Question: How much power does a dehumidifier draw?
Answer: It depends on which dehumidifier you choose and how and when it is used. The energy consumption is clearly stated in the instruction manuals for Wood’s dehumidifiers. For Wood’s LD40, for example, it is 4.3 kWh/24 hours at 20 degrees ambient temperature and 70% relative humidity (normal conditions). This means that it is easy to determine how much dehumidifiers draw in 24 hours. Still, there is a lot you can do yourself to get as much as possible for the kilowatt-hours invested. See the next question and answer.
Question: Do I have to have a fan heater and a dehumidifier in my basement?
Answer: No, a dehumidifier is enough. Replacing the fan heater with a dehumidifier provides considerable energy savings as it dries the laundry, dehumidifies the air in the room, and generates heat. In Villalivet’s test in September 2022, the energy consumption of, among other things, Wood’s dehumidifier LD40 is compared with a heating fan. The heater fan drew nearly six times as much current as the dehumidifier, even though it only ran half the time. And then the problem with the moist air remains in the basement.
The best choice for a cold and damp basement is a dehumidifier with a powerful exhaust and good heat conversion properties, such as Wood’s LD40. You get 780W of heat energy back for every litre of condensed water vapour.
Question: What can I do to run my dehumidifier as smartly and energy-efficiently as possible?
Answer: You can do much to ensure that your dehumidifier draws as little energy as possible. Here are a couple of concrete tips:
- Always close the door or limit the space where the dehumidifier is to work so that the effect is concentrated.
- Use the timer function to limit the time the dehumidifier is running.
- Please seal valves to prevent moist air from entering and causing the dehumidifier to run unnecessarily.
- If you have an electricity contract where the prices are lower at night, run the dehumidifier when the electricity price is at its lowest.
Question: Does the dehumidifier have to be running all the time?
Answer: No, the dehumidifier does not have to run all the time, only when needed. Use the timer function to avoid the dehumidifier running for an unnecessarily long time. By setting the desired relative humidity, the dehumidifier automatically switches off when reached.
Question: Why should I have a dehumidifier and not a fan heater?
Answer: A fan heater does not take care of the humid air. It only blows it around the house. A dehumidifier draws significantly less energy than a fan heater. In Villalivet’s test in September 2022, Wood’s dehumidifier LD40 is compared, among other things, with a heater fan for drying laundry. The heater fan drew nearly six times as much current as the dehumidifier, even though it only ran half the time. There’s still the problem with the moist air remaining in the house.
Question: How much does it cost to have a dehumidifier?
Answer: In addition to the investment cost, it costs as much as the dehumidifier is used for hours, multiplied by your electricity price per kWh. However, a dehumidifier does much more than remove unwanted humidity. For example, with the LD40 drying room dehumidifier from Wood’s, you get heat for every litre of condensed water. The LD40 generates a whopping 780W in heat energy. This means your house is also heated while drying the laundry and keeping the basement, room or space free from moisture.
Question: What does it mean that I get heat energy back?
Answer: The fact that heat energy is recovered when using LD series dehumidifiers means that the dehumidifier is designed to convert condensed water vapour into heat. The moisture is separated from the air, and the dehumidifier extracts heat from the air, which is further heated during the dehumidification process. This means that using Wood’s LD series dehumidifiers returns 780W of heat energy for every litre of water condensed.
Question: Which dehumidifier is the most energy efficient?
Answer: To answer this, you have to look at the room size relevant for the dehumidifier and how it will be used. Is it to keep the humidity at a certain level or to dry laundry?
It would help if you also looked at how much energy is used to evaporate each litre of water. However, getting a machine with the highest 24-hour capacity is not always the best option. The most powerful dehumidifiers are developed to dry out a space quickly. For example, with water damage or flooding, energy efficiency is not the highest priority in these cases. A suitable dehumidifier for keeping the air humidity at a good level and drying the laundry is developed to be as energy efficient as possible. It has many smart settings, such as a timer function and humidity meter, making it energy smart and efficient when used correctly.
Question: Is it good from an environmental point of view to use a dehumidifier?
Answer: Yes, it is. In addition to keeping the house free of moisture and counteracting problems (mould), a dehumidifier is an energy-efficient alternative to drying laundry – which also provides 780W of heat energy for every litre of water vapour that is condensed.
Wood’s LD dehumidifiers are manufactured in Sweden. They contain the modern refrigerant R290, proven to have a low environmental impact, does not damage/contaminate water and contains neither fluorine nor chlorine.
