Stuck in an extra humid room and want to know how much a dehumidifier can help in lowering humidity?
Most residential dehumidifiers will be able to remove 30-70 pints of water from the air per day, keeping the relative humidity at the optimal 30-50% level.
Commercial units are capable of bringing the humidity level down to 36% and can remove over 200 pints of water per day.
Below you’ll find out why your dehumidifier might be having issues with lowering the humidity in your room.
Let’s get started.
How Much Moisture Can a Dehumidifier Remove in a Day?
How much moisture your dehumidifier depends on the capacity of your dehumidifier.
If you have a dehumidifier with 30-pint capacity, per day it will be able to remove 30 pints in optimal conditions.
You want to consider that when manufacturers test their dehumidifiers, they do so in optimal conditions.
Your results will vary as well depending on the humidity level that you’re dealing with.
Most dehumidifiers will be able to remove 30-70 pints of water per day as long as they’re using a continuous drain which won’t disrupt the dehumidification process.
If you have to empty the water tank constantly, your dehumidifier won’t be able to remove as much moisture as a dehumidifier that’s utilizing the continuous drain feature.
In optimal conditions, crawl space dehumidifiers are capable of removing up to 200+ pints per day.
Some are even able to keep the humidity down to as low as 36%, which is much more than residential units.
The recommended humidity level for most homes is 30-50%.
Your dehumidifier should not run past 30% relative humidity or you run the risk of low humidity which is a different issue in itself.
Why Your Dehumidifier May Not Be Able to Dehumidify Your Room
1. It’s too humid
If the humidity levels in your room are too high, then your dehumidifier may not be able to keep up. Close all the windows and doors and ensure that your insulation isn’t allowing in humidity.
You may also have leaky ducts that are contributing to the extra high humidity in your home.
2. Your dehumidifier is too small for your room
The size of your dehumidifier is important but you need to also factor in the humidity levels of your room.
If you buy the right size dehumidifier but don’t calculate the humidity level, you may buy a unit that’s too small.
For example, in an extremely humid environment, a 50-pint dehumidifier can work for a 1000 square foot space.
You can also use that same 50-pint dehumidifier in moderately damp rooms of 2000-2500 square feet.
3. There are too many people indoors
Too many people in your room can cause the humidity levels in your room to rise.
With many people inhaling and exhaling at once, it can cause not only the temperature to rise but the humidity as well.
4. Dehumidifier doesn’t have adequate airflow
Your dehumidifier needs adequate airflow to bring in the humid air so it can remove the excess moisture.
If you don’t allow proper airflow, your dehumidifier will overheat and malfunction.
Ensure that it’s away from any walls, furniture or any objects that may impede the dehumidification process.
What Should You set Your Dehumidifier To?
You should set your dehumidifier to the recommended humidity level of 30-50%.
Once your dehumidifier reaches the optimal relative humidity it will shut itself off.
Experiment with the recommended humidity range and find the right setting for you. Some may like it more humid than others.
Will a Dehumidifier Also Lower Temperature?
Dehumidifiers do not lower the temperature, but by removing humidity from the air, they can make the room feel more comfortable.
This can aid in reducing energy bills by making air conditioning usage more efficient.
Final Thoughts
If your environment is extremely damp, then your dehumidifier will have issues keeping up.
The same can be said if your dehumidifier is exposed to outside air, which will make it impossible to lower humidity.
You should expect the humidity level to be lowered to 30-50% if you purchase the right sized dehumidifier.
If you buy an undersized unit, then your dehumidifier will have issues lowering the humidity.
