Come and talk to me about dehumidifiers please!

[Mrsfrumble]

Such cutting edge, sexy and gripping subject matter will have this thread trending instantly, right?

But seriously, after last winter spent up a step ladder scrubbing mould off the bathroom ceiling, I'm determined to take preventative measures this year! Room is 2.3 x 2.6 m. The range available on Amazon is kind of baffling to a novice.

So... do you own a dehumidifier? Can you share your wisdom? What capacity do I need? What's a reasonable amount to spend? Thanks in advance lovely people!

[thecakefairy]

Snap! Just posted about damp myself!
My last home had no damp issues apart from a low sloping ceiling in the bathroom.
We got spots of black mould but sprayed with Dettol Mould & Mildew spray. You just spray it on and it disappears and stays away for weeks. Well worth a try.
I'm also looking for advice on dehumidifiers for my new flat which has a much damper feeling all round.

[Ttbb]

Check the which guide.

[Mrsfrumble]

Hi cakefairy! I think I tried every mould remover on the market last winter! It was a steep learning curve for me, as we've never had such problems in any previous properties. Sadly as tenants there's not much we can do about the structural issues that are causing it, so a dehumidifier seems like the best option.

Does your new place have plastic window frames? I think they can add to problems with damp and condensation as they don't allow the building to "breathe".

[RTKM]

We have got one and absolutely love it

It is soooooo satisfying when the container thingy fills with water even when the rooms don't feel damp, we close the windows and the vents and move it round the house, do a different area each time

In our old house we had very bad damp after we had new windows in as the drafts had stopped iyswim

We open the windows on other days that we don't use machine so fresh air comes in etc

[thecakefairy]

Yeah, plastic frames and no vents in the bedrooms and the place was empty all last winter.
I know what you mean about trying products but if you haven't tried the Dettol one, it is a cut above the others with no scrubbing needed. It just disappears!
Obviously I agree with you about the dehumidifier though. I'm just popping out for a browse now!

[CMOTDibbler]

We have a dehumidifier - a Mitsubishi that we bought in our last house which was damp. It sorted that out, and when we moved we kept using it to dry laundry. If its hung right (anything that can go on hangers is put on one), I can dry 3 big loads overnight with it.

It was pricey, but we've used it a huge amount over the 11 years we've had it and it's still going strong

[RTKM]

Yes deffo get one if you dry washing indoors

We have a drying rack thingy that comes down from ceiling, it is over the bath in the ensuite and dehumidifier dries washing very fast (ours actually has a setting for drying clothes, but we just use the general setting)

[Mrsfrumble]

Ooh RTKM that sounds fab, and just the sort of thing I'm looking for! Do you mind me asking about the model / make, cost etc? Does it cost a lot to run?

We've had the bathroom windows open all summer so no problems, but it's getting too chilly for that now.

[Mrsfrumble]

Same too CMOT. What model / capacity do you have? Thanks!

[RTKM]

Oke doke it is dehumidifying upstairs at the moment so will go to take a look at model

Know we got it in MAPLINS a couple of years ago

Best thing we have brought for our new house, you will feel so satisfied when you go to empty the tank thingy as it is amazing

The other advantage is that it makes the area warm (blows out hot air) as it works so don't need heating on, so yesterday when it was a bit chilly, put dehumidifier on and room gets warm but also gets full tank of water

[wowfudge]

Is there an extractor fan in the bathroom? If not, ask the LL to get one fitted.

[PerkingFaintly]

I found this site useful:

www.dehumidifier-reviews.co.uk

[RTKM]

When we had ensuite built in extension it was a building reg to have extractor fan fitted to a power fit to size per square metre so yes you should deffo have one fitted.

If using dehumidifier in there close the extractor fan otherwise it is collecting water from outside

ours is a

MEACO DD8L JUNIOR

650 watt

[RTKM]

here is our dehumidifier

Totally recommend it

[PerkingFaintly]

Same one here, RTKM. Can definitely recommend it.

[CMOTDibbler]

They don't do our model anymore, but it is very similar to this one, and is a 16L a day capacity.

[PerkingFaintly]

Although it's pushed my leccy bills up noticeably.

But worth it for no longer living in a mould farm, and I think I save on the gas central heating as no longer need windows open as much, plus of course there's the by-product heat.

[Mrsfrumble]

We do have an extractor but it's pretty ineffectual against the other issues; pervasive damp from cracks in the pointing outside, exterior uninsulated north-facing wall, a radiator so small and badly placed it's mostly useless....

RTKM that is wonderful. I will have a closer look at that model when I get home this evening. Blowing out warm air sounds amazing too! (See above for problem with bloody cold bathroom).

Thanks too perking. I will look at that site too.

[RTKM]

If you can't shut the extractor fan up then tape over a plastic bag over it otherwise it will get air from outside

Also open all your cupboards and wardrobes so it can get rid of damp inside everywhere

Your home life will be changed, I am sure you will use it around the whole house not just the bathroom

[RTKM]

Sorry that was a bit over dramatic

What I mean is no more trying to scrub off mouldy black walls and ceilings

No more smells of damp and musty smell in bathroom

[wowfudge]

Get a better extractor fan - modern ones are quieter and more efficient. Ask the LL to deal with the issues - you can report them to Environmental Health if they don't address them. A house is an expensive asset and letting it deteriorate is madness. You can dry washing on an airer over the bath with the extractor fan on and the door shut.

[lightgreenglass]

We have a MEACO too - currently 4 years old and starting to sound a bit world war 3 battlements but it does the job and I empty it roughly every 2-3 days (I use it for my washing now, before it was there for the damp).

[Fourmagpies]

We have this one. <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00474K8SY/ref=sr_1_15?s=kitchen-appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1505845645&sr=1-15&keywords=Dehumidifier&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">//www.amazon.co.uk/EcoAir-DD122-Simple-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00474K8SY/ref=sr_1_15?s=kitchen-appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1505845645&sr=1-15&keywords=Dehumidifier&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
It's small and basic but dries the washing quickly. It blows out warm air and if we shut the door where the washing is it gets quite toasty. It turns itself off if the water container gets full. We don't have huge damp problems, it's an older property though so is a little damp and feels better since we started using it.

[SusannahD]

I use the unibond aero 360, they are cheap but work well