Advice to solve damp and condensation problems in your home

There are many factors to consider when deciding what dehumidifier to purchase. Here we have outlined the 4 main factors you must take into consideration before your purchase.

 

 

Different Types of Dehumidifiers

There are two main types of dehumidifier – compressor dehumidifiers and desiccant dehumidifiers.

With more than enough extraction capacity to solve damp or condensation problems and lower running costs, compressor dehumidifiers use a compressor and a heat exchanger to remove moisture from the air. These dehumidifiers are most suited to domestic applications, such as in your home.

Desiccant wheel dehumidifiers extract a large amount of water but have very high running costs. They are suitable for unheated buildings where the temperature drops below 5ºC.These dehumidifiers are mostly used in industrial and construction projects where very large amounts of water need removed and running costs are not important.

Where the dehumidifier will be used?

In the Home;
Even though dampness or condensation may only be a problem in one part of your home, the source of this excess moisture will be coming from a number of places. Your entire house generates excess moisture and, in most cases, the best solution is a compressor dehumidifier with an average extraction rate of around 18 litres. If you have a particularly small home, with just one person and lower capacity, dehumidifiers with an extraction rate of 12 to 15 litres will be sufficient

In an Unoccupied Space;
Items that are stored in garages or outbuildings need to have a dehumidifier to prevent deterioration, damage, dampness or mould. If there is no heating in the space and the space is reasonably well sealed, any type of dehumidifier will be satisfactory, providing it has a reliable humidistat.

How much water needs to be removed?

The main factor in determining the amount of moisture that need to be removed is the number of people living in the property and how much excess moisture they produce. 5 people who live a normal lifestyle will control condensation and the effects of dampness by extracting about 2 litres of water per 24 hours. 2 people will need to extract about 1.5 of a litre. Ebac dehumidifiers have been optimised for the UK climate and as such will take out more water than other brands at UK conditions and will do so with lower running costs.

How do I control the dehumidifier?

There are 3 main factors to consider when looking at the control of a dehumidifier; minimizing wasting electricity; ensuring the appropriate amount of excess moisture is removed, and simplicity and convenience.

Changing outside temperatures determine the optimum relative humidity setting for a dehumidifier. As the outside temperature changes frequently, a manually adjustable humidistat needs to be reset regularly – ideally every hour.

An automatic control like Ebac’s Smart Control handles adjustments automatically. Ebac’s Smart Control gathers data from the air in your house and automatically adjusts operation to match the need rather than to control an arbitrary relative humidity. Smart Control guarantees that the dehumidifier runs enough to prevent dampness and condensation but not too much to waste large amounts of electricity.