Q. Where do I position the dehumidifier?
A. Position the dehumidifier centrally in a home either in a hallway or perhaps on the landing. If you have a problem area then move the dehumidifier to that area.
Q. Is it easy to move around?
A. Generally yes as long as you are fit and able as all dehumidifiers have either a carrying handle (please refer to the particular model for weight and dimensions).
Q. Do I need to use it in summer?
A. Generally no advantage unless you have condensation on surfaces. In summer, you may have doors and windows open so there is no advantage in using the dehumidifier.
Q The specifications indicate that a dehumidifier can extract 20 litres per day yet the water container only hold 4 litres?
A. Maximum extraction rates are based on temperatures of either 32 deg C & 90% RH or 30 deg C & 80% RH. In the real world conditions within the UK it reasonable to expect a maximum of around 4 or 5 litres per day as the extract rates decrease with a drop in temperature.
Q. I bought a dehumidifier and it runs all the time – why?
A. The dehumidifier that you purchased is probably not capable of removing the amount of moisture in this area. If your area needs to have 50 pints of moisture removed from it daily and you have a 40-pint unit, you will never catch up and the machine will run continuously.
Q. Do dehumidifiers raise the heat in my house?
A. Yes, but this can be either good or bad. The warmer the room, the easier and more efficiently you can remove moisture so the machine will have to work less. Depending on the size of the room, you could raise the temperature by 5– 10 degrees.
Q. I have a second home. What happens if we have a power failure, will the machine turn itself back on?
A. That depends on the brand and model that you buy. Most dehumidifiers with manual humidistat controls will turn themselves back on. With the electronic controls, it varies. The Mitsubishi and X- Dry units will turn back on and will continue to remove moisture at the humidity level for which you had set the machine.
Q. Can a dehumidifier cover multiple connected rooms?
A. That depends on the total square footage of all the rooms, the configuration of the rooms, and the openness between the rooms. The more open the rooms are to each other (not 3’ doorways), the easier it is. Having ceiling fans in the rooms to move the air would certainly help. If you don’t have ceiling fans you can add small, inexpensive fans in the rooms to help move the air in these satellite rooms into the main area where you have placed the dehumidifier.
Q. Does it filter the air?
A. All machines have an air filter mainly to protect the machine. However, the Mitsubishi MJ-E16VX has a far superior filtration system that includes a Photocatalytic filter.
Q. How quiet will it be?
A. Each make and model may differ in sound levels that are measured in (dBA). The higher the (dBA) the higher the sound level. Remember, an increase in 6(dBA) is a doubling of sound
Q. Can I have a permanent drain fitted?
A. The XDry/DD322 range require a ½” i.d. hose. Mitsubishi, Daitsu & Ruby Dry require a 15mm i.d.hose.
Q. How does the permanent drain work?
A. The hose connects to a drain point on the dehumidifier and the hose outlet must be lower than the dehumidifier drain point.
Q. What if the hose becomes blocked?
A. The water would then go back into the integral tank and once full will switch off the dehumidifier.
Q. Does a dehumidifier tell me my exact humidity level?
A. That depends on the model you are purchasing. Purchasing a Thermo-hygrometer is recommended so you can measure relative humidity and compare it with the setting on your dehumidifier. Do not expect the humidistat accuracy on the Dehumidifier to be as accurate as a thermo-hygrometer.
Q. I still have condensation on windows though my dehumidifier has stopped – why?
A. Either you have the setting on the dehumidifier too high or the dehumidifier is under sized. While a period of colder weather and make your dehumidifier work harder.
Q. How long will it take to get my condensation under control?
A. This depends on the level of the problem. Generally, you will see an improvement within a few days but do allow 1- 2 weeks to get the problem under control.
Q. What causes condensation?
A. In Ireland, condensation in houses is mainly a winter problem particularly where warm moist air generated in living areas and then penetrates to the colder parts of the building.
The moisture in the air comes from a number of sources within the house. Water vapour is produced in relatively large quantities from normal day to day activities – a 5 person household puts about 10kg of water into the air every day (without taking into account any heating) – i.e.
– breathing (asleep) 0.3 kg
– breathing (awake) 0.85 kg
– cooking 3 kg
– personal washing 1.0 kg
– washing and drying clothes 5.5 kg – heating – especially paraffin and flue-less gas heaters.
