Dehumidifier for room

Tracer_Bullet

Adept
Anyone using Dehumidifiers ?
We don't have many option in India, i am considering Powerpye or Sharp as that's whats available in amazon.

Powerpye has better specs, 2 yr warranty + has option for 2 extra year warranty through Onsitego for 21k.
There is 15L at 145w option which seems sufficient for my room ( ~140 sq feet maybe and say 120 after furniture.) But has 2.5L storage tank only, will probably need to use pipe.
Any idea if these specs are accurate ? I cant find any reviews / tests done by 3rd parties for Indian models, usually they just give a list with specs and prices.

I live in Mumbai and humidity can be quite high. I am reading > 90% sometimes even 99% on sensor. And from this, it seems like peak humidity is always > 80% ( probably goes higher at nights as winters can be dry during daytime ).
AC will only make sense during summers here and will have much higher power consumption. So looking at this as another option.
I have allergies/asthma, airpurifier has helped quite a bit, but i think this might be another trigger.
 
Tracer_Bullet said:
I live in Mumbai and humidity can be quite high. I am reading > 90% sometimes even 99% on sensor. And from this, it seems like peak humidity is always > 80% ( probably goes higher at nights as winters can be dry during daytime ).
AC will only make sense during summers here and will have much higher power consumption. So looking at this as another option.
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Can you run the AC with just the fan in cooler months? So no cooling

The best dehumidifier you can get is an AC

This option isn't there for people living in colder climates so specific dehumidifiers are made
 
blr_p said:
Can you run the AC with just the fan in cooler months?

The best dehumidifier you can get is an AC
Click to expand...
I don't have ac in my room and don't have experience in its usage + installation / maintenance.

Did not know about fan mode. Are you sure that fan mode also does dehumidification ?
Will AC be as efficient as dehumidifer using just the fan?

My ideal would be something that can set a constant temp/humidity - so both heating and cooling + humidity control. Sort of like hotels.
And an energy efficient option to do only dehumidification. Do we get for something like this ? I only see cooling as the major thing when people consider ac.
Maybe this can be a better option as everything gets covered.

Temps are moderate in Mumbai most of the time, so dehumidifier is more important maybe.
 
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How cool does it get there?

An alternative way of reducing relative humidity is to heat the air, which will let it contain more moisture, thereby reducing RH.

AC is no doubt the best way to dehumidify air, but when travelling by car, it dries the air a bit too much for my personal liking, leading to dehydration of I don't frequently sip water.

Unavoidable on a hot day, but in cool evenings, I can turn off the AC, crack open the windows and set the climate control to 0.5C above ambient and direct the air flow to the windshield to prevent fogging (side the heat comes from the engine coolant, it is free)

So if you don't mind your room being slightly warmer than outside, try running a hair dryer intermittently and see if it makes any difference. Basically warm + dry air feels better than cool + humid air.

That said, running a heater continuously will drive up the electric bill, so might as well use AC which only runs intermittently as required. Bonus if you get an AC with heater, then you get dry air at the perfect temperature you want
 
n1r0 said:
How cool does it get there?
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I think low 20s for the most part in winter. Otherwise usually i think we are near 30. Peak summer is hot ( was around ~33 when i bought sensor) and humid. I dont think i would want it hotter this way, dehumidifier will atleast take out the moisture and only increase room temp slightly.
Electronics failure rate is also high here, probably due to this.

Main requirement is to bring down humidity for me, it should be better for health too. Apparently dust mites flourish in high humid env.
 
Then AC is your best bet since coastal areas will always have high humidity. (A dehumidifier is also an AC + heater, but comparatively less powerful)

But I'd suggest you try the hair dryer method for a day or two first. RH makes a bigger difference than what a thermometer says
 
Doesn't most the sensors measure RH only and not absolute?
 
n1r0 said:
Then AC is your best bet since coastal areas will always have high humidity. (A dehumidifier is also an AC + heater, but comparatively less powerful)
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Point is this - i don't feel like running a 1000w ac all year round for controlling humidity if a 200w device can do same. It also stops working once target humidity is met so average power usage should be even lower. Now if ac can do same in fan mode, then great. Not sure about what we get in Indian acs.

