You have a moisture problem in a specific room of your house, so you purchased a portable dehumidifier. Now what? The good news is that the hard part is over. Once you find the right dehumidifier, sized appropriately for the space in question, setting it up and programming your preferred humidity level is easy.
Follow the guidelines outlined below for the best and easiest way to set up your new appliance and how to choose a humidity level to keep your home full of healthy, fresh air.
Choose the Best Location
Set Up Moisture Draining
Set Your Ideal Humidity Level
Check the Progress
The Control Panel: Additional Programmable Features
Choose the Best Location
Choosing the proper spot for your new dehumidifier is imperative for efficient operation. Start by placing the machine in the high-humidity room where it’s most needed, ensuring quick relief for you and your home. Keep in mind any recommendations or requirements for the room, including:
- Space Limitations: Review your owner’s manual for required space clearances, as low-humidity airflow may affect different surfaces, such as wood and antique furniture.
- Central Location: For optimal airflow, try to place your dehumidifier as close to the center of the room as possible.
- Power Connection: Avoid adding an extension cord to the dehumidifier’s power cord. Insufficient amperage draw may cause internal damage over time. Instead, always plug the machine directly into an outlet.
If you’re unsure what size dehumidifier best suits the room, check out our How to Choose the Right Size Dehumidifier guide.
Set Up Moisture Draining
The dehumidification process removes moisture, or condensation, from the air to collect for proper drainage. There are three ways to drain your dehumidifier:
- Manually: No additional setup is required, but you must empty the bucket when it’s full of water. Once it’s empty, put it back in place, and the dehumidifier will start running again.
- Gravity Draining: Attach a hose to the back of the unit and direct collected moisture to a floor drain.
- Condensate Pump: Select dehumidifiers with internal condensate pumps for the most convenient moisture removal. The pump pushes collected moisture out of the unit and into another location (like a sink). Shop dehumidifiers with internal pumps here.
External pumps are also available if your dehumidifier does not have an internal pump. Review our How to Drain Your Dehumidifier article for more information on setting up condensate draining.
Set Your Ideal Humidity Level
Now that your dehumidifier is in the right place with drainage set up, you can customize the settings to ensure a job well done. Dehumidifiers have onboard humidistats that automatically maintain the humidity level you set.
We suggest keeping your humidity level at 45 to 50 percent. While you can adjust it slightly based on your comfort level, this range is recommended for healthy indoor air. Higher humidity levels result in mold and mildew, while lower levels can result in bacteria-based sicknesses. Check out our article on Relative Humidity for more information.
Most dehumidifiers make it easy to set your dehumidifier with electronic control panels. To set your dehumidifier, these are the standard steps:
- Plug in your dehumidifier.
- Turn your dehumidifier on.
- Adjust the set humidity level on the electronic control panel to 45 percent.
- Your dehumidifier will work to maintain your set humidity level.
Shop dehumidifiers with onboard humidistats for exact humidity control.
Check the Progress
Once your dehumidifier is up and running, routine checks help ensure it runs smoothly. If your appliance has a condensate pump to move moisture, check for proper drainage, as a blockage or leak could result in internal issues, water damage, and mold growth.
Maintenance is minimal, but clean the air filter regularly and check your owner’s manual for other maintenance tips for your specific model.
The Control Panel: Additional Programmable Features
Many models, like Danby dehumidifiers, offer additional features that make it simple to program and set your dehumidifier settings:
- Programmable Timers: Conserve energy and only run your dehumidifier at specific times by setting a programmable timer.
- Automatic Restart: If you’re putting a dehumidifier in an area that needs continuous use, consider a model with automatic restart. This feature allows the dehumidifier to turn back on at the previous settings once power returns after an outage. Shop dehumidifiers with automatic restart here.
- Wi-Fi Enabled: With a Wi-Fi-enabled dehumidifier, you can control your humidity level on your smartphone from anywhere. Shop all Wi-Fi enabled dehumidifiers here.
In Summary
Setting your dehumidifier to function correctly and maintain your desired humidity level doesn't have to be complicated. Just a few basic steps are required to reap the comfortable rewards of a good room dehumidifier. Choose the best location, establish proper drainage, use the control panel to set the relative humidity level, and check the progress as needed. Be sure to use additional features for more precise control.
Still Have Questions?
We know choosing a dehumidifier can be challenging. To learn more, visit our Dehumidifier Knowledge Center. Or if you're unsure what's best for you, we can help take the guesswork out of decision-making when you speak with one of our product experts at 1-800-934-9194.
