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dehumidifiers

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ORIGINAL POST
Posted by omaharrison 17 yrs ago
With the recent weather we decided to get a dehumidifier.

However, I saw one working and realized it's actually blowing out warm air! In that case will will have to switch the aircon and by that there is no much point for the dehumidifier. Are all dehumidifiers blow warm air? Any models or brands as a suggestion?

We are looking for something not massive but normal size for easy storage as well.

Thanks.

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COMMENTS
axptguy38 17 yrs ago
They do blow out warm air. It's a byproduct of the process. Very useful for drying clothes btw.


Dehumidifiers are still a great idea and really take the edge off the heat. The little warm air they throw out is more than compensated by the 20-30% drop in humidity. Your body doesn't care as much about the actual temperature as about the PERCEIVED temperature. Some weather sites take this into account, showing a temperature and a "feels like" temperature.


An example: Last week HK and Stockholm had the same daily temperature (29 degrees). In Sweden it feels nice and warm. In HK it feels stifling. That's because in HK the humidity is 85%+ and in Stockholm it's 40%. The high humidity means your body has a hard time getting rid of excess temperature through sweat and you feel hot. In a dry climate like Southern California even very high temperatures (35-40 degrees) don't give that clammy feeling you get in HK.


We have 3 dehumidifiers on all the time plus ceiling fans. Saves a boatload of electricity. The place feels much cooler.



As for models, we have nice Rowenta ones from Fortress. Make sure you get something with a big tank. You don't want to empty it more than once a day. Also one with a directional exhaust is good for drying clothes.

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bob the builder 17 yrs ago
We leave the dehumidifiers on while we are out on auto. When the humidity is too high it swtiches on and dries out the air, when it is back to whatever level, it switches off. It isn't just for comfort it is aslo for protection - moulds etc.

Ours also blows warmish air.

When we are home, I turn them off and use the aircon to cool and to dry.

We have a Mitsubishi and a Toshiba. Buy the biggest in sense of power but also in bucket size, you don't want to be emptying it every 20 mins. Ours has a valve where we can put a small hose and drain it into the bathroom while we are holidays. The hose by-passes the bucket. They will turn off automatically when the bucket fills.

One point though the really big ones seem to get ugly and less for domestic use. You just have to weigh them up and make a decision between looks and size.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Thanks for the tips. I find that asking here gives me better, shorter and quicker answers than searching in all those guides.

What do you think a good tank size would be? over 10L? 20L?

bob the builder- about the hose. Do you have to put the dehumidifier higher than the sink for that or where do you connect it to?

axptguy38- about the humidity. Tell me about it, I am used to over 40 dead dry and it's not as horrible as here with 29. I tkae a shower and by the time the lift gets to our floor I need another one ;)

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
"What do you think a good tank size would be? over 10L? 20L?"


Our are 20 liter and we only have to empty the tank once a day.


"about the hose. Do you have to put the dehumidifier higher than the sink for that or where do you connect it to?"


As I recall it needs to exhaust lower. Like a floor drain. We used this system in our house and it was great. The dehumidifier was on in the basement 24/7.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
"Our are 20 liter and we only have to empty the tank once a day."

I just saw a really nice one with all the good options and stuff good price as well whirlpool, but 4.5 L tank capacity. you think I will have to empty it so many times a day?

(after reading Mighty's post)-- all this for approx 500 sqf.

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Mighty 17 yrs ago
Hi axptguy38, do you think a 10L is enough for a flat of about 500 sq. ft only? And is it safe to leave it on all the time when you are out?

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bob the builder 17 yrs ago
The lounge room one is 20L and the other one near the bedrooms is 10. The 20L is the better although, of course, it is heavier when full.

Our bathroom has a floor/wall drain, it's in the corner of the wall and floor. I just put it down there. The hose is an extra. I went to the hardware store and bought a metre or so of the hose and a clip thingy to tighten around the valve.

If you don't have such a drain then I guess the hose is not suitable for you. You could put it on a stool or something and drain into the shower but ... I wouldn't do it :)

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Geez, so much water every day! is it drinkable? good for plants? or only for unlikeable neighbours? :p

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bob the builder 17 yrs ago
It is very suprising how much water comes out.

Good for plants. Drinking it would be different. The water is clean but the bucket is not sterile. I think HK tap water would be cleaner but that is for another thread.

We overlook the water on the east so we get a lot of wet air from the fogs.

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
"Geez, so much water every day! is it drinkable? good for plants? or only for unlikeable neighbours?"


Lots of water because there is so much suspended in the air. ;) It's quite good for the plants. bob has it right. Don't drink it.



"Hi axptguy38, do you think a 10L is enough for a flat of about 500 sq. ft only? And is it safe to leave it on all the time when you are out?"


I think unless you have a very small room it fills up at about the same rate. Also it depends if you set a target humidity percentage ("stop at 60%") or just have it on "continuous". Get the big one if you can. Apart from the heavy bucket it's all good. 4.5 liters I wouldn't go for.



