifier simply see the humidity levels with help of hygrometer. Whenever the level rises beyond 50% the dehumifiers should be used.
The reason for preferring daytime for using dehumider is that the air during day is warm compared to air during night. Cool air is less humid.
Also once the room is dehumidifier it is much easier to keep the area closed during night as during the day because during day natural light and fresh air is also required inside room. This require to open windows for sometime as a result moisture also gets in.
To counter this moisture run dehumidifiers more often during day than night.
Where to place dehumidifier in a room for best results?
Try to face the dehumidifer towards the most open area of the room.
The front side of dehumidifer when air intake is should be placed at a distance of at least 4 feet away from any piece of furniture. This will provide free flow of air inside the dehumifer.
Dehumiders should never be placed under a furniture for example table, chair. The more open area dehumider gets the better it performs.
In a bedroom, the dehumider can be placed near a corner that is towards front size of bed.
