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bender

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« on: July 01, 2016, 06:38:01 PM »
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« Last Edit: March 30, 2018, 08:06:56 AM by bender »

big_owl

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2016, 07:07:24 PM »
Mine uses a jigawatt.  It's real old though...

h82goslw

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2016, 09:22:38 AM »
Dehumidifiers are a total waste of energy and just recirculate humidity.  Go with a product like a Humidex or Wave (I am not affiliated with either) or,to be even more Mustachian, you could easily fabricate a similar type of air circulation system to remove excess humidity in your basement and in the rest of the house.

Milizard

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2016, 09:49:30 AM »
Dehumidifiers are a total waste of energy and just recirculate humidity.  Go with a product like a Humidex or Wave (I am not affiliated with either) or,to be even more Mustachian, you could easily fabricate a similar type of air circulation system to remove excess humidity in your basement and in the rest of the house.

I suppose the full buckets of water I get out of it are just a figment of my imagination. :-\

h82goslw

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2016, 10:01:03 AM »
I should've clarified how they are a waste.....when you run a hose from the bucket to a French drain, it's a waste of energy as you're just recirculating water.  There are far more efficient ways to reduce basement/household humidity such as the aforementioned units, applying some type of vapor block to walls and/or ensuring that any rainfall does not accumulate around your foundation by using gutters or landscaping. Merely filling up buckets of water does not equate to efficiency. 👍

h82goslw

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2016, 10:03:17 AM »
One more thing.....every basement I've ever been in with a running dehumidifier still smelled musty....meaning that there is still excess humidity, thus not able to correct the problem.

Milizard

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2016, 10:13:32 AM »
One more thing.....every basement I've ever been in with a running dehumidifier still smelled musty....meaning that there is still excess humidity, thus not able to correct the problem.

It stops running when it reaches the desired humidity level.  So, if it's running, it would necessarily mean the humidity it still too high.

wienerdog

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2016, 12:07:19 PM »
Back to the original question.  I put my portable meter on mine today.  It is a Chinese energy star rated 30 pints/day and the tag on the back said 310 watts input.  I measured it at 297 watts in "Turbo" mode (higher fan speed).  When it cycles off the blower stays running and it uses about 50 watts in Turbo and 42 watts in normal.

h82goslw

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2016, 12:14:43 PM »
Bender.....on that same webpage there's many positive postings about Humidex.  May be worth your time at least investigating the option. 

I have one in my house and love it.  Never had an issue and it takes very little energy to run and no buckets to empty. 

wienerdog

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2016, 12:17:18 PM »
I have one in my house and love it.  Never had an issue and it takes very little energy to run and no buckets to empty.

Just wondering what your location is?  I might try one as I am sure it would work in the winter but we have high humidity summer and I am not sure pulling humid make up air inside would work.

h82goslw

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2016, 12:33:34 PM »
Unit must be placed in basement at the farthest point away from the stairs that lead to first floor.  It draws air from the upper floors and down into basement, across basement floor and then vents out the side of house. This helps control humidity throughout the house, not just in basement.   Size of unit is predicated on size of basement.  Humidex brand and Wave are different companies but the same concept so look into both.  As I said earlier, if you're handy you could build a unit like this pretty easily and save a lot of money.  Hope this helps. 

BTDretire

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2016, 12:43:45 PM »
Dehumidifiers are a total waste of energy and just recirculate humidity.  Go with a product like a Humidex or Wave (I am not affiliated with either) or,to be even more Mustachian, you could easily fabricate a similar type of air circulation system to remove excess humidity in your basement and in the rest of the house.

I suppose the full buckets of water I get out of it are just a figment of my imagination. :-\
Nope, it's real water that was taken out of the air. And it feels so much more comfortable!
Several years ago, I run a dehumidifier and dropped the humidity down to the low 40's% level.
With that I could raise the temperature 4* to 5* F and still feel very comfortable.
The problem was, the dehumidifier produced heat, so that area around it got warm.
We put in a new furnace and air conditioner and it was better at removing humidity, so no longer
make use of the dehumidifier. Plus, we got a recall notice on the dehimidifier it was a fire hazard.
We got $75 back by sending in the cut power cord. ( not enough)

geekette

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2016, 12:48:47 PM »
So that air that's vented outside has to be replaced somehow.  Around here, it would be replaced by warmer, more humid air from the outside.  Makes no sense unless you live in a dry environment.

From what I understand, a dehumidifier is basically an air conditioner with a heater attached.  I'd rather just run the a/c cooler when it's humid since the only time we have annoyingly high humidity here is when it's hot as well.

wienerdog

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2016, 01:27:06 PM »
So that air that's vented outside has to be replaced somehow.  Around here, it would be replaced by warmer, more humid air from the outside.  Makes no sense unless you live in a dry environment.