Mumbai temps are mostly ok except for peak summer when it gets hot and humid.
Another factor is that i will likely move out from here in next few years. So a portable device sounds better, but this may or may not happen so not a critical thing.
Most likely in future ill keep both a dehumidifer and an ac, assuming dehumidifer is much more efficient for what it does.

I don't really have too much experience operating this stuff as my family strongly believed in power of 'fresh' air and mumbai weather isn't that extreme.
Best option seems to be something like 'ERV' for whole house, but not practical for me right now as family will keep windows open in other rooms.

ERV / Home ventilation system

Guys, dust at my place is bothering me a lot these days, each time I clean my PC or vacuum my room I start worrying about the state of my lungs and it's cascading effects on long term health. There is nothing I can do about air outside but at least at home having some clean air can somewhat...
techenclave.com techenclave.com

Just going through google results. This is what croma says

Dehumidifier vs air conditioner: Which is better - Croma Unboxed

Everything you need to know about the differences between an air conditioner and a dehumidifer. Read more about what they do on Croma Unboxed.
www.croma.com www.croma.com

However, the volume of moisture removed by an air conditioner is not a great quantity and does not lead to a noticeable effect on the room’s atmosphere. A dehumidifier, on the other hand, is capable of removing a large amount of moisture from the room, resulting in a noticeable change in the room
Click to expand...

An air conditioner is a clear choice if you are looking to cool your room while a dehumidifier is ideal to remove excess moisture from your room and is also best suited for those who live near the sea or in a moderate climate.
Click to expand...

Lets see, if someone who uses dehumidifier can give feedback that would help. Or some confirmation that ac can dehumidify efficiently too vs dehumidifer ( without ERV).

sauravghosh said:
Doesn't most the sensors measure RH only and not absolute?
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yeah, that is what we feel too, right ? And more moisture gets retained on surfaces i think if RH is high. dust + high RH = corrosion + more dust mites and dusty smell. Anyway, not an expert.
 
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Tracer_Bullet said:
Point is this - i don't feel like running a 1000w ac all year round for controlling humidity if a 200w device can do same. It also stops working once target humidity is met so average power usage should be even lower.
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ACs also run only when required to achieve the target temp.

Tracer_Bullet said:
Now if ac can do same in fan mode, then great. Not sure about what we get in Indian acs.
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In fan mode, the compressor is not running at all, so temperature + humidity is not affected. It's just like a ceiling fan.

I've never used a dehumidifier so can't comment on running costs or how effective they are.
 
n1r0 said:
ACs also run only when required to achieve the target temp.
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yeah. But for humidity control ?

Also i edited previous post, this is what croma says -

Dehumidifier vs air conditioner: Which is better - Croma Unboxed

Everything you need to know about the differences between an air conditioner and a dehumidifer. Read more about what they do on Croma Unboxed.
www.croma.com www.croma.com
However, the volume of moisture removed by an air conditioner is not a great quantity and does not lead to a noticeable effect on the room’s atmosphere. A dehumidifier, on the other hand, is capable of removing a large amount of moisture from the room, resulting in a noticeable change in the room
Click to expand...
An air conditioner is a clear choice if you are looking to cool your room while a dehumidifier is ideal to remove excess moisture from your room and is also best suited for those who live near the sea or in a moderate climate.
Click to expand...

n1r0 said:
In fan mode, the compressor is not running at all, so temperature + humidity is not affected. It's just like a ceiling fan.
Click to expand...
ok, then that wont work for me.
Ill probably buy dehumidifier and see how it goes. Not many options, amazon usa has devices with much better specs at these prices and much more competition and we can see clear data from testers on youtube. In india, demand is low, so i guess yt guys cant afford to buy stuff, they just give a list and spell out specs. No testing at all.

---------------------------

Anyone using a dehumidifier here ?
 
