How many dehumidifiers do I need?

Closed Thread
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    27

    How many dehumidifiers do I need?

    I am living in a 1050 sq ft apartment with 3 bedrooms - how many dehumidifiers do I need? One per room? And should I shut the doors to the rooms they are in?

    I've read about electrical dehumidifier strips - where can I get some?

    Thanks!


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    It's up to you! One big one and leave all the doors open, or smaller ones to dehumidify specific areas, in which case you can close the doors to make them more effective.

    Remember that in general the more powerful the dehumidifier (generally measured in litres per hour of water that they can extract) the noisier it will be. Look also at the size of the tank - the longer the apartment is left unoccupied the bigger you need the tank to be. If you're going to be away for several days then you need to make sure that the dehumidifer(s) have the capability to have a hose attached so that you can run it continuously.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11,884

    It also depends on where you live. Some areas (or is that buildings?) seem more prone to humidity problems than others.

    I'm using a single 24L dehumidifier in a 700 sq ft flat, and it is more than enough with the interior doors open. A friend uses a puny 10L device for the same space even that is sufficient (but her flat doesn't have humidity problems anyway).

    A couple of other considerations:

    Get a dehumidifer that switches the fan *off* when humidity falls below a preset so you don't use electricity constantly. Some will keep the fan running at all times, and switch the compressor off instead. I suspect that the former tend to have knob-type presets, and the latter use completely electronic presets.

    As PDLM says, get at least one that can drain externally for when you go away on holiday.

    Oh, and the rating on these machines are typically given by 2 numbers- the first is litres per day, the second is how big the tank is.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Fo Tan
    Posts
    2,389

    Can also buy some that switch to heaters so you don't have to buy a winter and summer model.
    We have one big one to handle downstairs which has more open space and two for upstairs where there are more doors and hallways. Oh, and one for the maid's room which we have converted to a laundry room.


  5. #5
    deleteduser

    Don't forget to get a bunch of the mineral based 'tubs' for all your enclosed areas - closets, cabinets, etc. Change them as soon as they fill up.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Fo Tan
    Posts
    2,389
    Quote Originally Posted by lowlight:
    Don't forget to get a bunch of the mineral based 'tubs' for all your enclosed areas - closets, cabinets, etc. Change them as soon as they fill up.
    Forgot about those. We just stocked up last week.
    And you have to fight the humidity because if you don't and it becomes a problem the result is mold and that's bad. Better safe than sorry.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    128

    ectrical dehumidifier strips?

    ectrical dehumidifier strips??

    can anyone share what's that?


    thanks in advance!


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205
    Quote Originally Posted by creamy338:
    ectrical dehumidifier strips??

    can anyone share what's that?
    I think they were referring in fact to the small heaters which you can buy for wardrobes. They're not dehumidifiers as such but they have the same effect of lowering the relative humidity and keeping the mould away.