How to address my humidity issues

ian1246

Aloysius1972 said:

I assume all of the suggestions about dehumidifiers being much less expensive to dry laundry are not comparing with heat pump tumble dryers than can complete a cycle with about 1.5kw or less of electricity use? 

I suspect for us the dehumidifier would work out being the same cost or a little more as we don’t have a ‘small sealed room’ (that’s right WIAWSNB, sealed) that would allow it to work most efficiently. Add to that the value or otherwise of not having racks of washing all over the place.

I just looked my one up now:

https://www.meaco.com/products/meacodryarete1-12l?variant=54961868276099

151 watts an hour energy usage - so for 1.5 kilowatts use it would need to be on continuously for 10hours. Except it has humidity controls which switch it on & off as well as placing it on a lower fan setting when you come within 15 humidity of your targetted amount (i.e. humidity set to 45, once its below 60 humidity it automatically goes onto uts lower fan speed / reduced energy use), so in reality it would need to be on for significantly longer than 10hours - probably closer to 20 hours, by which point any clothing will be long since bone dry.

For it to run continuously for 10hrs, you'd probably need 2 large washes worth of clothes depositing moisture into the air - which for the equivilant would need 2 tumble dries using 3kilowatts of energy. Even with 2 lots of washing I suspect it would go on & off for the last couple of hours due to humidity levels dropping below set amounts.

I'd also invite you to find *any* person who has a "sealed room" for drying clothes in with a dehumidifier. Just shut the door and ensure the windows closed, job done.