When it comes to wreaking havoc on your health and home as well, there’s one silent but deadly foe lurking in almost all UK homes. And it goes by the name humidity. Aside from being extremely uncomfortable for all inhabitants, excessive humidity can promote the growth of mould that can really damage your furniture and house.
But that’s not all; the resulting poor indoor air quality can trigger allergies and bring about an entire host of respiratory health issues.
So, just how do you manage excessive humidity in your home all year round? Why, with a dehumidifier of course. Dehumidifiers are engineered to regulate the amount of atmospheric water in the air of a given space.
Given that mould, mildew, dust mites and most respiratory problems begin when the humidity levels, are around 70 percent, experts recommend using a dehumidifier to lower the humidity to healthier levels of between 40 – 55%.
The benefits of these appliances are apparent. But like most other appliances, people can’t help but ask one very crucial question. Can you leave a dehumidifier on overnight? And is it safe or even recommended to do so? Let’s find out, shall we?
Humidity And Dehumidifiers
You know that hot, muggy feeling you get during warm summer days? That has a lot to do with the two types of humidity.
One is known as absolute humidity and refers to the mass of water vapour divided by dry air in a given volume and temperature.
The other is known as relative humidity and refers to the ratio of current absolute humidity to the highest possible absolute humidity.
So if an environment has 100% RH, then the air is saturated and can hold no more moisture creating the chance of rain.
Overall, we humans are quite sensitive to humidity because firstly, the skin relies on air to get rid of moisture. So if the air is already saturated, it will be hard to sweat and cool the body. Secondly, the excess moisture can make it unbearable to get some sleep at night, especially if you have any allergies or respiratory issues.
This is why more and more people are opting to run their dehumidifiers all night long so as to get some much-needed sleep. But just how advisable is this?
Can You Leave A Dehumidifier On Overnight?
Well, the answer to this question is yes, and no. In the end, whether you can leave your dehumidifier on overnight or not will largely depend on what type of appliance you have. The truth is that all dehumidifiers vary in size and power. As such, there’s really no universal limit on how long to run them.
However, there are several factors that make some dehumidifiers better for independent, overnight action than others. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled all of them right here. These are some of the features you need to have if you’re hoping to run your dehumidifier overnight or while you’re away.
i) Sizeable Reservoir / Continuous Drain
Seeing that you’ll be asleep for most of the night, the last thing you want is to be woken up by instant floods in your bedroom. That’s why the first and most important feature to look for in your dehumidifier is the ability to handle water. Look for a unit with a massive water tank capacity so you don’t have to wake up at night to drain it when it gets full. Alternatively, a dehumidifier with a continuous drain pipe will allow you to rest easy since the water will always have somewhere safe to go.
ii) Humidistat
When it comes to most dehumidifiers, a humidistat is incredibly crucial. Not only does it measure the humidity of your home, but some models also provide accurate readouts so your machine can adapt its settings. Some of the humidistats are built into dehumidifiers for even more convenience. For nocturnal users, a humidistat will help the unit know when to turn on or off and regulate itself depending on the relative humidity in the room.
iii) Auto Restart And Auto Shut Off
As explained above, using your dehumidifier at night means less interaction and more sleepy time. Therefore, you want a machine that can almost run autonomously whether you are there or not. This is why you should look for a dehumidifier with automatic restart and shut off capabilities. This way, the unit can automatically restart after a power interruption or shut itself off when the water tank fills up or when humidity levels get to healthier levels.
iv) Noise Factor
Of course, common sense dictates that you won’t be able to get much sleep if you have a considerable amount of noise in the room. So when you’re looking for the best dehumidifier for night time, you’ll need to take into consideration the respective noise rating. There might be some whirling sounds even for high end models, but the decibel levels are low enough not to disrupt your sleep.
Final Word
I guess that answers our question of the day. It’s clear that you can leave your dehumidifier on overnight without any repercussions. However, you’ll need to make sure that your unit has at least some of the above features so as not to inconvenience you at night. Otherwise, you’ll be waking up to a flooded room with incredibly dry air.
Does anyone consider the noise imposed on the neighbour. I haven’t had any decent sleep the past 2 winters as the neighbour below insists on keeping their de-humidifier on all night. This vibrates from downstairs through to my flat making a constant rumbling noise, waking me and keeping me awake, (we have maisonettes apparantly purpose built) You cannot possibly appreciate the distress and how ill this has made me, and they refuse to turn it off. They have been away for a week now and have left it permanently on. Is this not a fire hazard?
Stop moaning. They have left it on for a reason.
How rude Michaela, the woman is entitled to make her point and upset.
Kay, I would ask them to install a anti vibration pad underneath it. I would even invest in it myself. This should help stop the vibration coming through your ceiling and it doesn’t cost the neighbour anything to install it. Good luck!
I live in a basement…I have mine on day and night alt 50%…my question is…is it healthy…does the dehumidifier will rid of water of your body also? I notice that my skin is getting dryer and dryer every time.
I have read your blog it looks very nice but I want to know is there any precautions of using dehumidifiers in winter and any usage duration after that I have to clean the filter of my dehumidifier.
Thanks