Before you purchase a dehumidifier, consider the disadvantages of a dehumidifier as well as its advantages.
Some of the disadvantages of a dehumidifier include higher energy bills, regular maintenance, increased temperature, and overly drying the air.
Below you’ll find these pros and cons broken down.
Let’s get started.
Dehumidifier Pros
Purifies the air
Dehumidifiers indirectly help to purify the air in your home by preventing mold and bacteria from growing.
While dehumidifiers aren’t able to purify the air as well as an air purifier, they can help keep the air in your home cleaner than without one.
Removes musty smell
Mold and mildew are what cause a musty smell.
If your home has poor air circulation, a dehumidifier can help aid in removing the excess moisture.
Without moisture, mold and mildew will not be able to cause a musty smell in your home.
Reduces mold and mildew
By reducing the amount of excess moisture in the air, mold growth and mildew will not be able to thrive.
While a dehumidifier can aid in preventing moisture, it will not be able to remove the mold spores themselves. For that, you’ll need an air purifier with a HEPA filter.
Minimizes condensation
A moist environment will lead to condensation which can, in turn, damage your electronics, furniture, and even your home’s walls and floors.
If for example the outside temperature drops and the humid air is inside the house, condensation will occur on windows around your home.
Helps allergy symptoms
Dehumidifiers can help reduce environmental allergens that cause symptoms like sneezing, chest pain, eye irritation, and wheezing.
By removing mold, dust mites, pollen, and animal dander from the air, dehumidifiers reduce allergic reactions.
Reduces energy costs
A dehumidifier can reduce the relative humidity inside of your home which can make it more comfortable.
Dry air feels cooler which in turn leads to less use of your air conditioner. You also won’t need to stress your air conditioner either by working 24/7.
Reduces dust mites
By eliminating moisture in the air, dust mites will not be able to survive. Dust mites like high humid environments over a 50% humidity level.
A dehumidifier will be able to keep the high humidity in check and kill off any dust mites in your home.
Dehumidifier Cons
High energy bill
While a dehumidifier can lower your energy bill, having it run 24/7 will add to your energy bill.
A dehumidifier can cost between $.72 to $3.84 per day depending on the size and how energy efficient your dehumidifier is.
Increases temperature
Dehumidifiers take in surrounding air but they also need to exhaust it somehow.
The air that comes out of a dehumidifier is normally hotter than the ambient temperature in the room itself.
This can lead to higher temperatures in your room which can become uncomfortable.
Noise level
If you’re a light sleeper, then your dehumidifier may keep you awake. Even the “ultra-quiet” dehumidifiers will make some noise like all electrical appliances.
Maintenance requirements
You can set a dehumidifier to run on a continuous drain hose, but you will still need to give it a regular cleaning.
If you don’t use a continuous drain, you will have to empty the water tank from once every other day to multiple times a day depending on how humid your living space is.
Expensive
If you need to dehumidify your entire home, it can cost upwards of thousands of dollars.
If you only need to dehumidify a room or an apartment, it can still cost several hundred dollars for a reliable model.
Can Overly Dry a Room
The biggest downside of a dehumidifier is that it can dry out a room too much.
If the humidity level is lower than 30%, it can start causing issues with dry skin, chapped lips, itchy eyes, and even cracking your wooden furniture or wallpaper.
Final Thoughts
The disadvantages of a dehumidifier should not dissuade you from using a dehumidifier if you have mold, mildew, and humidity issues in your home.
While the higher increased energy bills can be daunting, you can find a dehumidifier with high energy efficiency which will help reduce your utility bill.
When your home is less humid and more comfortable, the price won’t seem too severe.
Using your dehumidifier improperly can lead to health issues and fire risks.
