Best Dehumidifiers Reviewed For You

What Are Dehumidifiers & Why Do I Need One?

Dehumidifiers, as the name suggests, are devices that are used to remove moisture or humidity from the air.

High humidity levels can damage your health as well as your home.

When the moisture level in your home increases, so does mould. A mould problem on walls, floors and ceilings can be very expensive. Mould in the home is also an invitation for insects.

Not just insects, but humidity in the air can promote the growth of mould spores and dust mites. Dust mites can be particularly harmful for those with eczema or asthma. When humidity levels exceed 50%, allergens are more likely to worsen the overall air quality causing you damage even if you do not suffer from eczema or asthma.

If you have seen condensation on windows, this is usually a sign of excess humidity in that room. Warping of floors, usually more noticeable on hardwood floors is another good sign of excess moisture in the room, this is where moisture from the air gets into the floor causing it to expand and change its shape.

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Types Of Dehumidifiers

There are a few different types of dehumidifiers that you should be aware of. Below I have given a description on the different types and their advantages and disadvantages.

Refrigerant Dehumidifiers

The most common and the one that you have seen more often than the others. The refrigerant dehumidifiers basically, suck in the damp air, remove the moisture (humidity) and send our dry air.

The fan pulls in moist air from the room, the air is then passed through chilled bars or plates. When the air passes over the bars, the unit extracts water out of the air and sends it into a bucket or through a pipe which you can have sat outside your window. The dry air is then sent out into the room.

Refrigerant dehumidifiers are typically a small-medium sized box which simply plugs into your wall socket and works away. They can have a pipe which can be pointed outside where the waste water goes which are the best types. The other option is having a bucket where the water collects within the unit – this means you will have to empty it periodically. If you do go for the latter option, it is wise to ensure your unit has some sort of alert when the water is nearly full.

These dehumidifiers can usually be in excess of £100 but are often the best option. They are also usually energy efficient.

Desiccant Dehumidifiers

The principal behind the desiccant dehumidifiers is similar to the refrigerant dehumidifiers, however, the process on how it does this is somewhat different.

Desiccant material which is situated on multiple layers of the dehumidifiers’ filter is where the moist (or humid) air is passed through once pulled in from the room. The desiccant material absorbs the moisture and sends the dry air right back out into the room.

The desiccant dehumidifiers are generally more expensive to use than the refrigerant dehumidifiers, particularly when in use for longer periods of time.

Non-Electric Desiccant Dehumidifiers

These are the cheapest to run, needless to say, because they do not require a source of power.

These dehumidifiers are usually in the form of a small container which contains small crystals or sometimes a gel. They typically contain hygroscopic crystals which, by nature, absorb and hold moisture from the surrounding air.

For minor damp problems, they are useful and the cheapest option for you. For medium to severe damp issues, they are not most effective option.

Dehumidifiers – How To Find The Best Fit For You

Finding the best dehumidifier for you can be quite confusing, there are many dehumidifiers to choose from each with different options and features.

There are several variations of types, sizes and manufacturers of dehumidifiers in the market today, each exceeding its feature list than its predecessor.

It is no wonder things can easily get overwhelming searching for the right one for you.

We have written this guide on finding the best dehumidifiers in UK, to help make the task of shopping for one easier and hopefully, even enjoyable.

Here at Bestdehumidifier.uk, we will show you what to look for when looking for a dehumidifier, highlight the features you will need and the ones you will not need. This will help narrow down what works for you and what doesn’t.

We will go through, in detail, the criteria we have used to determine which is the best dehumidifier in todays market.

You can always check the specifications of the dehumidifier before buying it by reading the statistics on energy usage, noise output and moisture removal rates. This is great, but think about the source of the data – the manufacturer. While this information may have some truth to it, the manufacturers ultimate goal is to sell the product. They don’t often lie blatantly, but, and as you will see, the data can be a little misleading.

What To Look For When Shopping For A Dehumidifier

One of the first things to look for in a dehumidifier is energy efficiency.

How energy efficient is the dehumidifier to use. It is a product that will be on for several hours at a time. No matter how amazing the dehumidifier is, you do not want to end up with an astronomical electricity bill after a moderate amount of usage.

The other criteria which is also very important is noise output.

Many of us will be using the dehumidifier throughout most of the day, and especially during the night. The last thing you want is a dehumidifier that is really noisy and will keep you up most of the night. If it is in your bedroom, the noise is likely to keep you up all night, and if you have a loud dehumidifier in the living room, it will drown out the noise of the TV – either way, going for a quiet, yet effective product is definitely advisable.