I agree right now outside humidity is 91% percent.  My first floor humidity is 62% and my basement is 58%.  Dehumidifier set at 60% so the compressor is cycling on and off.  If you suck air our of the house it has to be replaced somewhere and all the small leaks in the house are going to allow 91% humidity to come in right now.  I don't need AC that much but the basement gets damp enough to grow mold and stuff if I don't dehumidify in the summer.  If I run the central AC it drops the humidity enough to keep the dehumidifier off. 

Dual stage central AC units running in stage 1 can make a huge difference in humidity.  Low humidity definitely makes a difference in how hot you feel.  In my old house I had central air but it was somewhat oversized so it short cycled.  I found I could put a 5000 btu window AC in that ran much longer run times to keep temperature and in return also dropped the humidity of the house a bunch making hotter temperatures feel much more comfortable.  Turn a ceiling fan on then it would almost make you cover up.   

frugalnacho

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2016, 02:40:07 PM »
Mine uses a jigawatt.  It's real old though...



Dehumidifiers are a total waste of energy and just recirculate humidity.  Go with a product like a Humidex or Wave (I am not affiliated with either) or,to be even more Mustachian, you could easily fabricate a similar type of air circulation system to remove excess humidity in your basement and in the rest of the house.

Are you sure you know what a dehumidifier is? 

I put the hose attachment on mine and fed it into the drain so I don't have to empty the bucket every day.  So nice to have it automated.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2016, 09:49:17 AM by frugalnacho »

BudgetSlasher

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2016, 06:32:23 PM »
You are looking at it wrong; just because the unit draws that high when in operation does not mean it is inefficient. For all the information you provide it could be very efficient and be removing lots of water per watt consumed, whereas a smaller unit may use less watts when in operation but run for a longer period. To do a real comparison you need to provide (and receive) the capacity of the unit (I think rated in pints per day).

A kill-a-watt can (if you have one or can borrow one) can be plugged in and left for a day or two; at that time it can provide a more accurate estimate of the power consumption over a day-month-year (based on the average use over the time it was connected. At least around here the system shuts down around November when the rain stops and the ground starts to freeze and doesn't start operating again until May, so the year will be off. Even this consumption would be impacted size of the area being dehumidified and the amount of water intrusion.

There are energy star ratings for dehumidifiers, you might wish to start there.

Also if the dehumidifier is located in a basement make sure you get a unit that is designed for the cooler temperatures in the basement.

If I remember after the holiday passes and guests leave I will try and locate the kill-a-watt and take some numbers off our 70-pint fridgidaire in the basement . . . no promises I will remember though.

Gholden

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2016, 08:19:13 AM »
Mine uses a jigawatt.  It's real old though...

Great Scott!

kozz1984

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #17 on: July 04, 2016, 08:24:21 AM »
Remember there is a point between being frugal and a cheap skate.

There is also such a thing as diminishing returns and I think this is wayyy past said point.

big_owl

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2016, 09:52:26 AM »
Mine uses a jigawatt.  It's real old though...

Great Scott!

I made a few mods to her myself - changed out the Chinese capacitors with something a bit more...unconventional. 

Seriously though, I run one in my basement during June-Aug and it makes a world of difference.  They work.

Guses

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2016, 11:15:06 AM »
Remember there is a point between being frugal and a cheap skate.

There is also such a thing as diminishing returns and I think this is wayyy past said point.

Soooo... One should not pay attention to the power rating of the dehumidifier? What about other devices? Is it ok to check a car's MPG or is this also being a cheap skate? *rolleyes*

I measure the power consumption of most of the devices in my home. Not because I am cheap, but because I want to consume consciously. If you think this is being cheap, whelp, maybe this is not the community for you....

 

justajane

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2016, 11:31:28 AM »
I've read that, unless you have a serious water issue, you can accomplish what you need to by only running the dehumidifier for a couple hours a day instead of continuously. Yes, you have to remember to turn it off, but this will help you save money.

frugalnacho

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #21 on: July 04, 2016, 11:34:51 AM »
I've read that, unless you have a serious water issue, you can accomplish what you need to by only running the dehumidifier for a couple hours a day instead of continuously. Yes, you have to remember to turn it off, but this will help you save money.

I thought most of them came with a humidistat?  I can set mine anywhere from 30-70% in increments of 5 and it will cycle on and off as necessary to maintain the setting.

GuitarStv

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #22 on: July 04, 2016, 11:48:33 AM »
Dehumidifiers work very well, and they do make temperatures indoor much more bearable.  26 degrees (79 F) is comfortable at 30% humidity, but getting close to miserable at 100%.

I've always wondered though if it makes more sense to run a dehumidifier (which tends to put off extra heat), or to run whole house A/C (which will also pull some of the humidity out of your home).

justajane

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2016, 02:00:07 PM »
I've read that, unless you have a serious water issue, you can accomplish what you need to by only running the dehumidifier for a couple hours a day instead of continuously. Yes, you have to remember to turn it off, but this will help you save money.

I thought most of them came with a humidistat?  I can set mine anywhere from 30-70% in increments of 5 and it will cycle on and off as necessary to maintain the setting.

