1. What are the benefits of dehumidifying?
Dehumidifiers lower the relative humidity of the air in the area around them. This is required in a number of situations to reduce the amount of water in the air. Reducing water content of the air reduces the ability for mold and fungus to grow, and also reduces the expansion and warping of the wood in furniture. In high humidity areas such as the South-Eastern United States, these problems can quickly run out of control during the summer. Using a dehumidifier indoors in environments such as these helps retard the growth of microbes and warping due to excess moisture.
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2. What does humidity have to do with my furniture?
When the relative humidity of the air increases the amount of water it is holding increases drastically. With more moisture in the air, your furniture can absorb more through the cracks and joints between the finish. In severe cases of absorption the wood takes in so much water that it begins to swell and expand. As it does so, the pieces that fit together so well before begin to push apart from each other and begin to force nails and screws from their positions. Heavy use of the furniture when it has expanded also furthers the problem. Dehumidifiers remove the moisture from a closed room that causes this expansion and helps to eliminate these problems in high humidity areas.
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3. A toxic mold specialist quoted me a lot of money to remove the mold problem in my walls, can I buy a dehumidifier instead?
Not really. While a dehumidifier helps to dry the air (and therefore helps to dry the objects, including drywall, in the room) and in doing so help to reduce mold growth, previous growths of mold will more than likely see little to no reduction in size with dehumidifiers. Most mold requires moisture to germinate and to continue growing, but once it is established it begins to store moisture within itself to survive. Also, if the environment begins to dry out the mold will begin to form cyst-like structures that are viable to re-germinate for years after the original infection is dried out. For established mold growths we suggest seeing a specialist about having it removed and then purchasing a dehumidifier and/or air purifier to help reduce the chances of the mold returning.
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4. What maintenance do I have to do for a dehumidifier?
The bulk of the maintenance for dehumidifiers is emptying the tank as they fill through normal usage. Some units have alarms on them to warn you when they are full. All units will stop operation when the water tank can no longer hold more water. A few units have hose drains that automatically drip the water out so no draining is needed. Beyond draining, the tanks should be washed occasionally to prevent bacterial growth and should never be stored with water remaining in the tank.
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5. How do dehumidifiers work?
Most dehumidifiers work in a fashion similar to air-conditioners. The cold coil in the dehumidifier collects the water just like a cold glass of lemonade collects water on a hot day, then the water is dripped into a collection tank. After being cooled and dried by the cold coil, the air is reheated to its original temperature by the warm coil in the system. This results in drier air coming out about the same temperature as when it entered the machine.
Other dehumidifiers work on a principle similar to a sponge. A plate of crystals slowly absorbs water from the air, then when the crystals are full they are heated (in another location, not where you are dehumidifying) to push the water out of the crystals.
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