Undoubtedly, having a dehumidifier in the room can bring numerous benefits, especially to people with allergies. They can also be helpful in preventing mold growth in your home, which is one of many reasons why people buy a dehumidifier. In case you are a fan of this device, you must have learned a lot of positive feedback about it, such as the reduction of dust in the air, keeping certain small insects away, and getting rid of certain allergens. If you, too, are impressed with this device and are looking forward to buying it, you may want to take a step back and consider reading about the dehumidifier disadvantages.
It’s better to be aware of both the positive and negative sides of a dehumidifier before you become habitual in using it. So, check out some of the disadvantages of dehumidifiers that are mentioned below:
Dehumidifier Disadvantages:
1. Loud Noise:
Despite being great for keeping your house comfortable and reducing mildew and mold growth, dehumidifiers can be pretty annoying due to their loud noise. If you enjoy sleeping or working in a quiet environment, getting this product may not be a wise idea. In order to work, dehumidifiers pull the air from your room and pass it over its cooling coil.
When the air starts passing over the coil, water vapors start condensing on the coil and dripping into a collection bank. After that, the air that is blown into your room by the fan is dehumidified and cool. This continuous cycle causes the production of a fair amount of noise, especially if your dehumidifier is old or not maintained well.
2. Expensive: dehumidifier disadvantages
Getting a humidifier means you must prepare yourself for high electricity bills because this device is known for consuming plenty of electricity. A dehumidifier may consume from 100 to 400 watts of electricity, based on its model. As a result, your electricity cost can increase significantly, especially if the unit is run for a long period every day. Although there are some models that offer energy-saving features, it’s better to be aware of the actual cost of getting a dehumidifier in the long run.
3. Regular Maintenance:
Since the job of a dehumidifier includes collecting water in a storage tank, you must make sure to empty and clean it regularly. On some days when the weather conditions are damp, you may need to clean it daily or even more than once a day.
In some models, a removable air filter is included that needs regular cleanup. However, one way of reducing the maintenance required can be reduced by installing a drain hose to empty the collected water into a drain.
Read: Negative Side Effects of Air Purifiers
4. Stale and Dry Air: dehumidifier disadvantages
Using a dehumidifier causes the moisture to get pulled out of the air that you’re breathing and collected in a reservoir. As a result, your room can become more comfortable after preventing mildew and mold from growing on the surfaces. However, it may also cause the air to become safe and dry.
That’s how dehumidifiers work; not only do they remove water vapors, but also essential airborne molecules, including oxygen and nitrogen. Due to the removal of moisture from the air, users may experience symptoms like dry skin, static electricity, and a scratchy throat.
5. Risk of Fire Hazard: dehumidifier disadvantages
Before buying a dehumidifier, you should be aware of the fact that the product can become a fire hazard if you don’t use it properly. In order to operate, a dehumidifier removes moisture from the air and shares the excess moisture in a reservoir. However, failure to empty the reservoir regularly may cause water to become stagnant and grow mildew and mold.
What’s more, the reservoir is commonly placed near the device’s heating element, which indicates that if the water becomes too hot, it may begin boiling. As a result, boiling water may end up causing the reservoir to rupture. This is how electrical fires can be started in the house. This potential danger can be avoided by emptying the reservoir frequently and never leaving the dehumidifier unattended after turning it on.
6. Closed Doors and Windows:
In order to experience optimal performance, you may need to keep your room’s windows, and doors closed, which can be unpleasant for some people. Ventilation causes fresh outdoor air to come into the room, which means more water vapor.
If you keep the door and windows open and let the fresh air come through, using a dehumidifier may not be very useful. For a quick reduction in humidity, it is necessary to prevent outdoor air from coming in, which can be achieved by shutting down the doors and windows. Despite its effects on a dehumidifier, ventilation is beneficial for healthy air, which is compromised because of a dehumidifier.
7. Warmer Air:
Desiccant dehumidifiers can produce warmer air, which may be about 50 °F warmer compared to the normal air that would come in. In case your home is relatively cold, having warmer air can be a plus. Furthermore, this factor can also be helpful in saving money which would otherwise have gone to heating bills.
However, for users living in a hotter climate where weather conditions are not that cold, the situation can be entirely different. The same factor can become a great disadvantage as it would constantly cause the air to be warm.
8. Cause of Sickness:
Since dehumidifiers cause excess humidity to be eliminated from the air, they can make your room full of drier air, especially during winter when humidity is already quite low. Using dehumidifiers in such weather conditions can cause some health conditions to become severe, like asthma and eczema due to excessive dryness on the skin. Furthermore, dry air can impact anyone’s skin and hair, even if they don’t have any health issues.
Low levels of humidity can also result in dried-out mucosal layers that are necessary to stay protected from infections. As a result, the risk of the development of pneumonia may increase.
Wrapping Up:
Even though a dehumidifier is a beneficial creation, it has its own limitations. It’s best to consider the pros as well as cons before bringing it to your house. We hope that you find the information useful and have learned a lot from it. Before making a final decision, make sure to research thoroughly and read product reviews. Feel free to ask us in case of any queries.