As long as your DC home has crawl space, you will have to control the moisture levels down there. Normal humidity should be between 45% and 50%. Anything higher than that and your crawl space will become damp, moldy, and smelly during hot and humid summer months. Wood beams are going to rot and your asthma and allergies get worse. A dehumidifier can be the game-changer, as it will help bring down moisture to acceptable levels and forestall many problems.
Between a standard dehumidifier or an energy efficient dehumidifier, which option is the best and what’s the difference? Read on to find out more.
Conventional Dehumidifier vs. Energy Efficient Dehumidifier
When shopping for a dehumidifier, you’ll have to decide whether you’ll go for an ordinary unit or the energy-efficient model. Let’s look at what differentiates the two.
The first is energy consumption. Energy-efficient dehumidifiers beat non-qualified units with regard to usage. You’ll find yourself spending 10-20% less energy than your neighbors just to keep your home dry and comfortable.
Just like automobiles, where more HP means more noise, normal dehumidifiers are somewhat louder than energy-efficient units as they require more power to run. If you want less noise or better noise control, go for the quieter and safe energy-efficient models.
Hygiene is another differentiator between these two. An energy-efficient unit will make your home less humid and more comfortable than a normal dehumidifier. Your skin will feel less clammy and you won’t have to visit the carpet cleaners every other week, meaning less cleaning costs.
Some homeowners are concerned with the effect of greenhouse gases on the environment. To support conservation efforts, you will want to go with an energy-efficient dehumidifier which reduces environmental damage.
Why Use an Energy Efficient Dehumidifier?
While you have the option of buying any dehumidifier, we strongly recommend an Energy Star certified unit for the following reasons:
- Reduced humidity – Of course, a dehumidifier is designed to draw out moisture and create a comfortable home environment.
- Lower energy usage – An energy-efficient unit helps save energy consumption. In a year, you will save energy that can power an Energy Star certified refrigerator for four months!
- More efficient HVAC unit – Since the dehumidifier removes excess moisture, it enables your HVAC to work more efficiently, reducing energy usage.
- Enhanced indoor air quality – With dust-laden moisture and mold particles out of the atmosphere, you and your loved ones can breathe easy and experience fewer allergies.
- Prevents awful smells – An Energy Star certified unit also reduces smells by controlling the spread of dust and mold spores in the air.
What to Look for in a Dehumidifier?
Just like any home appliance, dehumidifiers have various features. Energy efficiency is, of course, a necessary feature. Equally important are features that make it easy to control humidity and maintain your dehumidifier.
- ENERGY STAR®️ certified – When shopping, look out for the yellow Energy Guide label, which indicates whether the unit is Energy Star certified.
- Humidistat – Look for units with a humidistat, which measures relative humidity and digital controls that let you set your ideal home humidity levels.
- Drainage features – conventional dehumidifiers hold condensed water in tanks or buckets. Get a model with a detachable tank or one that empties water into a drain through a hose.
- A timer – A timer lets you control when the dehumidifier turns on and run and off. As a result, you won’t have to turn the unit on manually.
- Automatic restart – The auto-restart function enables the dehumidifier to turn on in the event of a power outage.
- Detachable air filters – Because of dust build-up, you’ll want a dehumidifier that comes with easy-to-remove filters so you can clean them.
- Antimicrobial disinfectant – A good dehumidifier shouldn’t just remove dust particles from the air but purify the air as well.
- Frost sensors – During cold winter months, frost can build up on the condenser coils, reducing the efficiency of your unit. A frost sensor prompts the dehumidifier to shut off and defrost.
Other things you may want to consider are the air discharge location and whether the dehumidifier can connect to a home hub so you can control your device. Be sure to also check the operating temperature range. A unit that fits the temperature range of your basement means your machine will run smoothly and more efficiently.
If you need help installing a dehumidifier in your DC crawl space, request a free crawl space dehumidifier installation quote and get a durable and energy-efficient unit that will serve you many years.
