Having too much moisture, or humidity in your home or workplace can invite a host of problems. It’s the perfect environment for mold, and mildew formation, which causes health problems, along with damage to your property. Increased humidity can also affect the operation of your electrical appliances. If left unattended, this can snowball into something extremely inconvenient.
The best way to deal with this problem is to find the right dehumidifier for your space. It’s a simple enough task, but with so many options in the market, it is understandable to wonder, which one is the right one.
There are a lot of factors at play when it comes to finding the right dehumidifier.
One thing that most people want to determine is what price they should pay for a dehumidifier. After all, it is a long- term commitment, and the right call can make a lot of difference.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the factors that determine the cost of your dehumidifier. We’re also going to see what different types of dehumidifiers generally cost, and what are the costs of running these appliances.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Factors that determine the cost of a Dehumidifier
Here are the factors which usually determine where your dehumidifier’s cost will go.
- Area to be covered
Let’s start with the coverage that you need from your dehumidifier. Depending on your space, you’ll have to choose from different types of dehumidifiers (in terms of size). Small dehumidifiers will be able to cover smaller areas, medium models are right for small to medium-sized rooms, and larger areas or the entire house, a whole-house unit is ideal. The cost usually goes up, as the area that needs to be cover increases.
Businesses that use commercial units have to pay the most for acquiring commercial units.
- Capacity
Depending on the needs of your space, the cost can go up. It relates to the amount of moisture in your space. If the area intended has more moisture than usual, it’ll require a dehumidifier that has more capacity in terms of moisture removal per day. So, generally speaking, the larger the requirement, the higher the cost.
- Efficiency
The energy- effectiveness of your model, along with the factors mentioned before, is also a critical factor. More efficient models usually have certification, such as Energy Star rating, and although they may cost more upfront, they save for you later on energy charges.
- Additional Features
The more advanced models feature new smart features such as auto-shutoff, auto-restart, night- mode, and so on. Since these are more of the customer- convenience features, rather than crucial features, these can hike up the cost of your dehumidifier.
- Brand
With so many companies in the market offering their products, established brands are the ones that stand out, and usually for good reasons. Providing new and innovative solutions consistently while maintaining quality is crucial to brand building. Trusted brands may cost more than ordinary brands, and users usually like the security of a quality product and known name.
What Different Dehumidifiers generally Cost
Now, let’s discuss what different dehumidifiers generally cost.
Small Dehumidifiers
Smaller dehumidifiers are ideal for smaller areas like cupboard, closets, small rooms, bathrooms, and so on. These can remove anywhere from one to ten pints of moisture per day. These dehumidifiers can cost anywhere from $40-$45 to $70 or more.
Medium-sized Dehumidifiers
These dehumidifiers are ideal for small to medium rooms. You can place these in your bedroom, living room, offices, and so on. These dehumidifiers can remove anywhere from eleven to twenty-five pints of moisture each day. Usually, this type of dehumidifier can cost you $100 – $250 or more. When the talk is about compact dehumidifiers, this is the preferred type.
Large Dehumidifiers
Considering all the large spaces in your home, such as the large basement, garage space, big hall, this is the type that’s preferred by users. These dehumidifiers can usually clear about twenty-five pints to seventy pints every day.
These dehumidifiers can cost you $150 – $400, or more, depending on the model.
Those large dehumidifiers made for hard to reach areas such as crawl spaces, and extra-large basements can cost as much as $800 – $1200, and more, depending on the need. These are usually self- draining.
Whole -House/ Semi- commercial units
Whole house or semi-commercial units are larger dehumidifiers that are for the whole house or semi-commercial purposes. These models can remove anywhere from eighty to two-sixty pints each day or more.
The cost for these dehumidifiers can go anywhere from $1000 – $2500, or more, depending on the area.
Commercial/Industrial Dehumidifiers
These dehumidifiers are intended for commercial settings and are capable of handling the heavy-duty requirements of such places. Naturally, these are generally the most expensive dehumidifiers. Commercial dehumidifiers can cost you around $5,500 to $6,500, and more.
Now, you have a general idea of what different types of dehumidifiers are usually priced. So, let’s discuss what it costs to operate these devices.
Operational Costs of Dehumidifiers
Generally speaking, it can be anywhere from $25 (Small) to $350 (Large) each year. The monthly and yearly charges of a dehumidifier can differ, based on a lot of different factors. Here’s a quick review of factors that determines the cost of operating a dehumidifier.
1. Power consumption of your dehumidifier (& Provider charges)
You can get a rough estimate of where your costs are going based on what your company charges you per Kilowatt-hour (kWh), and the amount of power that your dehumidifier draws. That you can do by multiplying amperage and voltage, then converting the value into kilowatts.
2. Room temperature
The temperature of the space you’re trying to dehumidify also plays a crucial role in determining the cost of running the device. If the room is warmer, the device can get the work done faster, saving you on payment. Whereas the opposite can drive your bill high since the device will have to work more.
3. Size
The size of your dehumidifier is also a crucial factor. Choosing the appropriately sized dehumidifier will put less stress on the device, and it’ll have plenty of time to switch off. A smaller unit will have to work around the clock to cover a large area, and it’ll do that inefficiently.
4. The starting humidity
The starting humidity is the initial humidity level of a space you’re employing the device in for dehumidification. A room with high humidity will require the dehumidifier to run longer, and extract more. That will translate into more cost. A room with lower level humidity (to be removed) will naturally cost less.
- Related read – Best Humidity setting for dehumidifier
5. Airflow
A higher CFM value ( cubic feet per minute) means that the dehumidifier fan is powerful, and can move the air inside the room quickly. That means, the ACH (Air change rate), which denotes the air cycling is more efficient, and the device can stay idle for long, saving cost.
6. Efficiency
The overall efficiency of the dehumidifier can have a considerable impact on the monthly charges. An efficient dehumidifier may cost you more in the beginning, but it’ll save you a lot on costs later. So a certified dehumidifier ( Energy Star Rated) is an ideal option to consider when you’re looking.
These are the few factors that determine the operational costs of your dehumidifier. Some additional costs that you may incur are as follows.
Additional Costs
Maintenance
Regular maintenance in smaller units can be inexpensive and is quite easy. However, you do need to stay at it to keep these devices running smoothly.
Maintenance in larger models is not as frequent, and you need to do it once or twice a year. For this, you usually need to hire a professional, and this can cost you as per the regional labor cost.
Replacements
If any part of the dehumidifier is damaged, or for some other reasons needs to be repaired or replaced, this can cost you.
These are usually the only additional costs that you may have to bear.
Conclusion
Before choosing any dehumidifier, you should always consider your space, and the amount of humidity you’re dealing with inside. You can use a hygrometer to determine the amount of moisture.
Once you’ve established what you’re dealing with, you can search for the appropriate dehumidifier. The cost of a dehumidifier will depend on various factors mentioned in the article. Considering your needs, and your budget, you can make the right call for yourself. If you want efficiency, you should look for a model that has Energy Star Rating and other similar certifications.
By acquiring an appropriate model for your space, you make sure that the high levels of humidity go away efficiently. The monthly/yearly cost depends on a variety of factors, and by controlling these factors, you can impact your cost by a lot.
By doing regular maintenance for your dehumidifier, you can ensure the durability of your device, while enjoying its benefits. Try to replace the faulty parts right away, and if there’s any problem that you don’t know how to fix, contact a professional.