OK, so you finally found the right dehumidifier for your home, paid some money for it and hooked it up. Job done, right? Not exactly. While a dehumidifier will set you back a certain amount of money, it will cost you some cash to run it as well as keep it maintained. Don’t worry though, you won’t have to sell your furniture to pay for it.
Let’s see how much it costs to actually own a dehumidifier and what you can do to cut down those costs.
Electricity Bills
As is the case with any electrical appliance, a dehumidifier needs power in order to function. The actual costs of running a dehumidifier are dependent on several factors. First of all, it depends on the make and model you opt for. Also, power consumption can go up or down depending on the actual humidity levels. Of course, your electricity rate plays a significant role too.
However, there are some general guidelines you can follow if you want to cut down on your electricity bill. First of all, look for a dehumidifier which has an Energy Star certificate because these units consume a lot less power. It is true you can buy a unit like this without the certification (because it’s cheaper initially), but it will cost you more in the long run.
You can get a better idea of how much a dehumidifier will cost you if you divide its wattage (which should be written somewhere in its specs) by 1000. This tells you how many kilowatts it consumes per hour. You then multiply that number with your rate per kilowatt-hour, and then again with the number of hours during which the unit’s on. This should give you an accurate idea of how much money it will cost you to run a dehumidifier. If you can’t find the wattage listed, multiply its amperage and voltage numbers instead.
Having a dehumidifier can also save you money in the long run. How? Well, remember how you crank up the air conditioning when it’s too hot? When you start to feel hot and sweaty, it’s not just down to room temperature. Relative humidity plays a big role too. If you have a dehumidifier, this will help to keep it down so you won’t need to use your air conditioning as often (which can be expensive).
Maintenance Costs
As far as maintenance costs go, dehumidifiers are really cheap because they don’t need a lot in that respect. The only thing that will cost you extra is a replacement air filter, and even those can last for several months, or even up to a year. The maintenance process basically involves removing excess moisture from the device, replacing the hose and general cleaning.
In Conclusion
All things considered, dehumidifiers are really cheap to run and maintain. However, do think about opting for a model with a built-in humidistat because this also helps. Yes, they may be more expensive in the beginning but you will get your money back over time. The upshot is, if you want to save on running costs, cheaper models of dehumidifier are not always best!
