The dehumidifier is another device that has been added to our lives, with the main goal of providing a clean and healthy environment, free from unpleasant humidity. The large increase in the cost of heating a home in recent years has forced many people to turn to dehumidifiers to reduce heating costs during the winter months. Such are the conditions that a dehumidifier creates in our space thanks to the elimination of unwanted humidity, which allows us to increase the temperature of the space by 2-3°C and, by extension, to minimize heating costs, ensuring ideal conditions in our space.

Sensation of temperature

The human body perceives the ambient temperature as a combination of temperature and humidity. Especially in the winter months, the high humidity increases the feeling of intense and piercing cold. For example, the atmosphere of a room with a temperature of 23°C and a relative humidity of 80% is much more unpleasant than that of a room with a temperature of 20°C and a relative humidity of 50%. For this reason, with the help of the dehumidifier and the regulation of the humidity at lower levels, you ensure comfortable and pleasant atmospheric conditions, since the ideal temperature in the room has now been reached.

Dehumidifier selection
The choice of a dehumidifier has to do with the percentage of moisture we want to eliminate from our space, in order to improve the conditions inside it. As a unit of measurement of dehumidification, the liters of water that can be absorbed from the air and collected within a twenty-four hour period (lt/24h) have been defined.

The exact calculation of the dehumidifier we need is relatively difficult as it depends on a variety of factors, which is why it cannot be attributed through a specific type of calculation.

Some of these factors are:
The dimensions of our space.

Very often we choose a dehumidifier based on the square footage of the space we want to cover. This can be considered correct if we refer to houses that have a fixed height of 2.8-3 meters. An alternative way of calculation, which can also determine the air supply, is the selection based on the volume of a room. The volume of our space is calculated by multiplying the surface area squared by its height, and the dehumidifier's air supply should be able to sweep air into the space as many times as possible. To make the calculation even more understandable, let's look at the following example:
We have a space with a surface of 60m² and a height of 3m, with a total volume of 180m³. If we choose a dehumidifier with a dehumidification capacity of 20 liters / 24 hours, the air supply amounts to 170 m³/h. This means that in 24 hours the total air supply will be 4080m³/24h, that is, it can sweep the air of our space 4080 / 180 = 22.6 times. If we choose a dehumidifier of 12 liters / 24 hours with an air supply of 120 m³/h for the same space, we will have a scan of the space 16 times. It is recommended to ensure maximum performance with a quick and more economical result, the number of times the air in our space passes through the dehumidifier should not be less than 20 times in a 24-hour period.

The humidity levels in the area that is our space.

For example if the space is near a sea or lake, where humidity levels are high or in an area with a very low percentage of humidity.

The thermal insulation and waterproofing of our space.

If there are concentrated moisture problems in walls or rooms that led you to the immediate purchase of a dehumidifier, it should be ensured through the choice of the device, the immediate and active fight to restore the normal conditions in your space. The temperature that prevails in the spaces we want to dehumidify.

The temperature ranges under which a dehumidifier can operate differ depending on the type of device. As there are two types of dehumidifiers, compressor dehumidifiers and Zeolite (Desiccant Technology) dehumidifiers, you should ensure that they operate within the temperature range specified by the manufacturer.

The frequency of use of the space, as well as the frequency with which it is ventilated.

As a consequence of the above and in order to achieve the best choice of dehumidifier, the following indicative table is recommended with the dehumidifier per square meter of space and the average humidity level at which it is required to operate.

How many liters should the dehumidifier I buy be?
To choose the liters of dehumidifier to buy, we should take into account the following factors:

• The square footage of the space we want to cover
• The insulation our space has and if it presents moisture problems on the walls (e.g. mold etc.)
• The humidity level of the area where the house is located
• The communication between the spaces, as it plays an important role in whether we will choose one or more dehumidifiers

A general rule that we should follow is related to the dehumidifier fan, which can cover at least 4-5 times the air in our space within 8-10 hours of operation.