You bought a dehumidifier to improve your home's air quality. Now you're wondering if it's causing problems.
The answer is simple: a dehumidifier won't make you sick if you use it correctly. Issues can come from poor maintenance or even running it too much. Here’s what you need to know.
How Dehumidifiers Affect Your Health
Let's start with what a crawl space dehumidifier does. A dehumidifier pulls moisture from your air. This stops mold growth and reduces allergens in your home. When humidity stays between 30-50%, you'll breathe easier and feel more comfortable.
The health benefits are real. Mold can't grow when humidity drops below 50%. Dust mites need moisture to survive, so they disappear too. With a dehumidifier in your crawl space, the air stays lighter and healthier.
Main Problems to Avoid
Dirty Water Tank
This causes most health issues associated with dehumidifiers. If you don't empty the tank daily, mold grows inside.
The unit then blows those mold spores into your air every time it runs. This is more of an issue with in-home dehumidifiers as crawl space dehumidifiers generally require some sort of condenser or drainage. Many modern dehumidifiers are self-draining, which helps you avoid this issue.
Clogged Filters
Clogged filters stop trapping dust and allergens when they're dirty. Eventually, they stop purifying the air.
You may end up dealing with allergens and health issues as a result. Clean your filter every three weeks if you run your unit constantly.
Running Your Dehumidifier Too Much
Your dehumidifier doesn’t need to run all the time. If it does, this dries out the air.
When humidity drops below 30%, you can get dry skin, itchy eyes, and throat irritation. Your nose can dry out, making you more likely to catch colds.
Instead, set your dehumidifier to automatically run only when the humidity in your home/crawl space runs above the ideal conditions (usually at 60% or more). This maintains healthy air and prevents things from getting too dry.
| Learn More: What should crawl space humidity be? |
How long should you run a dehumidifier each day?
The proper runtime depends on your home’s humidity levels and the severity of your moisture problem. In very damp spaces, you may need to run it continuously until humidity drops to your target range of 30-50%. Once you reach that level, most dehumidifiers can maintain it by cycling on and off as needed.
Many units have built-in humidistats that automatically shut off when the desired humidity is reached. This prevents over-drying, which can irritate your respiratory system and cause the health problems you're trying to avoid.
If your dehumidifier doesn't have a built-in humidistat or you move your dehumidifier to different areas in your home that need it, a simple weather station can monitor humidity.
Can a Dehumidifier Remove Allergens?
Dehumidifiers don't directly remove allergens from the air—they only reduce moisture levels. However, lowering humidity does help control allergens indirectly.
Many common allergens thrive in humid environments. Dust mites need humidity above 50% to survive and reproduce. Mold spores require moisture to grow and spread. By keeping humidity between 30-50%, a dehumidifier creates conditions where these allergens can't flourish.
The dehumidifier itself won't capture pollen, pet dander, or existing dust particles floating in your air. For that, you'd need an air purifier with a HEPA filter, which physically traps particles as air passes through it.
Does a Dehumidifier Help With Mold?
Yes, dehumidifiers prevent mold from growing in your home. Mold needs moisture to survive. Keep your humidity below 50% and mold can't take hold.
But remember, a dehumidifier won't remove existing mold. You need to clean visible mold first. Then use your dehumidifier to stop it from coming back.
Focus on damp areas like basements and crawl spaces. These spots naturally have higher humidity and need the most help.
Other Dehumidifier Benefits
Beyond stopping mold, dehumidifiers make your whole home healthier. They eliminate damp conditions that attract pests like cockroaches and silverfish. These bugs make allergies worse.
Your breathing improves in properly controlled air. People with asthma often have fewer attacks. You'll sleep better without stuffy noses or scratchy throats.
And air quality is drastically important in your crawl space as it is the source of a majority of the air in your home due to the stack effect. Benefits of a crawl space dehumidifier range from reduction of mold all the way to increasing your home's energy efficiency.
The key is balance. Too much humidity causes mold. Too little causes irritation. Monitor your levels and adjust as needed.
Check Out Our Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
Ready to control your home's humidity? We offer powerful dehumidifiers built specifically for crawl spaces and basements.