Power consumption
Power consumption of the dehumidifier in normal operation.
From a practical point of view, this characteristic is secondary — manufacturers select power in such a way as to provide the necessary operating parameters (performance, air flow, etc.), and when choosing, you should focus primarily on these parameters. However, certain practical points also depend on the power consumption. Firstly, only models of less than 3-3.5 kW can be connected to ordinary household outlets; higher power consumption will require either a 400 V supply (see Power supply) or a direct connection to the panel. However, even power of
more than 2 kW is rare in modern dehumidifiers — for most of these devices, the energy consumption is in the range
from 500 to 1000 W or
from 1000 to 2000 W, and in the most modest models it does
not exceed 500 W at all. Secondly, power data may be required to calculate the load on the power grid. Such a need arises mainly for the selection of additional equipment — circuit breakers, AVR, UPS, etc.
Also, note that models with similar performance may differ in power consumption. However, a more economical dehumidifier often costs more, but with regular use, this difference pays off by reducing energy costs.
Recommended room area
A very conditional parameter that slightly characterizes the purpose by the size of the room. And depending on the height of the ceilings, layout, structure of the building and equipment, the actual values may differ significantly. Nevertheless, this item represents the maximum recommended area of the room that this model can effectively serve:
the use in smaller rooms is quite acceptable, but the device simply does not have enough performance for a larger space. Also, note that the area is indicated based on a ceiling height of 2.5-3 m — the standard value for residential premises; with a higher ceiling height, the effective area decreases, and it can be recalculated using special formulas.
When choosing by area, it is worth taking a certain margin, but it should not be too large — otherwise, the device will be unnecessarily powerful, bulky and expensive.
Dehumidifying operating range
The range of relative humidity (RH — relative humidity) of the ambient air, in which the dehumidifier is guaranteed to be able to cope with its task and at the same time perform at the level claimed by the manufacturer.
The wider this range — the more versatile the unit, the less likely it is to be in emergency conditions. At the same time, when choosing, it is worth considering the specifics of the application of the dehumidifier. Thus, dehumidifiers are initially designed for high humidity, but the ability to work at 100% relative humidity is not always required. For example, in the cold season, the air coming from the street is "drier" by itself when heated indoors (due to the increase in temperature, the relative humidity drops, although the actual amount of moisture in the air does not change), and even in wet weather, a dehumidifier with a limit of 80-90% may be enough. And the lower dehumidification limit directly depends on the tasks facing the device. If we are talking about living quarters, offices and other places where you need to create conditions that are pleasant for people, then you need to take into account that the most comfortable values for a person concerning humidity are 40-70%. Therefore, for such conditions, it makes no sense to specifically look for a device with a lower limit of less than 40%. But for specific tasks such as drying rooms during repairs, warehousing, etc. lower humidity levels may be needed.
Note that many model...s are quite capable of working outside the operating range, except that the performance may decrease. However, it does not hurt to clarify such an ability according to the official documentation.
Operating temperature range
The ambient temperature range in which the dehumidifier can operate normally. The wider this range, the more versatile the dehumidifier is, and the more diverse the conditions in which it can be used. Note that, in contrast to the humidity range (see above), going beyond the operating temperatures is fraught not only with loss of efficiency but also with serious malfunctions and even breakdowns. Therefore, it is worth choosing a unit according to this parameter in such a way that it is guaranteed to block possible fluctuations in the temperature of the air with which the dehumidifier is to work.
Note that most modern models are designed to operate at positive temperatures, with the lower limit being on average about 4–5 °C. The only type of dehumidifiers that can operate at temperatures below zero are
adsorption dryers(see "Suitable for").
Condensate tank volume
The volume of the tank for collecting condensate (moisture removed from the air), provided in the design of the dehumidifier.
The larger the condensate tank, the slower it will fill up and the less often it will have to be emptied. It is especially important for high-performance units (see above). On the other hand, the volumetric tank has the appropriate dimensions, which affects the dimensions of the entire dryer. When evaluating the relationship between tank capacity and dehumidifier performance, note that the device rarely operates at full capacity. See "Dehumidification capacity" for more on this; here we note that if, for example, a dehumidifier with parameter of 24 L/day has a tank of 4 litres, this does not mean that the tank will necessarily be filled to the top every 4 hours. An alternative to tanks is the use of permanent condensate drainage systems; see "Features" for details.
Noise level
The maximum noise level produced by the dryer during operation. The lower this number, the more comfortable the use of the unit will be; this is especially true for residential premises. For workshops, warehouses and other similar places, the noise level is not so critical — this type of climate control equipment is often installed in places where there are almost no people, or in the vicinity of such noisy equipment, against which the noise from the dehumidifier can simply be lost. However, for non-residential premises, data on the noise can be useful — for example, to assess the need for special ear protection and other labour protection measures.
Note that this parameter is measured in decibels, and this is a non-linear value: for example, a change of 3 dB approximately corresponds to an increase/decrease in power by 2 times, by 10 dB — by 10 times, etc. Therefore, to assess the noise level, it is easiest to use comparative tables. Here is a simplified table for the range that most modern dehumidifiers fall into.
35 dB — muffled conversation;
40 dB — quiet conversation; the maximum noise level allowed in residential premises during the daytime;
45 — 50 dB — conversation in a normal tone;
55 dB — background sound in the office without special noise sources;
60 dB — loud conversation;
65 dB — city street with average traffic intensity;
70 dB — a conversation of several people in raised tones.