Some dehumidifiers are loud when you are close, but as you move further away, the noise does begin to subside. This may be acceptable for where you are.

The reason you bought the dehumidifier is to reduce the moisture or the humidity in the area. The next and, again, a very important factor to consider is the moisture removal.

Things To Keep In Mind When Considering Dehumidifiers

Drainage

The moisture collected, then turns into water and it has to go somewhere.

Does the dehumidifier have gravity drainage or pump drainage? Is the drain hose included in the package? If not, you will have to find one that is compatible – so it is a good idea to find out the size and the connection. Having said this, most (if not, all) dehumidifiers that need a drain hose, will have one included.

Does it drain out of the front, side or back of the unit? Knowing this will allow you to put the dehumidifier at convenient locations.

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Durability

How durable is the dehumidifier is one of the first questions you should ask yourself. Does the unit actually look sturdy enough to last the test of time?

Who made the dehumidifier? It is always wise to look at the manufacturers of the product. I always sway on the side of the recognised and known manufacturers. They have been in the business for longer, people identify and associate the brand with quality and you are typically getting a good product for your money. This doesn’t mean to say the lesser known, or new brands will always give you low quality products. This is simply not true, well not every time.

Some of the newer or lesser known brands will still give you a high quality product, in a few cases, better quality than the older, well known brand. It is a case of looking the product, checking the specifications, reading the customer reviews and making your own educated decision.

Is the dehumidifier built using good quality parts or does it look like it has had odd, cheap parts just fused together so the manufacturer can get your money?

Does the unit have a braced water tank? Braced water tanks are usually more robust – this is usually, but not always true – so keep an eye on our reviews of individual products.

It is always a good idea to check customer reviews, the individual products that we review will have a link taking you to Amazon UK. Here you can read customer reviews. You cannot get a better testimonial than someone who has used the product for a period of time and are willing to share their thoughts on it.

Functionality

This is what separates the strong amongst the weak. The functionality of the dehumidifier and what you can and cannot do with it.

How much control do you have over its humidistat? How much control do you have over its timer? Does it have multiple fan speeds? If so, how many? Does the humidifier have different operating modes? Does it have a continuous or an automatic mode?

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Versatility

How versatile is the dehumidifier? Does it give you the option of setting the humidity range? Another key question is what range of temperatures can the dehumidifier work to?

Can it get warm enough to use in the winter or cool enough for it to feel good on a hot summers day?

Water Tank

One of the most important points to consider is how large, or what capacity is the water tank compared to models of similar price?

Does The Dehumidifier Have Any Extra Features?

It is always nice to have a few added features which make the dehumidifier a little smarter. These features act as clever alerts which allows the dehumidifier talk to you.

One useful feature is an LED display which shows the air’s humidity level. Some dehumidifiers also show the airs’ ambient temperature – this is a kick and an added bonus and, in my opinion, is worth paying extra for.

Some units also have a defrost mode and a check filter alert – which are good to have and don’t actually occur that much expense.

Ease Of Use

It is also very important that the unit you do decide to buy does not need a PHD just to turn it on. Make sure the LED display is clear and easy to read, and is easy enough to set the required humidity level, the timer is easy.

Another point worth taking a close look at is the filter. Is it easy enough to remove and replace the filter? Does the dehumidifier have a slide out feature?

Is The Dehumidifier Portable?

Is the dehumidifier portable enough to move from one room to another? Or maybe you would like to move it from one building to another?

We should also look at weight – to make sure it doesn’t weight an absolute tonne to carry.

Make sure it has a carry handle which makes moving the unit easy and effortless. Also the size, if it is too big, even if it isn’t too heavy, the size will make it awkward to carry around.

Does it have cord storage – this makes moving the unit very tidy and more pleasant.

What sort of quality are the castors? if they are flimsy, then wheeling it around too much will wear them our pretty quickly.  The castors will ensure the dehumidifier moves smoothly on hard surfaces, but will it also be easy enough to move around easily on a carpeted floor?

Warranty

After making an investment (regardless of the size of it), you always want to make sure you have a warranty to fall back on. Luckily for us, most of the decent manufacturers offer a warranty for their products. Some have a return to base warranty and a few even have in home warranty – so they will actually send an engineer to your door to fix or replace your dehumidifier!

The industry standard is a 1 year manufacturers warranty but you will find some manufacturers exceed this with a 2, 3 or even 5 year warranties. The longer the warranty, naturally, the more confidence you have in the product.

Here is a good video on how dehumidifiers work.

 

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