To expect my dehumidifier to actually work?

[Angelika321]

I bought a Meaco after looking at the Which? website. There's always condensation on the bedroom windows and my new curtains are showing signs of black mould spores.

It arrived last night and I set it up to use. Set the RH to 50. The indicator didn't go above 43 and it shut off after 30 minutes. I thought perhaps it was due to it being the evening and the heating had been on.

So I tried again this morning, after a night with 6 people in a 3 bed house. I thought the humidity would be much higher. It didn't go above 48. The water tank is bone dry.

What am I doing wrong?

[SurelyYoureJokingMrFeynman]

I had condensation on my bedroom window this morning, but my separate humidity meter is reading 55% right now (cheapy little meter), and the dehumidifier hasn't come on for days, which is unusual.

It might be that you're airing the house well, and the weather is currently cold and dry with you, as it is here.

Keep it on, and see if it triggers when the weather changes?

Sorry, that's not very helpful.

You'll probably get SOME condensation on bedroom windows in the morning whatever you do. But at least the curtains will dry more quickly in a drier house.

[NoManJan]

I can't help with the dehumidifier issue but we have ridiculously huge windows that are always covered in condensation, even if left on the latch.

We have a karcher window vac and I use it to suck the moisture off every day. It's made a huge difference to our mould problem.

[cozietoesie]

The instructions aren't great for them so I'd give them a phone/email as recommended in the booklet to check whether you've set it wrongly by mistake. (Or you might simply have a faulty machine - but most manufacturers will likely want to have settings etc checked before they replace.)

(I have one and while I'm not entirely happy with its humidity setting controls, I think the likelihood is that I've misunderstood the instructions in some way. It certainly collects moisture merrily and without taking too big a hit on the electricity bill.)

[ItGoesWithoutSaying]

We also have the Meaco just before Xmas (after a cheapo Argos one failed after about 18 months) and it certainly makes difference.

Initially it would run 24/7 and never shut-off. As it's got warmer and we are airing the house more it has started to shut down every hour or so. Still needs emptying every couple of days. You may have a duff unit.

[Angelika321]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really need it to work in order to prove a point. The MIL stays with us now, and lovely as she is, she knows everything. Her way is always the best.

She told me to not even to bother opening the box and to just return it. We're having work done on the house soon which will involve replacing the double glazing. She reckons this will make the dehumidfier redundant. I tried to argue that her habit of drying clothes indoors instead of running the dryer would mean the house would still get damp. It's incredibly frustrating arguing with her as she will never concede she is wrong.

BTW in the years I've lived in my house I never had mouldy curtains until the MIL moved in.......

[akindofmagic]

Drying clothes indoors is the biggest culprit! We recently got a tumble drier and since we've been able to use that to dry our clothes we haven't needed the dehumidier at all. Sounds like a duff unit to me too.

[feellikeahugefailure]

Gosh I have to empty mine every day it does make the house more livable though. Usually keep it at 50 and turn off overnight

[feellikeahugefailure]

Is it an incandescent dehumidify?

[Griphook]

So if it's to prove someone wrong, just fill up the tank where the water collects a bit.
Then worry about it in your own time. Without her stress.
Fwiw drying closes on radiators causes damp and the plaster above our radiator to crack

[Angelika321]

Is it an incandescent dehumidify?

I have no idea! How would I find that out?

This is the one I bought Dehumidfier

So if it's to prove someone wrong, just fill up the tank where the water collects a bit.

I'm liking that idea. If I'm wrong I will admit it, I just don't want to be wrong. Meanwhile I could do as you say and investigate without the stress.

[cozietoesie]

It's the drying clothes inside that's mainly doing it - especially if she's eg drying them on radiators. Think of the amount of water that's in wet clothes. It has to go somewhere and the air can only hold so much.

It looks just like the one I have downstairs - phone the company to check you've set it right.

[cozietoesie]

PS - the reason I mentioned radiators is that they dry clothes/laundry so quickly that you can get through more than one machine load a day = two + amounts of water.

[Dieu]

I remember returning a dehumidifier, as I thought it was broken. I didn't realise that it shuts down when the humidity is at the desired level .

[cozietoesie]

PPS - Does she by any chance cook food that involves lots of boiling/steaming/simmering?

[SophieofShepherdsBush]

My ebac is ace. Collects loads of water. Bought it in uk 2 years ago. Its suddenly started leaking and ebac have arraged for it to be couriered bsck to uk to bw fixed, ni quibble. We live in Ireland now so was quite impressed with after sales service.

[SophieofShepherdsBush]

Sorry about typos. Im not well!

[Theoretician]

I have a different model, so don't quite understand your explanation of what you are doing, however mine is currently keeping itself switched off most of the time. It's set to only be concerned when RH is above 60, and in the recent cold weather RH has been below 50 without any help from the dehumidifier.

A separate meter I have is currently showing 55, which I think is virtually perfect.

Reading you explanations again, I don't think you are doing anything wrong, there just isn't excess humidity at the moment. There will be at other times.

[EmpressTomatoKetchup]

Ours , an ecoair, usually sucks up loads of water at the start of the winter and then has less and less water at is starts to get warmer. I guess it's the central heating being on that's drying out the house. I usually put ours on in the same room as clothes being dried and shut the door for max effect. I would fill up the bucket too.😉

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Have you tried turning it down? On mine you set it to the humidity you want so if I put 50% in and the air was only 43% it wouldn't come on.

I think mine is usually at 35% but I can't remember. I'll have a look later.

I love mine but it does need emptying every day if I'm during clothes and have it turned to max.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Actually you might not have a problem with damp in the air. You might just have a problem with condensation on the window. This is more likely if North facing because the glass doesn't warm up as much. Plus radiators installed under windows don't help.

I'd start by removing all the excess water of the window. You could do this with an absorbent cloth or sponge and then use kitchen paper to make sure it's really dry.

If you can wash your curtains that will get rid of the mould.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Just checking mine. The setting for washing is 35RH and the lowest setting is 80RH. So I'd set yours to a lower RH and see if it comes on.

That said the window issue might be as described above, in which case drying window, keeping curtains open and turning off the radiator will help.

[cozietoesie]

The science to this is not.....uncomplicated.

I just work on the general operating principle that if you have too much moisture in the house for the air to cope with, it's going to drop out of the air somewhere - and a large, smooth, colder surface seems like a natural. Hence you take that excess moisture out.

It may be simplistic but it works fine for us. We don't have condensation on the windows any more.

[SonjasSister]

Show MiL this: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-20176376

[cozietoesie]

Yikes, Sonjas.

Did your MIL originally live in a house with 'plenty of ventilation' in it, Angelika? Eg - open chimneys, ill fitting old windows etc?

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

New double glazing will make the problem worse not better! The more efficient, newer glazing will seal all the moisture in even more! She needs to stop drying her clothes inside.

My dehipumidifier is on 24/7.