You just got a dehumidifier and are so excited for the humidity in your house to go down! Especially if you are constantly sweating.
I had this issue a few years back, so I did some research for you. One might question how many rooms a dehumidifier will work in.
Traditionally, the dehumidifier can cover many room sizes, but that does not mean a singular unit that is “one size fits all.” The tank size heavily determines the dimensions of a room that it can sufficiently handle with anything considered a decent speed.
If we consider that, it’s plain to see we will need to determine how large the room is to govern which size dehumidifier is required to get the job done.
In most cases, the rooms’ sizes measure square feet and typically come in roughly 800 or so intervals.
Before we delve any deeper into determining what sizes will sufficiently accommodate which room sizes, let’s find out what dehumidifiers.
We will also discuss why utilizing them in your household can benefit your life and help keep your home free of unwanted pests and mold to boot!
Why Are Dehumidifiers Important?
There are many reasons why dehumidifiers are essential. Let us discuss them down below:
1. Removes Moisture Within Your Home
Dehumidifiers remove excess water from the air around us and help promote a cleaner, less humid environment, and keep harmful allergens at bay.
The entire process relies on the dehumidifier taking in the air around it. It then draws the water across specialized coils inside the machine itself.
The coils heat the air and expel it out of the unit. This method leaves the residual moisture from the air on said coils, which drops into a storage tank in the machine itself.
2. Reduces Allergy Symptoms
Because of the filtration of the air, dehumidifiers can efficiently function as air purifiers. It happens through their innate ability to remove allergens, dust, and other particles that can prove problematic to your respiratory system.
Anything ranging from more basic symptoms like itchy eyes, sore throat, chest pain, and wheezing can all be kept to a minimum, thanks to the efforts of the dehumidifier.
Thankfully the boons this little guy can offer don’t end here. All irritants must pass through this stalwart guardian’s gaze.
A dehumidifier will hold anything ranging from hair and dander from your faithful companion to less welcome guests like mold, pollen, and even dust mites back from taking up residence in your body.
3. Allows You to Control the Humidity
At times, it is difficult to control the humidity in your home. You can open windows all day and have fans blowing on full blast, but if you live in a highly humid area like Florida, this is hard to do.
However, if you live in a dry area, like Arizona, but still have slight humidity issues. You can easily adjust the humidity level with the thermostat a dehumidifier provides.
You are controlling how humid your house is precise because of the luxury of having a dehumidifier. At the same time, from the outside looking in, this may not appear that appealing.
4. Dehumidifiers Help You Stay Productive
When you are sweating all over the place, you don’t want to do anything. All you’ll be thinking about is how you can get rid of the issue at hand.
Keeping your home free of moisture and having a refreshing atmosphere makes you more productive throughout the day. It also provides you with a more restful night’s sleep.
5. Creates Healthier Environments (Lessens Insects)
Insects require a certain level of moisture in the air to thrive. Bringing things full circle, certain insects and other multi-legged friends will find your home less inviting.
One of the biggest of these is centipedes, which, despite outwardly looking menacing, most are more beneficial to have in your home than whatever they prey on.
However, with the reduced moisture in the air, these little critters will be more prone to getting rid of, mainly, if not wholly.
As a reminder, you’ll still want to get a dehumidifier that fits the criteria, which we will go over down below.
Will a Dehumidifier Work for Multiple Rooms?
Answering this question requires a bit of a lead-up. You can certainly have a dehumidifier that can easily handle multiple rooms, if not your entire home.
It would be best if you purchased a dehumidifier that can efficiently handle the endeavor of your entire home. Essentially, you’ll need a dehumidifier with a tank size adequate to pull the moisture from your whole house.
This seamlessly transfers us into the next topic, obtaining the right dehumidifier size for the job itself.
Consider Your Circumstances
You will need to consider both aspects of this equation to make a purchase that takes care of your problem.
Suppose a room has a lot of moisture. In that case, you will probably need a significantly more extensive dehumidifier to handle the job.
Another thing to consider is getting a hydrometer, which will tell how much excess moisture is in the air. We have reviewed hydrometers and decided this one is an excellent choice!
A Smaller Dehumidifier May Stress
Seeing the ramifications of getting a dehumidifier smaller than required means you stress the unit as it attempts to accomplish a job more extensively than it can handle.
This means it will take the smaller dehumidifier significantly longer to get the humidity level to appropriate levels. It can cause considerable damage to the device while it attempts.
Consider the possibility of the unit not finishing the job as much as one that is larger. Purchasing too small of a dehumidifier could have you buying another one for the same position, so stick to the logic of measuring twice cut once.
Below is a list of different-sized dehumidifiers, the rough square feet dimensions they can easily take care of, and how severe the humidity in the area is.
Humidity | 800+ sq. ft. | 1500+ sq. ft. | 2000+ sq. ft | 3500+ sq. ft |
---|---|---|---|---|
Regular (30-50%) | 20+ pints | 25+ pints | 35+ pints | 50 pints |
Slightly damp (60-70%) | 20 pints | 30 pints | 35 pints | 50 pints |
Very humid (70-80%) | 25 pints | 35 pints | 40 pints | 50 pints |
Wet (80-90%) | 30 pints | 40 pints | 45 pints | 70 pints |
Extremely wet (90-100%) | 35 pints | 40 pints | 50 pints | 70 pints |
Do You Need a Dehumidifier For Each Room?
You definitely don’t need a dehumidifier for each room, just as we discussed above. As long as you get a dehumidifier that can handle your home’s rough square foot value, you won’t have to worry about any room in particular.
The only time you need to consider having multiple dehumidifiers for your home would be in the event of a large-scale flood. In that case, you may need to utilize numerous dehumidifiers.
Still, the only time this is a valid option would be if time is of the essence. Otherwise, just using one will suffice.
Different Types of Dehumidifiers (Water Tank Capacity)
Almost all dehumidifiers can be broken down into four different sizes, scaling in terms of pints of water that they can store after removing moisture from the air.
With increased size comes increased capacity. You’ll want to be diligent in your choice to save time and money by selecting one that meets your needs. These needs range from a model that fully covers your house to a more petite model that only covers a closet example.
- Small Capacity: 800 square feet (Attics, crawl spaces, basements, and closets)
- Medium Capacity: 1500 square feet (average-sized rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, living room)
- Large Capacity: 2000 square feet (Potentially cover an entire floor of a home or oversized garage)
- Whole House Dehumidifiers: 3500+ square feet (As the name details, they will efficiently protect your home)
Conclusion
You will want to take your time, inspect and measure the rooms you plan on using the dehumidifier for, and use a hygrometer to determine the amount of humidity you are dealing with. Armed with this information in hand, you can safely purchase a dehumidifier that will ultimately fulfill all of your needs.