However, the volume of moisture removed by an air conditioner is not a great quantity and does not lead to a noticeable effect on the room’s atmosphere. A dehumidifier, on the other hand, is capable of removing a large amount of moisture from the room, resulting in a noticeable change in the room
Click to expand...
This is just marketing BS and plain wrong. An AC removes moisture + cools the air, so it is doubly effective compared to dehumidifier which only removes moisture.

You can confirm this by observing water dripping under a car when AC is running, or the water drain pipe from indoor AC units. This is the moisture removed as condensation on the cooling coil.

An air conditioner is a clear choice if you are looking to cool your room while a dehumidifier is ideal to remove excess moisture from your room and is also best suited for those who live near the sea or in a moderate climate.
Click to expand...
The only advantage I can see for dehumidifer is the lower power rating might be good for 24x7 usage.
In Bangalore summer, I set the AC at 26-28, and it consumed an extra ~40 units per month. The compressor only runs for a minute or two every few minutes (closed windows + little direct sunlight). More frequnetly when gaming.

Whether you use AC or dehumidifier, the RH is reduced in both cases so you will feel more comfortable.


Contact the brand and ask for a demo at your place. That will be the best way for you to judge if dehumidifier is worth it for you.
 
n1r0 said:
This is just marketing BS and plain wrong. An AC removes moisture + cools the air, so it is doubly effective compared to dehumidifier which only removes moisture.
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yeah, i am getting confirmation from other places of this too. In peak summer, yes acs will work great. But in other times when target temp is not too different from indoor temp, or when indoor temp is low in winters, dehumidification will be less. Maybe i am wrong but this is how i understood it. See below.
Anyway, i still need to decide which dehumidifier to buy. No data to make decision, only specs and prices.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/taiwan/comments/1ceasuw

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Is an Air Conditioner More Effective at Dehumidifying Than a Dehumidif

Hong Kong is renowned for its high humidity, making summers hot and sticky. High humidity exacerbates the sensation of heat, leading many to find Hong Kong summers particularly sweltering. Nowadays, many air conditioners on the market advertise dehumidifying functions. You might wonder: if air...
moorgen.hk moorgen.hk

Hong Kong's hot and humid weather can make using a dehumidifier counterproductive as it releases warmer air back into the room. In summer, while dehumidifiers only remove moisture, air conditioners not only lower room temperature but also dehumidify.
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2. Inadequate dehumidification effectiveness in Hong Kong's winter​

Air conditioners operate when indoor temperatures are higher than the set temperature. In winter, using an air conditioner for dehumidification requires setting the temperature lower than indoor temperature to be effective, leading to increased energy consumption and discomfort due to the already cold winter temperatures.
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Is an Air Conditioner More Effective at Dehumidifying Than a Dehumidifier?​

The dehumidification capacity of air conditioners depends on indoor temperatures! While air conditioners do have some dehumidifying effect, significant advantages in dehumidification are seen when air conditioning is necessary for temperature reduction compared to dehumidifiers. Additionally, the greater the temperature difference between indoor and air conditioner settings, the better the dehumidification effect.
Therefore, in places like Hong Kong with distinct seasons, the effectiveness of air conditioner dehumidification varies:
Spring: Air conditioner dehumidification is limited due to minimal temperature differences between indoor and air conditioner settings.
Summer: Air conditioner dehumidification is highly effective due to significant temperature differences.
Autumn: Air conditioner dehumidification is moderate due to dry weather conditions.
Winter: Air conditioner dehumidification requires lowering the temperature significantly, which may be uncomfortable in already cold winter conditions.
Click to expand...

Should You Still Purchase a Dehumidifier?​

Despite many air conditioners having Dry Mode, which reduces energy consumption compared to standard cooling, they still consume more electricity than dehumidifiers! Furthermore, air conditioners only dehumidify about 20% of what dehumidifiers do, yet consume multiple times the energy. Hence, if dehumidification alone is needed, especially in humid areas like Tseung Kwan O and Tai Po, purchasing a dehumidifier is more advisable. Dehumidifiers offer faster dehumidification and overall energy savings.
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