Whole House Dehumidifier Buying Guide

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A whole house dehumidifier is a device that will help remove moisture from the air. Sounds simple enough, plus there are a number of reasons why having a dehumidifier is a good idea. This could be an important purchase for your home if you or a family member suffers from allergies or asthma, or if the air in your home feels damp or smells musty.

Keep reading to learn how a a whole house dehumidifier works, why you’d need one, and what to consider when shopping for one.

How Do Whole House Dehumidifiers Work?

The air inside your home contains humidity, otherwise known as water vapor. And even if the moisture in the air isn’t obvious, you, or someone else in your home may be affected by the humidity in your house.

For example, moist air can cause allergens to thrive, including:

  • Mold
  • Animal dander
  • Pollen
  • Dust mites

Helpfully, a whole house dehumidifier contains a fan. This fan draws air from your home into the dehumidifier’s coils. The air contracts in the coils, and any moisture stays inside the dehumidifier. Then, the moisture collects in a tank (which you’ll need to empty on a regular basis).

So by drying out the air, a dehumidifier will keep allergens to a minimum. In turn, people with allergies will be less likely to sneeze, itch, and have watery eyes.

Reasons To Buy a Whole House Dehumidifier

Moist air is heavier than dry air, so it’s harder to breathe. This is why living in a home with a lot of water vapor in the air is difficult for people with asthma and other conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Meanwhile, humid air can also cause mold spores and mildew to grow, which also triggers asthma or allergies.

Because an electric dehumidifier reduces the humidity level, drier air can also be helpful to those with mold allergies. In fact, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends a dehumidifier to help those allergic to mold.

Others reasons to invest in a dehumidifier include:

  • A damp smell in the home
  • Leaks in the home after a storm
  • The air feels muggy

Important Features for a Whole House Dehumidifier

All dehumidifiers aren’t created equally. Some are designed to take the moisture out of the entire home, or a large portion of it. Meanwhile, others are small and meant to dehumidify only a specific area like a basement or bedroom.

So, when you’re shopping for a dehumidifier, consider a few things:

  • The tank size
  • How many square feet it will handle
  • The expected range of dehumidification

Now that you know what a whole house dehumidifier is, how it can be helpful, and what to look for when choosing one, check out the following three options if you’re ready to buy:

Dehumidify Your Entire Home With the Midea 50 Pint Cube

The Midea 50 Pint Cube Dehumidifier is a perfect choice for larger spaces, because it will dry out the air in spaces up to 4,500 sq ft.

This whole house dehumidifier has:

  • 3 times the water tank capacity than most other dehumidifiers
  • A compact size for easy storage
  • A lift-and-twist design for easy tank removal and draining

And in terms of usability, it comes with an app that you can use to control the device. You can use the app to control the unit from anywhere on your iOS or Android device so the humidity levels in your home stay where you want them to even when you’re not there.

Choose Your Perfect Dehumidifying Amount With the Frigidaire Dehumidifier

When shopping for a whole house humidifier, it can feel like there may not be one that fits your space exactly. Luckily, Frigidaire makes a dehumidifier that comes in several sizes, so you can choose the device that’s best for you and the size of your home.

Frigidaire’s High Humidity Dehumidifier comes in four tank sizes: 

  • 22 pint
  • 35 pint
  • 50 pint
  • 60 pint

Each size of the Frigidaire dehumidifier features:

  • An easy-to-clean washable filter
  • Custom humidity control
  • A front-loading bucket with carrying handle and splash guard
  • A continuous drain option that constantly removes water from the bucket

Dehumidify Small Spaces With a ProBreeze Compact Mini Dehumidifier

If you’re in the market for a small whole house humidifier, you may want to look at the ProBreeze Compact and Portable Mini Dehumidifier. This machine is built for spaces up to 250 sq ft. so is a perfect choice is you need to remove moisture from the air in a basement, crawl space, bathroom, or bedroom.

The ProBreeze humidifier:

  • Removes up to 16.91 oz. of moisture per day
  • Comes with a 50.72 fluid oz. tank
  • Uses 45% less energy each hour than similar devices
  • Has a tank with a water level view, which is easy to remove for emptying and cleaning

The dehumidifier also features Thermo-Electric Cooling Technology, making it quiet to use in bedrooms and offices.

Another handy feature is that this dehumidifier will automatically shut off when the tank is full.

Improve Your Home’s Air Quality With a Whole House Dehumidifier

Allergies and asthma are challenging health issues. But removing moisture from the air inside your home may help to lessen symptoms. And luckily there’s an easy way to remove moisture from the air: a whole house dehumidifier.