Hi folks,
I am hoping the general collective of experience might be able to shed some light on the dizzying world of domestic dehumidifiers. I want one for our 2 bedroom semi which is an old granite built cottage and therefore has no damp proof course or ventillation etc! The heating is by electric panel heaters which doesn't help the cause!
Eventually we plan on building somewhere new so I want to get one now that would be able to be used in say a garage/workshop to keep tools and cars in good condition. I don't want to spend too much <£150 and it has to do the job.....
One big concern I have is over the running costs?! I'm worried that getting one of the wrong size or even just any will cost a fortune to run! I've been looking at deisctant ones as they seem more useful in the long run (when I plant it in a garage somewhere) and just wondered if there was any adivce or recomendations.....
Thanks,
Oli.

They sure do make the lecky meter spin round It's kind of like leaving your fridge door open and collecting the condensation from the side walls to remove the water!!

I've used a flatmaster2000 which proved much much more effective and cheaper to run. Costs more in the first place though.

I got a B+Q dehumidifier and it worked well for over two years running at least 16 hours per day.

No practical experience but when I looked at this:

1) Get one with a humidity stat.
2) Operation at cold temperatures can be problematic (they ice up).. If you need to go cold an absorption unit is worth looking it.

Remember they are inefficient as they are mostly in effect an air conditioner with both the hot and cold end in the same room (expect the absorption unit that's different, an uses a re-generative desicant).. Which brings me to the next point, an air conditioner (with a compressor) will also de-humidify..


[Edited on 31/8/10 by Bluemoon]

I don't really think you want a dehumidifier - if you are having condensation and mould problems then you need a ventilation box such as one of these http://www.envirovent.com/home/healthy_homes.php It basically keeps the air changing in the house and removes the damp air which causes the condensation and mould. it costs a bit more to buy but it is cheap to run and should cure the problem.

Cheers

Mark

I've got one of these in the garage, and its great - cheap to run as its not a chilling unit, it uses a regenerating dessicant, I've got mine plumbed into a pipe that goes out through the frame of the door and it runs on auto pretty much all the time (the garage is built on a slope and the earth is piled up against the wall with no membrane (bad design but can't afford to sort it!), and its lovely and dry in there and the running costs are small enough that I don't notice them..

Chris