A dehumidifier is an essential device to have in your home if you live in or near an area where the humidity level is high. Regardless of weather temperature, you need to dump it often to get the most out of your unit. For this, you need to look at the efficiency of the unit; how quickly should a dehumidifier fill up?
Nowadays, the use of dehumidifiers has become common in warm as well as high humidity areas. It reduces the humidity level making the air livable as well as unfavorable to health-hazardous compounds like allergens, viruses, and bacteria.
If your dehumidifier turns off again and again, you need to keep a check on the bucket. This article will tell you about the conditions in which the bucket fills up fast.
How Quickly Should a Dehumidifier fill up?
It somehow is affected by the fan speed that you set depending upon the need. Initially, a dehumidifier takes up to 12 hours to show results and as it works slowly, the bucket will also fill up steadily. However, modern units come with different fan speeds that you can set according to your need.
When you set the fan speed to high, the bucket will fill up quickly, however at low speed, it will take longer to fill up. On average, a dehumidifier takes between 6 to 7 hours to fill up. Once the bucket is full, it will automatically shut off, and the humidity level will increase again.
Other than that, here are some factors that also play their part in filling up your dehumidifier fast.
Factors that Contribute to the fast fillup Time for a Dehumidifier
There is no specific or estimated time for how quickly should a dehumidifier fill up however, there are many factors that internally and externally influence the filling up time. Else, the size and the bucket also matter. Since we are discussing the factors, Here are a few that primarily affect the time.
The target humidity level
If you set the average humidity level, the bucket will take an average time to fill up. The recommended and comfortable humidity level for a room is around 40 and 55%.
However, if you set the low humidity level like 25%, the dehumidifier will consume more energy to work harder. Similarly, it will take more time to reach the set target, and the bucket will fill up faster.
On the other hand, if the humidity level is set at 55% or more, the device will not work harder. Moreover, it will consume less time in order to dehumidify the room, and the bucket will fill up slower.
Initial dampness level
The humidity level in your house or room is one of the significant factors that affect how quickly the bucket fills. If the room is poorly ventilated, the humidity level will be high.
Similarly, the dehumidifier will have to work harder to collect more water from the air. It will take more time to reach the goal, but the bucket will fill up faster.
Conversely, if the room is well ventilated, the humidity level will be considerably low. Then, the dehumidifier will not work harder, and it will reach the goal in a short period of time. However, the bucket will take a long time to fill.
Size and capacity of the dehumidifier
Room size can drastically alter the filling time of a bucket. A large room with fewer people in it will take less time to reduce the dampness level. Similarly, the bucket will fill up steadily. On the other hand, a small room with many people is likely to have a high humidity level.
Likewise, it will take more time to collect water from the air, maintain the air quality and make it breathable and the bucket will fill up fast.
Moreover, it also depends on the capacity of the dehumidifier. For instance, how large the drain bucket a unit features. If it has a large capacity, you do not need to check every second hour.
Positioning
Positioning of the dehumidifier at the right place is essential to keep in mind while answering, “How quickly should a dehumidifier fill up?” To get the best result, place it in the middle of the room.
However, sometimes, it becomes difficult to place it here, so make sure to put it in an open area. When placed in an open space, it will filter more air, and the bucket will fill up fast.
You may feel tempted to place it on the wall or hang it somewhere, but actually, you are doing no favor to yourself. It will not dehumidify, so the bucket will not fill up in a couple of days.
Temperature
At high temperatures, the humidity level is usually high because high temperature evaporates the water which resides in the air, increasing dampness. So, when the temperature is high, the drain bucket will fill more quickly.
Nevertheless, when the temperature is low, generally in winters, the humidity level will be low, and the bucket will take more time to fill up. Despite whatever it is, you need to dump the bucket daily because the water can cause fungus and flourish other harmful bacteria as well.
FAQs
How Quickly Should a Dehumidifier Fills Up?
While getting the dehumidifier, make sure to check how much water should a dehumidifier collect in a day? Initially, the unit will take some time to start working, so you have to wait for the RH (relative humidity) in the air. This is because the device assesses the humidity level per sq. ft, the surface area and relative humidity at that time.