Probably. Wouldn't the cycling on and off use a lot of electricity though? If they work at all like A/Cs (and I believe they do), the less they cycle on, the better, so it would make more sense to run it continuously for 2-3 hours per day and turn it off in the mean time.

But I'm no expert.

big_owl

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2016, 02:08:54 PM »
I've read that, unless you have a serious water issue, you can accomplish what you need to by only running the dehumidifier for a couple hours a day instead of continuously. Yes, you have to remember to turn it off, but this will help you save money.

I thought most of them came with a humidistat?  I can set mine anywhere from 30-70% in increments of 5 and it will cycle on and off as necessary to maintain the setting.

Probably. Wouldn't the cycling on and off use a lot of electricity though? If they work at all like A/Cs (and I believe they do), the less they cycle on, the better, so it would make more sense to run it continuously for 2-3 hours per day and turn it off in the mean time.

But I'm no expert.

That's not true.  Cycling on and off saves energy and wear in the compressor. 

ETA - there is a hysteresis in the controls so they aren't constantly cycling on and off, if that's what you are referring to.  Exactly the same as your house thermostat. 
« Last Edit: July 04, 2016, 02:10:51 PM by big_owl »

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #25 on: July 04, 2016, 02:48:01 PM »
I've read that, unless you have a serious water issue, you can accomplish what you need to by only running the dehumidifier for a couple hours a day instead of continuously. Yes, you have to remember to turn it off, but this will help you save money.

I thought most of them came with a humidistat?  I can set mine anywhere from 30-70% in increments of 5 and it will cycle on and off as necessary to maintain the setting.

I wonder about the accuracy of the humidistat in my dehumidifier.  I keep it set at 60% and it cycles on and off a lot.  If I set it anywhere below 60% it will run continuously.  It doesn't feel or smell particularly humid in the room (a finished walk-out basement that does not have any leaks).  If I turn it on after it having been turned off for a while, it will register the ambient humidity somewhere in the high 70s or low 80s, and then quickly drop to the low 60s in just a minute or two.  No way is it that wet in the house, and no way is it reducing the humidity by 20% in that short of a time.

So, I'm thinking that if you have a cheap dehumidifier like mine, it's probably best to ignore the actual numbers and just use a setting that allows it to cycle on and off at a reasonable frequency.

paddedhat

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #26 on: July 04, 2016, 04:06:50 PM »
Unit must be placed in basement at the farthest point away from the stairs that lead to first floor.  It draws air from the upper floors and down into basement, across basement floor and then vents out the side of house. This helps control humidity throughout the house, not just in basement.   Size of unit is predicated on size of basement.  Humidex brand and Wave are different companies but the same concept so look into both.  As I said earlier, if you're handy you could build a unit like this pretty easily and save a lot of money.  Hope this helps.

As a builder, I have built dozens of sealed, conditioned crawl spaces that typically have a lower Radon level than the surrounding environment, have zero mold or mildew issues, are warm year round in a relatively cold climate, and are as dry as a ghost fart.  These buildings have poured concrete foundation walls, a thin concrete floor over plastic sheeting and crushed stone, and spray foam applied to the side walls, from the concrete floor, up the wall and covering about a foot of the wooden sub-floor.  They also have a large dehumidifier, running  12 hours a day, on a timer, and draining to the stone below the floor. Finally, they have a remote read temp/humidity sensor to monitor conditions from the interior of the dwelling. My crawl spaces operate at less than 50% humidity and greater than 50*F temps. year round, with no supplemental heat. As for the humidifiers, they seem to cost about $12 a month to operate in my area. The only downside is that they are typically Chinese crap, and getting one to last more than three years is tough. 

Your description of how you operate your "Humidex" system has several technical flaws, and potential life safety issues, and honestly, if I bought a home with anything like it, in operation, The very first thing I would do would be to pull the plug on that mess.  First, there is a GIANT fire safety issue involved in this idea. Lets say you have a fire in the kitchen (typically located at the top of the basement steps) instead of the fire  being contained to the room, you have negative pressure created at the basement door and you are essentially sucking the fire into the basement area. Would you prefer a controllable kitchen fire, or a structural collapse, and  potential fatalities, as the entire first floor structure is burned from below?  Second, since you have created a negative pressure atmosphere in the basement, you are not only pulling conditioned air from the structure above, but you may be pulling a vacuum on the sub-slab and any cracks in the foundation walls. This could be a great technique to really crank up Radon readings in a Radon prone region. Finally, you are spending the money  to condition (heat, cool and dehumidify) air to make your home comfortable, and then pumping large volumes of this air out of the home, in an attempt to dehumidify the basement..............................Sorry, but this concept is a fail-fest, for so many reasons. 

lsl129

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Re: Power consumption of dehumidifier?
« Reply #27 on: July 05, 2016, 04:09:29 PM »
I got a new energy star rated dehumidifier in 2013. I just checked my portable meter and in 15 days it has used about 150 kWh. It adds about $40 to the electric bill in the summer months but I consider it to be worth it. This model is rated for 70 pints/day.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!