Running a dehumidifier

Sarahsaver

Mine is in my cellar and it is on all the time, but of course if the humidity is below a certain level it turns off. You can have a range of settings on mine and mines on the middle of the dial at the moment. I am doing this bcos I found mould on furnishings last winter in the room above the cellar, and it has been eradicated. Now using it to regulate the humidity in the cellar so i can build a wine cellar

Smiley_Mum

Got a £10 voucher enclosed for accessories also, yet to see what I can spend that on. I think it would probably go towards an extended warranty which covers accidental damage too but my home insurance would cover that. I wouldn't bother with the extended warranty, or should I? I'll have to have a good read of the brochure later. I shouldn't be on here, need to go out but it's a thought to leave the house, it's cold and wet outside and it's cosy warm inside. BRRRRR

Bossyboots

Ours is left on 24/7 but like others have mentioned it has a setting dial so after a bit of experimentation with the settings, it is now left on what we find the most efficient and it kicks in when it needs to. We found that after a while the noise just became part of the background and it doesn't bother us. As has also been mentioned, they are great when drying washing indoors.

WE have had ours years now and it has always been fine (will probably break down now I've put that).

Smiley_Mum

I see that the literature they've enclosed has a drying tent that you can place over your clothes airer and it can be used with any Ebac dehumifier. Anyone got one of these. Just wondered if they were any use? Oh I'm soo impatient, can't wait to get the thing set up and running. Then I can get some more ironing done with the SG. :-)

Smiley_Mum

How long does it have to run before it collects anything? I've been running it now for a fair old while, at least a few hours and it hasn't collected anything yet and the kids have been bathed etc, have it by the door of the bathroom etc and it doesn't seem to be collecting anything. Anyone got an Ebac 2400e? Just wondering how long it would have to run, it's going full tilt and it's not taken a smidgen of water in at all.

It's now run continuously throughout the night and although there is no condensation on the windows etc, when there usually is, there is not a drop of water in the tank. Does anyone know what might be wrong, or whether this dehumidifier is working ok or have they sold me a lemon. Any info/help appreciated. I did let it stand for two hours etc before use and the house isn't overly warm, although it is difficult to not having it stand too close to a heater as I have such a small flat. Heater in hallway isn't on and it's a few feet away from bedroom ones which are on. I hope I don't need to send this back and can get the problem resolved. :-(

mrutty

It depends how damp your flat is but remeber that the unit stores quite a lot of water on the condensers in the upper part of the unit.

As for the tent, don't get it. Get a really large airer that will fit over the unit (or very close to it), hang you washing on said airer with the fan outout pointing into the wet washing and drap a wet sheet over the whole lot (making sure that the inlet vent can breath a bit).

Edinburghlass_2

Smiley_Mum there is a thread here that gives a costing for running one but probably more info regarding running costs for electricity will be in the Utilities board. I seldom venture there as sadly with no town gas there isn't much I can do about reducing my electric bills apart from switching everything off

Another thread here about finding out the causes of the condensation which does say that with a dehumidifier you should be finding 2 litres of water a day?

Perhaps ask in the In My Home (DIY) Board for the resident experts advice though I have to say that as its New Year's Eve, one of them, robowen, might well be busy

Smiley_Mum

The flat isn't wringing damp or anything, it has sucked up the condensation that is normally on the windows in the mornings etc. Got it really to dry out the bathroom as that has no ventilation bar a piddling little fan which isn't much use at all. Also for when I use steam generator, and also for cooking in the kitchen etc. I have had it running all night and there is nothing at all in the water collection tank, so where is the moisture going. The flat does seem warmer, and the bathroom isn't as freezing as it normally is so it must be doing something, just wondering where the moisture is going as it must be pulling in something, just nothing in the tanks. Any info appreciated. Got the number for EDL customer services, 0870 one unfortunately, way to check out another. I had a look on Google about dehumidifiers and people who said they weren't going well, just said something about compressor not working or something, I don't know whether it is or not. Never had one so don't know, the fans are definitely working and the humidstat is set high etc. Just a pain if it isn't working as it should be considering what I paid for it. Any info very much appreciated on this matter, thanks.

Bossyboots

Okay, my technical savvy is not always that good but I think that it converts what of the water it can to heat and blows it out the front as warm air. The rest is condensed into the water tank. So if I have understood that correctly, the small amounts of water you are producing are converting to heat and there is none left to condense into water into the tank.

That is how the washing would dry (I put a rack in front of my dehumidfier with anything I want urgently right lowest down so it dries overnight) by having warm air blown onto it and why your bathroom feels warmer.

If you wanted to test it, next time someone has a bath leave the bath full of water overnight or hang some washing to dry and you should then produce more moisture than the machine can convert to heat and see the results in your water tank.


Edit: I just looked it up and that is how it works. Here is a page I found http://www.calorex.com/company/indus02a.htm. I found the flow chart picture more helpful than the written description.

Smiley_Mum

Thanks for all that info Bossyboots, appreciate it. :-)

I don't think it is malfunctioning as it is doing something. No condensation on windows, bathroom warmer etc so it must be working. I did feel some moisture on the grilles yesterday as I moved it around a little bit so it must be taking moisture in. It's working flat out and has been like that since yesterday when I fired it up at 6pm.

I'll give the bath test a run tonight. I'm not a drinker so when everyone is singing Auld Lang Syne I'll be testing the dehumidifier. Sad I know, I'll be toddling about here on my own, kids in bed. I like a quiet life. :-)

Perhaps when I have the steam generator running again that will give it a good test run as that causes a lot of condensation.

Thanks for all the tips and info, really, really appreciate it. Worried I'd got a lemon, but it does appear not to be the case as it's does seem to be doing something.

Thanks everyone, you're brilliant.