Dealing with a water leak can be frightening, but using a dehumidifier will aid in the drying process.
It can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to service a moderate water leak with a commercial dehumidifier.
If you have a large area to dehumidify and the humidity level is already high with a lot of standing water, it can potentially take weeks to dehumidify.
Below you’ll find out what type of dehumidifier is best and what factors to consider when timing your dehumidifier service.
Let’s get started.
How Long to Run a Dehumidifier after a Water Leak?
It can take anywhere between 24 and 48 hours for a commercial dehumidifier to service a water leak.
A residential dehumidifier can take up to a week, or even longer.
These numbers are only recommendations, if you aren’t sure yourself, then it’s best to speak with a licensed flood specialist to help take care of the issue.
Your drying time can also be affected by the following:
Area size
If only a small area of the room has a water leak, you only need to run your dehumidifier for about a day.
If there was a flood or a large leak, then it can take the full two days to a week depending on the size of your dehumidifier.
If you find that there’s a lot of sitting water, then you can use a sump pump or vacuum cleaners that were made for removing water.
It’s best that you remove all the standing water you can to further prevent water damage and mold growth.
What was damaged?
Water that is left on non-porous surfaces such as a linoleum floor will take less time to service than if the water has been absorbed into materials like concrete, wood furniture and baseboards.
The more absorbent the materials you’re dealing with, the longer you want to run your dehumidifier.
Humidity
How high the humidity level is where you live will also affect how effective your dehumidifier is.
If your dehumidifier is dealing with the air’s humidity level as well as the affected area, it can further lengthen the drying time.
It’s recommended to keep any windows and doors closed so your dehumidifier isn’t overworked during the drying process.
How long does it take to dry out after a leak?
How long it takes to dry out after a leak depends on several factors.
It can be anywhere from two days to several weeks depending on the severity of the leak.
Restoration services will be able to determine the severity of the humidity levels and how bad the existing water damage is.
What Type of Dehumidifier is Best for Water Leaks?
The best type of dehumidifier for water leaks are commercial dehumidifiers.
Even if you run several residential dehumidifiers at once, you’ll find that they aren’t capable of keeping up with a commercial dehumidifier when it comes to water removal.
You may be dealing with up to 1000 gallons of excess moisture that you need to remove, and a residential dehumidifier is not going to keep up.
Final Thoughts
A whole house leak can be a nightmare, but as long as you use a whole house dehumidifier you’ll be on your way to servicing flooded walls, floors and even ceilings.
If you think that the damage is beyond your knowledge of repairs, then you can count on our water damage restoration experts to help service your water leak.
It’s imperative that you start bringing in dry air as soon as possible to prevent any mold growth and take care of the affected area.
