Should I replace my 30+ year old portable dehumidifier for energy/efficiency reasons?
CoryODonnell
| Posted in Energy Efficiency and Durability on
Should I replace my 30+ year old portable dehumidifier for energy and/or efficiency reasons?
It still works. I use a hose to the drain.
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Replies
Cory,
It's up to you. The answer depends in part on what the dehumidifier is used for. Do you only plug it in occasionally? Or does it run for 24 hours per day, 365 days per year? (And if it runs for that many hours -- where is it located? And why do you need a dehumidifier?)
it is located in the basement storage area with all the other utilities. It runs 24/7 from June through September. This space is below ground level.
Thanks martin
Based on the usage patterns the moisture load is primarily air leagage. Air sealing the basement would be a better expenditure of funds than buying a more efficient dehumidifier.
Buying better dehumidifier would be akin to buying a more efficient pump in lieu of sealing the hull leaks in the boat.
If the "other utilities" includes clothes dryer that has a less than perfect backdraft preventer, or atomshperic drafted gas-burning water heaters, furnaces without flue dampers there may be some improvements to be made there too.
Dana's advice is excellent. Also, is it controlled by a humidistat, and it runs all summer because it can't achieve the setpoint humidity? Or does it perhaps run more than is necessary? I would get a humidity meter to monitor the humidity down there if you don't already.
But you might want to replace it anyway. If you get an energy star model (or better one of the few that exceed the energy star specs) it will do better. Also, an old dehumidifier will probably eventually leak out the refrigerant which has bad environmental impacts--both global warming and ozone depletion. So if you take it to a responsible appliance recycler now, the refrigerant will be captured before it leaks out.
I replace my old (I bought it used at a garage sale about 20 year ago) dehumidifier with a new one last spring and it made a noticeable effect on my electric usage. My new one runs much less than the old one under the same conditions and also uses a bit less energy when running (according to my Kill-O-Watt).