How much water your dehumidifier collects in a day is depending on the capacity of your dehumidifier, humidity levels and the size the dehumidifier’s water tank.
In optimal conditions, residential dehumidifiers can collect anywhere from 30-to 70 pints per day. Your results may vary depending on ambient temperature, humidity levels, and dehumidifier capacity.
If you’re wondering how to troubleshoot your dehumidifier and how fast it should fill up, you can find that all below.
Let’s get started.
How Much Water Should a Dehumidifier Collect in a Day?
How much water your dehumidifier collects in a day is dependent on the humidity levels and the capacity of your dehumidifier.
An average 20 pint capacity dehumidifier will have around a 10 pint water tank.
Considering these factors, a 20 pint capacity dehumidifier will collect 10 pints in around 12 hours.
Your results may vary as differing humidity levels can affect your dehumidifier capacity.
If you have a smaller capacity dehumidifier, it can only collect so much excess moisture in a day before it hits its limitations.
Why is My Dehumidifier Running but Not Collecting Water?
1. Humidity levels are normal
Some dehumidifiers will only work if it senses that the relative humidity level is above a certain threshold.
If your dehumidifier has intelligent humidity controls, then you can lower your target humidity level and see if your dehumidifier starts working again.
It may be that your dehumidifier senses that there is no excess moisture in the air.
The best way to measure the humidity levels is with humidity detectors like a hygrometer.
If you find that it’s between 30-50%, you don’t need to use your dehumidifier.
2. Your dehumidifier is broken
If you can’t tell if your dehumidifier is working but the air is humid, then your dehumidifier may be broken.
The electronic components on the inside can wear out over time.
Unless you’re a licensed electrician, then it isn’t recommended to open up your dehumidifier to do any troubleshooting.
3. Water tank is full
If the water tank is full, then your dehumidifier will stop collecting water.
Empty out the water collected, and your dehumidifier should work again.
4. Overload is tripped
If your compressor gets overloaded from frozen coils, then the overload switch will be turned on.
Find your dehumidifier’s manual and check to see how you can reset the overload switch.
It’s recommended to not use your dehumidifier under the range of temperatures it can service.
5. Temperature is too low
If the ambient temperature is lower than what your dehumidifier is rated for, then it won’t be able to remove humidity from the air.
A desiccant dehumidifier can work in lower temperatures than compressor dehumidifiers.
If you deal with low temperatures but need to control the excess moisture, it might be worth looking into desiccant dehumidifiers.
How quickly should a dehumidifier fill up?
Depending on how many pints your dehumidifier is rated for, the size of its water tank, and the humidity level of the room are all factors in how quickly your dehumidifier should fill up.
It should take anywhere between 6-12 hours for most common dehumidifiers to fill completely.
How Does a Dehumidifier Collect Water?
A dehumidifier collects water by drawing in humid, warm air and then passing that air through cold coils. The water vapor is then condensed on the cold surface and the moisture is collected in a bucket below.
Should my dehumidifier fill up daily?
The amount of water should a dehumidifier collect in a day is relative.
You’ll find that some dehumidifiers have a small tank, which will lead to the tank filling up even 2 or 3 times a day.
Most dehumidifiers are rated for higher capacities than their water tanks should hold.
For instance, most 20 pint capacity dehumidifiers have an 8-10 pint water tank.
This means that it will fill up twice a day in optimal conditions. You can use continuous or internal pump drainage to drain your dehumidifier.
Will a dehumidifier ever stop collecting water?
When the humidity is brought to the optimal humidity level, or the humidity settings you chose, then your dehumidifier will stop collecting water.
It’s a good thing that your dehumidifier stops collecting water because that means it’s working.
If you feel that your dehumidifier is not working properly, you should get it looked at by a licensed technician.
What does it mean when a dehumidifier fills quickly?
If your dehumidifier tank fills up quickly, it could be a sign that the humidity in the air is very high.
This is more common during high humidity seasons like the spring and summer.
It can also be a sign of frozen coils, blocked airflow as well as a small water tank capacity.
Final Thoughts
The question “how much water should a dehumidifier collect in a day” is all relative.
If you live in high relative humidity levels, your dehumidifier will be working at max capacity.
It depends on how big your water collection tank is as well.
Smaller, portable dehumidifiers will fill up faster than larger, commercial ones.
If you notice your dehumidifier stops collecting water, it could be a sign that the humidity levels in your home at the right level or that your dehumidifier is broken.
Image Credit: Flickr.com
