A dehumidifier is designed to extract water from humid air. The water is removed to a condensate bucket, gravity drained out through a drain or pumped outdoors using a condensate pump. So, how much water should a dehumidifier collect in a day?
A portable dehumidifier can remove up to 30 liters of water from the air in a day, with larger units capable of removing up to 50 liters daily. This amount varies depending on humidity, temperature levels and other factors, but it is usually around 20-30% relative humidity indoors under average conditions.
It should be noted that this does not mean you will get at least 20 or 30 liter out of your machine; if the room’s humidity level is lower than 40%, for example, then it might collect less than expected (or none). In this post, I will discuss how humidity, temperature and other factors affect dehumidifier performance. So, continue reading.
What Determines How Much Water A Dehumidifier Will Collect In A Day?
A dehumidifier works by passing air through its internal components specially designed to extract the water contained in it. This is what makes them so efficient at stopping mold and other typical household moisture-related problems. They’re not just for making your life more comfortable but can also help save you money on energy bills if used correctly (and often).
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The amount of water a dehumidifier will collect on any given day depends on many factors, so it’s impossible to say precisely how much water it will collect.
In general, if you have ample space or live in an area where the humidity is low, to begin with (around 50% for most climates), expect your dehumidifier’s water collection rate to be relatively high — about 30-40 pints per day without too much difficulty.
If it’s difficult to control humidity within the room itself (let alone outside of it), however, plan on seeing results closer to half that amount or less until things improve. Some of the most critical factors are:
1) Amount of Moisture in the air
This measures how much water the air contains, which will vary depending on weather conditions and other factors. For example, if humidity levels are high, then you’ll get more condensation forming inside your house. If moisture in the air is lower than average (such as over an extended period during winter), less water will be needed to make up for it.
The higher the moisture level in the room or building where your dehumidifier works, the faster it will collect water from that space. That means having well-sealed windows and doors helps a lot because opening them lets humid outdoor air into a room before passing through a unit can remove any excess moisture from it.
When using multiple units simultaneously, this is important because if one machine collects a lot of water before it can be emptied, the other unit will have to work harder and might not empty entirely for several days.
A higher level of moisture in the room or building also means that you’ll need less power from your dehumidifier, so they tend to use more electricity when there isn’t much humidity around (which is better for your bill and saves energy).
This doesn’t mean they won’t remove any extra moisture. Still, sometimes high levels make them go slower/softer than usual, which reduces their output capacity somewhat compared with what would happen under ideal conditions.
The less humid your home or other space is, to begin with, the more likely you are to see results faster than if you were trying to clear out a heavily-moisturized room.
2) Type of Dehumidifier You Have
The size and type of dehumidifier you have will affect how quickly it can collect water. Smaller units with smaller tanks should fill up faster than larger, powerful ones. They use less power, but the amount of electricity needed to remove moisture from the air is proportional to its total capacity. So a small unit that does not extract as much humidity as one that’s twice as big won’t need more energy for this task.
The other major factor affecting how fast your machine fills up is what its drainage ports are like. If there aren’t any holes in the back or side, make sure you keep them clear and avoid using harsh chemicals since these might block them and cause problems later. If the manufacturer doesn’t specify having any holes in the tank, it probably doesn’t, and you should use a dehumidifier with drain valves instead.
It can be better to have two smaller units than one larger model because they will fill up at about the same rate. That means that when your first unit is full (or nearly so), you won’t need to move it around very much before emptying its contents, which speeds things up for each machine.
Using multiple machines also prevents them from working against each other by sucking away moisture faster than either of them would manage on their own. It means even though there might be less water removed overall, all of it gets extracted more quickly since none remains trapped inside, where it can cause damage over time.
3) Size of the Room or Space
The size and type of room you have will affect how quickly a dehumidifier works because larger spaces tend to be drier than smaller ones due to having more air that gets moved around by fans, heating systems, etc.
That means that they produce less humidity since dry air cannot hold as much moisture as a moist warm one. This is why it’s common for people living in houses with huge rooms such as churches or gymnasiums (for example) to use multiple units at once.
Since each machine collects water faster when there isn’t much space to cover, these can work together efficiently but independently.
4) Dehumidifier Capacity
Dehumidifiers typically come with pints per day marked out by default—for reference. A 20-pint dehumidifier will collect 20 pints of water per day in a space with 50% relative humidity.
If you want to figure out how much your dehumidifier will collect, check the product specifications and look for ‘pints/day’ or ‘liters/day’ (metric-based). You can use this number as a benchmark when comparing one model against another.
If two machines have different capacities but are equally effective at removing moisture from the air, they should perform on par with each other. This isn’t always true since efficiency varies among individual units depending on age, condition etc.
However, you can use this information to make an educated guess about which machine might work best for your needs.
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5) Temperature
One more factor that can influence how quickly a dehumidifier will fill up: the temperature of your home or other space. Dehumidifiers work best with higher temperatures because cooler condenser coils tend to block their draining systems more frequently.
If you live in a colder climate where indoor heating tends to keep things warm inside during winter months, then expect limited results with a unit that works on low temperatures.
That means, the warmer it is, the less moisture there tends to be in the air — and while this may not seem like much on its own, lower temperatures also slow down how fast devices such as these work.
If you want them to get rid of excess humidity faster than usual, try setting their thermostats higher (if possible) when they’re turned on. Similarly, opt for colder rather than hotter days if you need to use them during seasons where your house gets heated by sunlight most often.
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How Quickly Should a Dehumidifier Fill Up?
A dehumidifier that fills up quickly is not necessarily better than one which takes its time. If it fills too quickly, you might end up with room humidity levels above the ideal range for your house or building at any given moment. A slower-filling dehumidifier will mean less frequent emptying and more efficient operation (because it doesn’t have to work as hard).
If a dehumidifier is running but still taking forever to fill, there could be something wrong with it. It should take about 24 hours for an average-sized unit to drain completely if full power mode was selected when turned on; if it doesn’t, this suggests either problem with the drainage hose ports or pump assembly.
A dehumidifier that fills up quickly will work better for you if it doesn’t regularly run out of water before it is emptied. You might want to consider having two units or look into buying one with a bigger tank capacity (a larger unit) which takes longer to fill. These are often called “continuous-mode” machines because they don’t need regular manual draining, though this isn’t always the case.
Related Questions
How Long Should You Run a Dehumidifier? (Safely)
You should run a dehumidifier for at least 12 hours. If you are using an air conditioner, it’s best to leave the fan on continuously during that time frame. If the humidity is not too high, then you can run them for shorter periods. Just be sure to monitor relative humidity levels in your space.