"And is it safe to leave it on all the time when you are out?"


Quite safe. Also in winter and we put the drying rack over it. It's the only way to get clothes dry apart from the tumbler on those clammy, wet days.

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cd 17 yrs ago
We have one going all the time, and 2 on really bad days. Always have my washing drying by it when its too wet or damp for outside.

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Mighty 17 yrs ago
Good point... however.... if it can suck 20 L or 10 L, then the tank size must be able to hold that amount of water?

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Mighty 17 yrs ago
or you meant even it says it can suck 10L but the tank size is only 5L, so you have to empty the tank all the time.

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ldsllvn 17 yrs ago
hi - our flat is quite good size really - over 2,500 sq ft - and we only have 2 quite small dehumidifiers ( 3 lt and 5 lt capacity) and find that is it just fine - sure, we have to empty it twice a day, but it is no big deal - our helpers are there and can do it - but seems to be enought for just emptying in the morning before we go to work and then evening before bed. Not sure whether spending so much more extra money for a 12l or 20l is worth it... No, Mighty - your dont have to empty all the time...

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ldsllvn 17 yrs ago
oh. forgot to say - it is safe to leave them - when they get full, they switch off automatically - so you are fine..

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Mighty 17 yrs ago
Tks, Idsllvn, got your point. So do you know the tank sizes of your dehumidifiers (3lt and 5 lt capacity)? Obviously, they might not be 3 lt and 5 lt tanks. Tks.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Mighty- I think you live in a flat similar size to mine around the 500-600 sqf so just for info, I saw a whirlpool one, very small in size with tank capacity of 4.5 liters and process capacity of 20 liters a day based on 30 degrees and 80% humidity which is like most of others. It also has a small hole where you can connect a tube(which comes with it) for times you are away. It also has a dry clothes function and some other stuff.

We are getting this one because it has all good functions and tank capacity is very much like other dehumidifiers.

The large capacity ones are monsterous and will take half of our living room LOL.

If you will want more info about it, just ask :)

Ahhh, and I am not affiliated with whirlpool, wish I was but I am not :p

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Mighty 17 yrs ago
Tks for the info. omaharrison. Poor us, living in such a small flat... yes my flat wl be something like (not finalised yet) 520 sq. ft. How much is this whirlpool one? I saw one which is 100% made in Japan and that caught my eyes. The brand is either Mitsubishi or Mitsubishi Jukou and both are good brandnames but pricey.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Small and cosey but hopefully not hot and sticky-LOL Mighty.

I don't know where it's made to be honest, today most things made in china anyway. During my travelling a swiss friend once told me that even the "swiss made ..." are simply put together of all the parts by swiss hands but the parts are made in China.

Anyways, I looked around and most places sell it for 3,200 but if you have hsbc card you can get it for 1980+50,000 points. You know, I am a rat hehehehe.

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
Just a clarification. Our dehumidifiers say 20L, but the tank capacity is 5L. This is quite enough for emptying once a day.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Ehhh, now you tell me??

you don't know how much I was looking around for those with 15-20L capacity when I was doing my research, LOL.

Got the Whirlpool one at the end, small and efficient. 4.5 L tank capacity is good enough, true.

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
Sorry. :(


In any case I can report that I connected hoses to the dehumidifiers during our vacation and ran these to drains/showers. Worked like a charm and kept the house around 50/60% humidity. When we got home the house smelled a bit stuffy but no mold, no "wet dog" smells, nothing.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Don't worry about it ;)


"....I connected hoses to the dehumidifiers..."

Thanks to your and Bobthebuilder's tips I got mine specifically with that option.

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monkeybiscuits 17 yrs ago
This has been a really usfeul thread. Having read all the comments, I am preparing to buy:


a 20L dehumidifier with 5 litre capacity with hose-connection option for my bedroom in my 500 sqt flat in Central. I want it to be reasonably quiet so that it doesn't prevent me sleeping.


1) Can anyone receommend a good brand and model that would satisfy the requirements above?


2) Are there any further specification requirements I should consider?


3) omaharrison - how quiet is the Whirlpool one you got, what is the model name and how often do you have to empty it? Would you recommend it?


Thanks!

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
1) Rowenta works for us but I'd say as long as you don't buy from the cheap stuff you'll be ok. The only small gripe is that when the tank is full it is REALLY FULL. So easy to spill if you're not careful.

2) Not really.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
The one we got is SS207, it's with a green tank. they have it also on the hsbc site for much cheaper than market price if you use points.

I like it a lot, not noisey at allapart from the fan noise which is reasonable.

We empty it once a day and it's very small compared to other ones with similar specifications. You also get with it the hose in the box.

I would suggest that when you look for one also look for the "dry clothes" option, the Whirlpool has it and also you can decide on the angle of air flow.

