A dehumidifier is used to reduce the relative humidity in a building! The ideal relative humidity for a home is about 40% to 50%, but some areas have a low annual average humidity level of 70%, making it quite a battle to achieve healthy RH levels.
Since mold begins to thrive and grow at about 65% relative humidity, your home’s humidity level must stay well below mold-producing levels.
To get an accurate reading of humidity levels in your home, you should ideally invest in a damp meter, also referred to as a hygrometer. A hygrometer will indicate the RH levels for each room in your home! Each room, depending on what it is used for, will show a different reading than the others. For instance, the kitchen area’s reading could be higher because it contains the kettle, stove, dishwasher, sink, etc. Even your living room could be high too due to flower vases, hot cups of tea, and even breathing, although the levels differ significantly. As all rooms vary in terms of dampness and size, there is no set limit of time about how long you should run your dehumidifier. However, there are some general guidelines! Initially, your home will be wet. It would be best if you run your dehumidifier continuously in its highest possible setting. Once your dehumidifier stops collecting moisture, your set humidity level has been achieved. Generally, your dehumidifier works best if you run it for at least 12 hours a day. This is a great rule of thumb, but you may not always stick to it, depending on your room type and how high of a humidity that it contains..