If you’re like most homeowners, then you want to save money however you can. Home appliances such as dehumidifiers can cost hundreds of dollars, but there are ways to reduce the upfront expense as well as the ongoing costs of maintenance and electricity.
Let’s take a look at three factors that will determine the overall cost of your home humidity control kit – and a few tips to help you save money:
1. Optional Features
There are all sorts of bells and whistles that are optional on dehumidifiers. You can save money by evaluating your specific needs and buying a dehumidifier that doesn’t have unnecessary features.
However, many optional features can improve your air quality and save you time and money in the long run. Read this article to learn about the benefits of specific features on dehumidifiers.
2. Capacity
Where will you put your home humidity control unit? Are you using it for home mold prevention in your basement? Perhaps you want to reduce the humidity in a large room?
The size of the room where your dehumidifier will be used should determine the capacity of your unit. In general, dehumidifiers with higher capacity – meaning they can collect more moisture in a 24-hour period – tend to cost more than low-capacity dehumidifiers.
Here is a brief guide to help you choose the right capacity for your needs:
- 30-Pint Dehumidifiers: These are ideal for small spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens.
- 50-Pint Dehumidifiers: These are ideal for medium-sized rooms such as bedrooms.
- 70-Pint Dehumidifiers: These are ideal for small basements and attics.
- 100-Pint Dehumidifiers: These are large units that are useful in larger basements and attics.
3. Maintenance and Energy Costs
Dehumidifiers are relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain. If you change the air filter every few months – some can last one year before requiring replacement – and perform general cleaning, then the only maintenance expense should be replacing a hose every now and then.
The best way to reduce your ongoing costs is to minimize the amount of electricity you use. There are several ways to do this.
First, you should buy a dehumidifier with an ENERGY STAR sticker. You can find dehumidifiers with this certification here. The ENERGY STAR sticker means that the unit was designed to consume the lowest possible amount of electricity.
You should also consider buying a home humidity control unit with a timer or humidistat. You can program the timer to turn the unit on and off, and a humidistat will automatically shut off the compressor when the air has reached the ideal humidity level.
Now that you know how to save money on your home humidity control unit, it’s time to compare your options. Click here to browse through our hand-selected home dehumidifiers.