Do I need a Dehumidifier?

waterman10

My bathroom doesn't have a window and so whenever I have a shower, it gets quite steamy even though I open the window in the room closest, which is my bedroom and the bathroom also has an extractor fan which i always turn on when showering.  I'm thinking of getting a dehumidifier because I'm concerned that the steam could over the long term cause damp, although so far there isn't any.  I just wondered if this is a good idea?

Also, are most dehumidifiers small and light enough to move around?  I'd have to put it in the hall but it would get in the way most of the time so would have to move it into the lounge after each shower.  I know the weight would partly depend on how much water is in it.

tacpot12

If you are confident with electrical work, it would be easier and cheaper to fit your existing fan with a humidistat so that it keeps running until the bathroom is dry. 

victor2

Get the extractor fan changed for one that runs when the lights are switched on and has a timer on it, so that it stays on for say 10 minutes after the lights are turned off. You soon get into the habit of flicking the lights on and off when you go for a shower and they're not neded.

Or, as @tacpot12 says, get a humidistat controlled fan.

If you put a dehumidifer in a bathroom, it will need somewhere to plug in to unless you're going to have it hard wired in. Power points in bathrooms aren't exactly common, as regulations (and common sense) don't allow them.

Grenage

victor2 said:

Power points in bathrooms aren't exactly common, as regulations (and common sense) don't allow them.

They do if your bathroom is big enough.

An extractor with a timer or humidistat should be fine.  You already have an extractor - is it too weak?

You'll always get a bit of steam build up unless you have a monster fan and perfect positioning.

Mutton_Geoff

As others say, improve the ventilation using the existing fan outlet. Is there a clear run to the outside? Not blocked at all? Add a good quality humidistat fan with timer and set a long run on time >10 mins.

Are you in a flat with shared ducting? These can be very poor as others connected to the duct cause a back pressure that prevents yours from exhausting properly. Solution, a faster fan!

Another alternative is a continuous trickle fan (provided the hum won't disturb you at night), these fans run all the time at a very low level then boost when you apply power to the second live terminal (usually from the light circuit). If you've already got an extractor with an overrun/timer, then you'll already have all the wiring at the fan you need to swap it over to one of these.

waterman10

thanks for all the advice.  I'm just going to stick with the extractor fan I've got.  I've been living here a long time and don't have any issues so I'm sure it'll be fine.  Thanks

Sistergold

Dehumidifiers can come on wheels so you can move those around. I find a dehumidifier useful for other things like drying cloths. A 12l one is a good minimum. You can empty the water tank before you move it to reduce the weight if almost full. My bathroom has a window but no extractor fan and during winter I don’t want to open the window so much during a bath and so prefer a dehumidifier. As for moving it about I have two one upstairs in the bathroom (useful for bedrooms too) and one downstairs to dry cloths (and useful for lounges, kitchen and downstairs shower room) etc. 
In general I feel it’s good to have a dehumidifier and set a chosen humidity for the house.