Are you on the fence about needing a dehumidifier?
In this article you will learn, I will tell you 13 easy to find signs that you really need a dehumidifier.
A good dehumidifier will save you money on getting your home repaired.(Home repairs ain't cheap)
Let's get started!
Signs You Desperately Need A Dehumidifier
Before you decide you need to pay thousands of dollars to do home repairs check out these 13 easy to find signs that you need a dehumidifier.
I also included some ACTIONABLE tips you try can do before buying a dehumidifier.
There Are Bad Smells And Mold
Mold and mildew can get out of control quickly when it's very humid in your house. These organisms release spores as they grow that give off a musty smell.
The smell and spores in the air can lead to many health-related problems. They can also cause structural problems to your house that are super expensive to get fixed.
A dehumidifier can get rid of the mold and bad smells to make sure that they never come back!
You See Condensation On Your Windows
I remember as a kid loving to draw on the window every time they fogged up.
Even though kids love to express themselves artistically it’s a bad sign if your windows constantly have condensation on them.
Here are problems that condensation leads to:
Your House Has Bad Ventilation
Bad ventilation always leads to problems.
When your house is not able to ventilate the wet air it will stay in your house. With the wet air trapped you will start to see mold growing or even water stains (which we will talk about later).
A lot of everyday things we do also make water particles that will stay in the air like:
You Feel A Draft
When you feel a draft wet air is getting inside your house and will cause problems. Before you decide to buy a dehumidifier check to see if your window is sealed.
If the seal is broken, fix it with caulking. If that doesn’t help with the draft then use a dehumidifier.
Your House Is Always Humid
Is the air in your house heavy and hard to breathe?
Does everything feel damp and miserable? Have you tried everything and can’t control the humidity in your house?
You might think you want your air conditioner to fix the problem, but an air conditioner alone can’t help to lower the humidity.
On the other hand, if you combine your AC with a dehumidifier, you will completely change the air in your house.
You can stop any problems before they start! In addition, you won’t have to spend any extra money on repairs to your house.
Your Basement's Damp
The basement is the MOST COMMON place in your house that has high humidity.
Humid air falls to the lowest level and stays there. That’s what causes your basement to become damp. This leaves the rooms damp and unlivable.
The damp air also naturally seeps into the basement through the foundation. This makes the problem worse.
Springtime Water Run-Off
April showers bring May flowers. But April showers also bring water run-off and it's really bad for your basement.
You can think of water run-off like when you wash your car and the water runs downhill off your driveway.
Spring water run-off happens when there is too much water under your house, and the water is absorbed into the walls.
Check your basement for gray water level marks or any dampness. The best way to deal with spring water run-off is a dehumidifier.
You Have An Oversized HVAC
An air conditioner that works well also removes the humidity in a room. But that means they have to run on normal-length cycles.
An oversized HVAC will run on shorter cycles because it cools your house faster. This leads to no moisture being removed from your room.
Your Crawl Space Is Closed
Too much humidity in crawl spaces causes to wood rot, mold growth, and damage to the house’s insulation.
Once that happens, your crawl space becomes closed off and inaccessible.
If you can’t access your crawl space, it can lead to a lot of structural damage to the house. Structural damage is EXPENSIVE to repair.
You Find Water Stains On The Walls
Hot air rises, and steam is hot air in the form of water vapor. In rooms, the steam has nowhere to go, so it settles on the ceiling and walls.
These form water stains and lead to mold. If you notice water stains before they have time to develop into a mold, you can fix the problem before it begins.
You Find Rotting Wood
Humidity over time will cause structural damage to your house.
When you don’t do anything to fix the issue the wood in your house starts to rot and weaken.
If your house has any wood in it you need to be careful and always keep the possibility of rotting wood in mind.
You Start To Get Bad Allergies
Allergies are the worst. Especially during allergy season. If your allergies are getting out of control a dehumidifier can really help.
If your house has mold from being too humid your allergies will become even worse. Humidity is like food for mold.
If you don’t take care of the levels of moisture in your house, you may end up facing health issues like:
You Start Finding Pests
Cockroaches, ants, fruit flies OH MY. Pests love damp warm places.
The first thing you should do is set traps.
But…
Sometimes traps aren’t enough to keep them from finding their way in. The other thing you can do is change the environment. You can do that with a dehumidifier!
Where Is All That Extra Moisture Coming From?
There can’t be too many sources...
Right? And if you know what they are, you might be able to stop them without bringing in the dehumidifier!
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. And you'll need to invest a little in dehumidifier to make your home healthier and more livable.
Humidity never has a single source. It cannot be as easily prevented as a leak in the pipes under your sinks.
There are a bunch of different causes this excess moisture that all add.
Humid Climate
If you live in places where the weather is wet and dreary, you will find your house is in similar condition. The moisture levels will rise, and all the associated problems will increase with it.
Showering
This may not seem like something that causes a problem. But the steam that rises from your hot shower rises to the walls, causing water stains, mold, etc.
Cooking
Cooking also releases a lot of water into the air and acts exactly like the moisture released from showering.
Run-off From Groundwater Sources
The ground is full of water. When it reaches too close to your walls and floors, it absorbs into them. This causes the water level to increase, which automatically heightens the humidity.
Seepage In Poorly Insulated Floors And Walls
The culprit of seepage is when your walls and floors aren't properly insulated. This leads to water and moisture seeping into other rooms, especially the basement. Overall, the humidity level of your house will also increased.