We never use it when we are sleeping as I think that dry air is not so good to breath as well. We put it in the rooms when we are not in and close the doors to make sure no mold will appear in clothes cabinets. Though I think you can use it when sleeping because you have 3 levels of "desired humidity" 40%-50% ; 50-60 ; 60-70.



"The only small gripe is that when the tank is full it is REALLY FULL." - you don't have that with the whirlpool, basically because it's a new design and they thought of that.


They have this model in most shops now and I think another model which is also works as air purifier (blue tank).

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monkeybiscuits 17 yrs ago
That is brilliant. Thanks both for your replies.

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monkeybiscuits 17 yrs ago
Actually, are you able to explain the hsbc points offer thing further? I have a savings account plus two credit cards with hsbc, though only set them up recently (as a newbie to HK). I had a quick look on the site and searched for the model SS207 but it didn't come up with any matches.

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omaharrison 17 yrs ago
Read More

It's third from the top.

Basically, when you buy with their credit card you get 1 point per $ (I think). Look at your credit card bill, it should say how many you have at the end of the bill.

If you don't have internet banking account you will need to print a form and fax it to them. For this model you will need 50000 points.

If you still have problems, just drop a note and I will try and guide you through.

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monkeybiscuits 17 yrs ago
Many thanks. I've only just started an HK credit card so haven't anywhere near enough points yet.


I just want to fortress and got 10% off. Thanks for all your help.

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dbg 17 yrs ago
I have the Whirlpool with the blue tank, and while it's good, you need to be aware that it has an air-filter that cannot be cleaned, you have to buy new ones from Whirlpool directly. Bought the unit in Fortress, but they don't carry the filters. Just FYI

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monkeybiscuits 17 yrs ago
Thanks. Actually the person in Fortress told me exactly that (about the non-reusable filters) and she recommended a slightly different one. I compared all the specs (doing tests in the shop) and the price and ended up buying a Rowenta one. It was only a $100 more than the Whirlpool, could do everything the SS207 could do, was quieter, had slightly more capacity and had a reusable filter. It arrives on Saturday.

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bob the builder 17 yrs ago
Not being able to clean the filter is a major design flaw (in my opinion). I would not suggest anyone to buy a dehumidifier where you are not able to clean the filters yourself. Having to buy new filter everytime seems just to be just a money grabbing machine designed by an accountant.

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Philly Cheese 17 yrs ago
I have two industrial looking ones. Very boxy, not too silent but boy do they suck water well. I leave them on when I am out to work so the noise does not bother me. I get a full tank when I get home. I agree with the people that say to get the one with the largest daily max and the largest container possible, so as to avoid emptying all the time.


There are so many used ones on sale in the classified ads here that I would not bother getting a new one.

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axptguy38 17 yrs ago
"Not being able to clean the filter is a major design flaw (in my opinion). I would not suggest anyone to buy a humidifier where you are not able to clean the filters yourself. Having to buy new one everytime seems just to be just a money grabbing machine designed by an accountant."


No kidding. Even our air purifiers have washable carbon filters. I guess they and the auxiliary paper filters need to be replaced every now and then, but we're talking years.


BTW if you want to clean the air properly, a dehumidifier is not the best method. A proper air purifier does a much better job.

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Philly Cheese 14 yrs ago
OK, so both dehumidifiers are toast. Bought a used Hitachi small one here and now in the market for another one. If anyone is moving out of Hong Kong and looking to sell their dehumidifier give me a PM. I am looking for a Mitsubishi, Hitachi or Panasonic branded dehumidifier, around the 14l to 20l max per day, with a minimum 3.5l tank. Something less than a year old would fit the bill nicely.

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&&& 11 yrs ago
Mitsubishi is the only one that is Made in Japan. It's very pricey, $5K+. But it's the most durable. I have a Hitachi (Made in Japan) too that's been like 10 yrs old and still works like a dream. 4 wheels, 360 degrees which is wonderful to steer from room-to-room. That's so advance thinking considering 10 yrs ago, no suitcases were with such wheels. There is only 1 model that has the 360 degree 4 wheels. But it's sold out in HK (according to Fortress).


The Made in Japan : even though IF tis made in China, the industry standard and Quality Control (QC) is higher.


Leaving it on when one is on vacation. Just a reminder. If using an older model, overheating may occur and fires have been caused (almost one a year, just my observation). Last Spring, one apt caught fire when there were helpers and family INSIDE due to dehumidifier. To prevent overheating, use a timerswitch. Makes the machine stop every few hours instead of non stop running during your vacation.


Those with Air Filters, they MUST BE CLEANED. Clogged up air filter makes the machine overheat and thus a fire hazard. This was a caution I got from my apt's maintenance crew. I was shocked to see that my air filter was clogged !


There is a site which sells everything much less than Fortress. All products come with factory guarantee. Just got the info so I have not used them but intend to : www.price.com.hk


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