Using a dehumidifier

[KatyMac]

We had a leak (from the bath waste)

So I started up the (borrowed) dehumidifier this morning realistically how long should I leave it on for? I'm assuming there will always be water in the air so until it stops extracting probably won't happen

Maybe a couple of days? And can I leave it on when I go out?

We have one, as we have a wetroom and want to make sure the house doesn’t get damp.

It’s fine to leave on when you go out, it’s pretty much like a fridge how it works inside.

We empty the tank every couple of days - and that seems to be the normal level for our house. So maybe run it all the time and when it goes down to only having to empty it every other day you might be ok stopping? Obviously depends how big the tank is though

Ours has an automatic shut off when a room reaches a certain % of humidity.

Thanks

At least a week.

Gulp - there goes my electric bill!

Who'd have thought half a bath had that much water!

I don't remember my bill going up when I ran mine. I think they're pretty low energy

Hope the one I borrowed it (fingers crossed)

Shut it in the bathroom and keep the window closed so you're not paying to dehumidify the world.

It's my bedroom, the kitchen and my sewing room that are the wettest

I'm concentrating on my bedroom right now (most expensive flooring!)

You can set them to the required level of humidity and then they switch off when that is reached - well that’s how the one we have works. Ours has a laundry dry setting so goes to a lower level of humidity when set to that to help dry washing. Leave ours on when we are out or overnight - whenever we have wet washing. It’s an Eco model but not noticed it on the electricity bills.

The water from the leak will be under the floor. Have you taken out the bath panel and lifted the floorboards?

You are talking days rather than hours though.

@pigletjohn - yes floorboard are up and panel off - the water leaked in the next room not the bathroom - so that room is dry (now I have bailed out the bath)

Plumber is (hopefully) cutting a new hole in the wall and separating out shower/sink/bath wastes - getting them together outside the house, rather than them running through the airing cupboard/boiler cupboard and sewing room before going outside

I'm rather they went into the soil pipe but we aren't sure what's possible right now it's all about the extension roof height and flashing

If you can use ordinary domestic fans to blow air at the wet materials, that will help the water to evaporate into the air, and the dehumidifier will suck the moisture out of the air.

Hopefully as everything 'feels' dry to touch before I even started the dehumidifier we should be ok

But 'why me' is how I feel

Ouch!!

So it's about £1 a day if difference between 1st and 2nd is the dehumidifier? That's £7 for a week. Not too bad?

Although your electricity in general seems expensive!

Not horrific but an extra £7 means I'm glad it's short term

I have a DH with chronic lung disease so we have a fair amount of heat and guests for Christmas so additional cooking