For every litre of paraffin burnt over one litre of moisture vaporizes into air. Every carbon fuel produces some amount of water from combustion. * (1 kg of water equates to about 1 litre)
Moisture can also be drawn from the structure of the building into the internal air; from below the floor or through the walls/ceilings.
Q. I have mould & mildew so will a dehumidifier get rid this?
A. Yes, a dehumidifier will help prevent further problems but you must use a mould spore remover to actually kill the spores.
Q. What is the difference between a dehumidifier with a compressor and one without?
A. Traditionally dehumidifiers worked on the refrigeration principle where air passed over a cold refrigerated coil and moisture condensed on the coil and drained into a container. The compressor-less absorbent machines such as XDry work on the principle of moist air being drawn into an absorber that is a slowly rotating disc impregnated with silica. A heating element applies heat to the absorber that heats the moisture to a high temperature vapour that immediately condenses into water.
Q. Do I need to change or replace the Silica on the XDry?
A. No, there is nothing to replace
Q. Is room size important when choosing a dehumidifier?
A. Yes and no. What is most important is the amount of water you need to take out of the air. The more water in the air, the larger the capacity you will need. A small room with a lot of moisture may need as much dehumidification as a large room with average moisture content. When in doubt, its always better to oversize a dehumidifier.
Q. Can I dry clothes with a dehumidifier?
A. Yes you can. Ideally place your clothes on a drying rack and place the dehumidifier in the same room and leave on a continuous or Laundry setting. Shut the door to that area and the dehumidifier will take in all moisture. The Mitsubishi and XDry all have a Laundry setting. These machines have a high airflow to assist with the drying.
Q. Will just one dehumidifier be sufficient for my home?
A. Normally one will be sufficient but in the case of very large houses or where you may have several floors then more than one may be required
Q. Which dehumidifier do I need for my garage?
A. Garages are generally unheated so consider the Adsorption dehumidifier such as the XDry as this operates in low temperatures without losing extraction capacity. Larger Garages may need more than one machine.
Very large car storage areas, warehouses etc should consider commercial dehumidifiers.
Q. Do I need to leave heating on when operating my dehumidifier?
A. The warmer the air the easier it is to extract moisture. Using an XDry is ideal if the temperature is generally on the colder side as these machines maintain extraction rates.
Q. Can I run the dehumidifier at night?
A. Yes you can but be aware that there will always be a sound from the machine when it is operating Choose a quiet dehumidifier if it is to be used near bedrooms.
Q. Do I have to leave the dehumidifier running constantly?
A. All dehumidifiers are fitted with a humidistat that controls the operation of the machine. When the humidity level reaches the preset humidity level it will automatically cut off.
Q. What are the running costs?
A. Check the wattage of the dehumidifier specification. Currently 1000w of electricity will cost you and 12-15 pence per hour. Therefore a machine rated at 250w will cost you a quarter of a kW so allow around 3-4 pence per hour if running continuously though adsorption machines will have a higher cost. However, the absorption machines such as XDry will do the job quicker at temperatures below 20 deg C and therefore overall costs may be less than with a conventional dehumidifier.
Once the house is brought under control the actual running costs will be reduced, as the dehumidifier will need to operate less.
Q. Do all dehumidifiers have a humidity control?
A. Yes they have. The Mitsubishi MJ-E16VX the VX model is adjustable from 50-70%. The Mitsubishi MJ-E16VX is extremely accurate to within 1% of the setpoint.
Q. What is the ideal humidity level for my home?
A. Between 40 and 60% so the ideal would be 50% but may need to be lower in very cold weather.
Q. How do I measure humidity?
A. We supply a desktop digital thermo-hygrometer that displays current temperature and relative humidity.
Q. Why does my dehumidifier freeze up?
A. The coils of refrigerated dehumidifiers will ice up but a sensor or timer will stop the compressor and allow the ice to melt. This is normal but severe icing up can be due to a shortage of refrigerant,insufficient airflow or a malfunction.
Q. Do all dehumidifiers have a water container?
A. Yes, all domestic dehumidifiers have a container that ranges from 3.5 liters to 5.5 liters capacity.
Q. Will the dehumidifier switch off when the tank is full?
A. Yes, all tanks are fitted with a float switch so once full they will shut off the compressor.