Humidity, the amount of moisture in the air around you, plays an extremely important role in controlling the number of airborne allergens in your home. The two most common indoor allergens, dust mites and mold, thrive in warm, humid conditions.  Allergens, such as mold and fungus are present, while dormant in nearly all materials, but in the presence of a food source and moisture, they can rapidly proliferate.

By keeping your relative humidity in the air below 50 percent, you can control the dust mite and mold spore populations in your home. The easiest and simplest way to do this and to increase the overall comfort level in your home is to control humidity levels with a dehumidifier.  Dehumidifiers remove water vapor from the air and lower the relative humidity in your home.

If you are allergic to dust mites or mold—or if you smell a musty, mildew-like odor in your home, or see condensation on windows, walls, or floors—then you should seriously consider using a dehumidifier to improve the indoor air quality. Some allergens, such as mold, can turn into a serious and difficult problem to solve if allowed to grow unchecked in your home. In addition to health concerns, excess moisture speeds the natural process of oxidation. From metals to wood, every material found on this planet is subject to the process of decay and deterioration through oxidation. While researching a dehumidifier, there are some important factors to keep in mind before you make your purchase.

Choose a dehumidifier keeping in mind not only the temperature range, but also the overall climate of the region in which you live. For instance, in the Northeast a dehumidifier would be particularly useful since humidity remains high from May to October, while the temperature may remain mild. An air conditioner, which also removes some moisture in the air, would not run enough (due to the lower temperatures) to adequately control the moisture levels in your home. In this case, a dehumidifier would be an excellent fit.

If you live in an area close to a body of water, then probably you have experienced higher humidity levels!

Energy Usage

Like all appliances, different dehumidifiers use different amounts of energy for operation. Typical dehumidifiers can use anywhere from 50 to 800 watts. (For comparison sake, a typical lamp uses about 60 watts, while a typical computer uses about 365 watts) Amana and Haier brand dehumidifiers are all energy-star compliant for low energy costs.

Moisture Removal Rate

Dehumidifiers usually range in pint removal rate per twenty-four hours, at 30 to 70 pints per day.  Buying a model with a higher pint removal rate is the best way to save operating expense, as the humidistat will cycle the unit off, when the area is dehumidified!