How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dehumidifier?

If you live in an area that experiences a lot of moisture, one of the best solutions to beat the humidity is to get a dehumidifier. This appliance is also used to remove excess moisture from the air, allowing you to breathe in a healthy and comfortable environment.

But if you’re budget-minded who monitors electricity usage, you might be concerned about how much you’ll have to pay for running a dehumidifier.

If so, then you’re in the right place!

I have created a calculator that can estimate the cost of running just about any dehumidifier. It’ll help put your mind at ease, so you don’t have to choose between being thrifty and reducing moisture from your home.

On average, running a dehumidifier for an hour can cost you anywhere between $0.03 and $0.16, depending on the power rating of the appliance. The cost of running a dehumidifier also depends on how, and how often you use it.

Running Cost Calculator for Dehumidifiers

Just three inputs are needed to work out how much electricity your dehumidifier will use each day: the number of hours you use your dehumidifier each day, its capacity, and the price of electricity in your area.

Click here to know the electricity cost in your state or refer to your latest energy bill.

Make sure to change the values according to your dehumidifier.

Improving Dehumidifier Efficiency

Although they don’t consume a lot of electricity, there are certain helpful ways in which you can make your dehumidifier as energy-efficient as possible. This way it won’t have to work as hard to remove excess moisture.

Shut the Windows and Doors

First and foremost, close all the doors and windows when you’re running the dehumidifier.

By keeping these closed, you can prevent any excess moisture from adding into the air inside your home, and this will make the work much easier for the dehumidifier.

You can also find out how to seal your doors, as well as installing energy-efficient windows.

Seal the Cracks and Holes

Secondly, locate any holes or cracks in your windows or doors, which can cause moisture to seep into your home.

Seal them as soon as you can. These will deter the performance of your dehumidifier and cause it to take more time in removing the moisture. This will result in it consuming more electricity as well.

Place it Properly

Another important thing to consider is the placement of your dehumidifier. Make sure to keep it away from corners and spaces which attract a lot of dust or dirt.

These spaces can clog your dehumidifier’s internal components and impair its efficiency.

Keep the Water Seepage in Check

Next, keep an eye on your home drainage, as water often seeps into your walls through an overwatered garden bed or clogged drain.

This water also gets evaporated and adds to the humidity, while also deteriorating the air quality around your home. Also, keep an eye on your dryer, and get it fixed in case it’s blowing moist air inside your home.

Keep the Air Ducts Clean

Last but not least, also keep the air ducts inside your home clean. These can often be carriers of damp air and when mixed with dust, they can create an unhealthy environment.

This can make it difficult for the dehumidifier to do its work properly.

Should You Run a Dehumidifier All the Time?

Running your dehumidifier all the time isn’t a good idea, and not just for electricity consumption purposes.

Experts suggest that you should run the unit only when the humidity level exceeds 50 percent.

Even when you run it, make sure to avoid setting it at a low-level setting. It’ll just consume electricity and fail to remove moisture from your home.

If you do want to run your dehumidifier throughout the day, make sure to choose one that comes with its own floor drain feature. Otherwise, you’ll be tasked with removing the water every few hours.

Also, clean the air filter of your dehumidifier every few days if you run it regularly, as it’ll maximize its efficiency.

If you have installed your dehumidifier in the basement, be more careful about running it regularly. Your basement is generally cooler than the rest of the house and dehumidifiers need a temperature below 42 degrees Fahrenheit to function properly.

If you do choose to run them, make sure there is an auto-defrost function that enables them to work properly.

Tips For Buying a Dehumidifier

There are certain factors that you should consider when buying a dehumidifier, such as:

Type

Basically, there are four different types of dehumidifiers that you can choose from: dehumidifying ventilator, chemical absorbent dehumidifier, and homemade dehumidifier.

Dehumidifying Ventilator

The dehumidifying ventilator involves an exhaust fan and a sensor that’s responsible for removing moist air from the room, thus bringing down the humidity levels in the room.

They’re commonly installed in the basement, attics, and crawl spaces to keep them breezy and free from moisture.

Chemical Absorbent Dehumidifier

A chemical absorbent dehumidifier, or desiccant humidifier, makes use of silica gel or any other hydrophilic material to attract moisture from the air.

