How to Choose a Dehumidifier to Help Reduce Your Energy Cost This Summer

Dehumidifiers reduce excess moisture in the air and allow for relief during hot and humid weather, along with several key benefits for your home and your health. Installing a dehumidifier lowers your home’s overall humidity levels, making it harder for mold, dust mites, and mildew to stick around. It can also help reduce your energy cost. Not sure which one is right for your home? Check out our tips below to help you decide. 

Size it Right

“Size” doesn’t reference the dimensions of the dehumidifier, but instead its capacity—how many pints of water it can remove from the air during a 24-hour period. For a home with lower humidity levels, Energy Star® recommends using a 10- to 16-pint size for 500 square feet and up to a 26- to 44-pint size for 2,500 square feet, depending on the level of dampness.

Home in on Features

Most portable dehumidifiers have a removable water bucket, a warning light to alert you when it’s full, and a fitting for a hose connection (so you don’t have to empty the water tank). You may also want to look for a frost sensor to keep frost from forming on the condensing coils if the temperature drops below 65 degrees (18 degrees Celsius).

Go Green

Look for an Energy Star-certified model, which will have more efficient refrigeration coils, compressors, and fans than a conventional model and will use nearly 30 percent less energy.

Consider a Whole-House System

Portable units cost less up front, but the moisture removal capacity is much lower, and the operating cost tends to be higher, says Bill Ramsey, a Georgia heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professor. A custom whole-house unit will need to be sized and installed by a contractor, but in the long term, he says, the lower operating costs and stable comfort can be worth the investment.

To learn more about the benefits of a dehumidifier in the summer, visit 5 Benefits to Adding A Dehumidifier This Summer — The Wire by XOOM Energy.