It also varies depending upon the size of the unit and the company as many of them make a dehumidifier that is capable of catching around 10 to 20 liters a day. Commonly, a dehumidifier takes 6 to 8 hours to fill the water tank.
This size of the tank is fine to collect the humidity from the medium-sized room, however, putting small dehumidifiers in a large room is not recommended.
How Long Does a Dehumidifier Last?
On average, a dehumidifier life varies from 5 years to 10 years, however, some factors like the usage as well as how the unit has been maintained. To maintain the health of your dehumidifier, here are some steps through which you can make it long-lasting.
- Changing the filters when required.
- Keep the condensing coil of the unit clean
- Cleaning the exhaust regularly
- Cleaning the water tank and emptying it on time
The expensive units have an extended warranty but, you can go for the mid-range units and maintain it regularly in order to make them durable.
How Long Should I Run a dehumidifier?
It solely depends upon the area you are living in, in simpler words, the level of humidity in your home. In some areas, you have to run the air dehumidifier all the time with two conditions. You can either run a dehumidifier for 12 hours straight or twice a day for 6 hours with intervals.
Usually, following both ways ends up catching the same amount of moisture by reducing it to 50 to 55%. Make sure the unit capacity is mentioned at 12 hours clearly on the device.
How Long Does it Take for a Dehumidifier to Start Working?
As there are different sizes of the dehumidifiers, the working of it varies somehow depending upon it. Certain factors like humidity level, size, and power contribute to the efficiency of a unit. If you find out that the work is slow, there is no need to worry about it because a dehumidifier begins to work gradually.
Why is the Dehumidifier filling so fast?
It is not necessary that the dehumidifier must fill up or contain the same amount of water, however, if you feel like it is filling up fast, there might be some reason behind it. The location and dampness in the air are the possible reasons for the fast fill-up. It overburdens the device. In case the dehumidifier is large and connected with multiple rooms, it will fill up real fast especially if it collects from the laundry room, kitchen, dryer, etc.
What is the Best time of the day to use a dehumidifier?
To get the most out of your dehumidifier, it is important to know what is the best time of the day to use it. This is a common concern in order to cut the cost of electricity bills as much as possible.
The right recommended time for the dehumidifier is at night between 10 pm and 7 am. This is the time when the electricity rates are low or you can also run your dehumidifier with small intervals of 4 hours a day and night time.
How Big a Dehumidifier Should I Buy?
A dehumidifier is available in different size ranges and features. The size is determined by the requirement against the humidity level, dampness capacity and room size. This will also help you to narrow down your decision on which one to get, whether a portable one or the whole house unit.
What Happens if a Dehumidifier Runs Non-Stop?
Indeed it is obvious to use a dehumidifier for a long time in a more humid atmosphere. That is why in some areas, it is necessary to run it non stop in many areas as required. Working for a long time also impacts the effectiveness of the unit so you have to keep it at your watch.
The unit with the modern technology has a humidistat in it that tracks the level of humidity in the area and works accordingly. Such dehumidifiers turn off themselves when the air becomes dry.
If a dehumidifier runs constantly, you might get used to the noise that it produces and also, it will cost you a lot for electric bills.
Why Don’t My Dehumidifier Shut Off?
If you are facing that your unit is not shutting off even when the tank is full then, this is the indication for a problem in the unit. To get through it, disconnect the dehumidifier from the power supply and turn it back after 30 seconds and empty the container as well. In case it is still not working, it is recommended to consult the company or the professional.
How Often to Run a Dehumidifier in Basement?
Areas like the basement are more likely to be humid than the rooms. This is because many households have their laundry there. If not taken care of properly, there are chances that the mildew and molds will grow. So, it requires running the dehumidifier in the basement for a long time. However, it is normal to run your unit for 12 hours a day but try to keep an eye on the temperature too. This is a must because if it is not monitored then the unit might lead to the breakdown or lose the effectiveness.
In the End
Whenever we ask how quickly a dehumidifier should fill up, we get the answer in figures—for example, 6 hours or 7 hours. However, there is no fixed duration for any size. Many factors play a crucial role in the period of fill up along with the working and fan speed also plays a significant role.
If you generally stay on a bus and forget to dump the bucket, you are recommended to go through the factors mentioned above in order to determine how fast the bucket fills up and how often you need to dump it per day.