This type of humidifier is mostly found in homes, and it also comes with cartridges and powder.

Homemade Humidifier

Last but not least, a homemade humidifier is something that you can build at home. Homemade humidifiers are a temporary solution that helps you get by until you purchase an actual humidifier.

They involve the use of road soal, charcoal, or any other salt that’s used for removing ice from roads.

Whole-home Dehumidifier

Another type of humidifier is a whole-home dehumidifier. It is the best way to remove excess moisture from your home.

They have a sensor that monitors the moisture content in your home. It automatically turns on if the moisture level reaches above the preset level. They can also work as a humidifier if the moisture content is too low.

Size

Once you narrow down which type of dehumidifier you want to buy, you’ll also have to consider the size.

Of course, the size depends on the availability of space in your home, and also on where you want to install it, i.e. the basement, bedroom, living room, etc.

Before doing anything, measure the area of the space where you want to install a dehumidifier. Once you have gotten the square footage, it’ll be much easier for you to choose the size you want.

Pint Removal Capacity

The pint removal capacity refers to the dehumidifier’s power levels. This is measured in US pints, and a general rule of thumb is that a dehumidifier with a capacity of 10 US pints can remove moisture from a 500 sq. ft. room easily.

For every 500 sq. ft., you can add 4 US pints to get the capacity you need for your space. If you have high ceilings, then you’ll need to increase the pint removal capacity even more.

Benefits of Having a Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers are highly instrumental in reducing the moisture content from your home. They allow you to breathe easily since high-moisture environments can impact your breathing and allergies.

Having a dehumidifier in your home also helps keep allergies at bay. It also keeps allergens and dust mites away from the air inside your home.

Rooms that have a high moisture content can also be a breeding ground for bacteria. These can cause illnesses, therefore installing a dehumidifier helps you and your family to stay healthy.

Moisture-laden environments are also a breeding ground for most critters, such as spiders and cockroaches. These can scare the life out of you if they suddenly drop from the ceiling in front of you!

To keep these pesky pests at bay, get a dehumidifier.

When you run a dehumidifier in your home and it removes excess moisture from your home, this also makes the air conditioning system work more efficiently. This results in an overall better cooling of your interior space.

This also enables the AC system to consume less energy in keeping your home cool. This is a win-win situation for you.

Other Ways to Keep Humidity Down

Before you buy a dehumidifier, there are some methods that you can try to keep the humidity levels low inside your home.

Increase Ventilation

The first thing you should do is to increase ventilation inside your home. This can be done by keeping the doors and windows open, and the fans and vents on for a longer period of time.

This will greatly reduce the humidity inside your home, even if done for a few hours every day.

Keep the AC Running

Another thing you can do is to keep your air conditioning on for a longer time. This greatly brings down indoor humidity by causing condensation.

The same applies to fans, as they facilitate the airflow inside the room and remove excess moisture through evaporation.

Keep the Filters Clean

Next, keep the filters inside your furnace and air conditioners clean. This will enhance their airflow and make them more efficient in bringing down the humidity.

Install an Exhaust Fan

When you take a hot shower, the steam increases the humidity levels inside your bathroom. This way the humidity can also seep through to your room when you open the bathroom door.

Therefore, either you can keep the windows open for some ventilation, or you can install an exhaust fan inside your bathroom. Alternatively, you can also take cold showers – the first few times will give you chills, but you’ll get used to them.

Dry Your Clothes Outdoors

A major tip is to prevent putting a clothesline inside your home. Your damp clothes are a major source of moisture inside your home. Leave the drying for the outdoors.

There are a lot of other small steps that can help, such as repairing cracks in your walls, keeping plants in the open, replacing your rugs, and much more.

Try a few of these steps for at least a month, and you’ll notice a stark difference. If there’s no change in the humidity levels in your home, then you can opt for a dehumidifier.

Conclusion

So, as we’ve seen above, it won’t cost an arm and a leg to run your dehumidifier.

In tandem with your dehumidifier, make sure to apply some of the tips mentioned in the above section. These will help you in bringing down the humidity in your home naturally.

I hope this article gave you the information you needed. If this article was helpful, please consider checking out the related content below.

Thank you for reading, and have an awesome day!

-Craig