Do you find it hard to get a good and peaceful sleep every night? If yes, then, you are definitely not alone? In fact, there are many people all over the world who experience the same issue.
So it is safe to leave a dehumidifier on all night? Having your dehumidifier running all night is safe and also a good idea if the relative humidity levels are high. High levels of humidity can affect your sleep in three primary ways, namely breathing, comfort, and allergies.
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High Humidity in Bedroom Affects Sleep
Humidity pertains to how dense the air is with water vapor.
When you speak of high humidity, it means that air has a high moisture content.
High moisture levels make it hard for water on the body to evaporate, which leaves you feeling uncomfortable and sweaty.
People find it hard to get a good sleep or even stay asleep if there are high humidity levels.
Some people also find it more difficult to breathe in a humid and hot environment, especially those suffering from asthma and other respiratory issues.
High humidity can also make it easier for mildew and mold to grow. This release mold spores into the air, and this can then trigger asthma attacks and allergies and irritate nose, throat, or eyes which results in sinus congestion as well as other respiratory concerns.
If there is high humidity, dust mites can also thrive in sheets, blankets, rugs, drapes, and air, making it hard to address with the usual cleaning. You can control their activity by lowering the level of humidity.
This means that reducing humidity is a great way to improve discomfort. It also helps you in breathing and controlling the spread of mildew and mold.
How Will a Dehumidifier Help You Sleep Better?
Dehumidifiers work through getting rid of the moisture in the air on a daily basis.
A dehumidifier collects the water in a tank that you can empty or through a continuous drainage pipe.
Most dehumidifiers today are equipped with a Humidistat that lets you set and then forget the humidity range or level that you prefer.
The dehumidifier will then automatically maintain this set humidity level in order for the air you breath to remain comfortable. This balances the water vapor percentage in the air and maintains a healthier and safer environment.
Aside from reducing the levels of moisture, dehumidifiers can also help your environment in two main ways:
- Freshens air through removing mildew and mold smells
- Keeps your clothes drier and helps ensure that they don’t stick to your body
But the most important thing is that dehumidifiers can help you sleep throughout the night with no need to wake up sweaty and hot, thus letting you wake up every morning feeling refreshed and rested.
At the same time, reduced moisture levels can also decrease mildew, mold, and mites so you will also suffer less from breathing problems and allergies.
Sleep is important for you to stay productive and healthy.
The use of different sleep solutions can create an environment conducive to getting proper and quality sleep every night.
Can a Dehumidifier Be Harmful?
Dehumidifiers decrease indoor humidity in places at risk of highly humid conditions.
Too much humidity can cause mildew, mold, and increased amounts of potential allergens. In addition, humidity can also make the indoor temperature feel much hotter than it actually is.
But, despite being a very useful appliance in homes, dehumidifiers are not flawless, especially when there is no proper maintenance.
Compressed Coolant
A dehumidifier contains compressed coolant, often Freon.
Such gases can be very hazardous not only to your health but also to the environment as a whole.
A closed system will contain these gases if the unit functions properly yet these can easily escape if there is a leak or the unit gets damaged.
If it happens, the coolant will be put under high pressure, and you have to get in touch with an authorized and skilled service technician who will repair or tamper with the coils of your dehumidifier.
Mildew and Mold
A dehumidifier which runs on a constant and continuous basis has several parts which are consistently warm and damp.
This can serve as an ideal breeding ground for fungal spores, mildew, or mold. If you fail to properly disinfect and clean your dehumidifier, this can possibly grow and spread the mildew and mold around your home.
To keep this from happening, wash the water collection basin of the unit using a mild detergent as regularly as possible.
You can also wipe all the coils down using water and soap as indicated in the user manual which comes with your unit.
Fire Hazard
Just like the rest of the electrical appliances that you are using around your home, a dehumidifier can also serve as a fire hazard.
These units are composed of several moving parts which can generate substantial amounts of heat, such as the compressors, condensers, and motors.
Aside from this, there are homeowners who may feel more comfortable leaving their dehumidifier turned on and running even when they are not at home.
Just like electric heaters and stoves, leaving your dehumidifier running might further increase its fire hazard.
Safety
At the end of the day, even though dehumidifiers do pose some risks, these units are no more dangerous compared to the rest of the appliances you have at home.
These units have certain maintenance requirements which owe to their functions. However, when maintained properly, dehumidifiers are perfectly safe.
Dehumidifiers can help improve the quality of air indoors through keeping down the humidity which then decreases the possibility of mold growth.
They can also help and work with your home air conditioning system once used in relatively humid rooms like basements and laundry rooms.
While it is understandable that you feel worried about the dangers and risks of using your dehumidifier in your house, you can be sure that these units are generally considered safe.
However, just like other home appliances, the secret to ensuring that it remains safe for many years to come is to keep it clean and maintain it properly on a regular basis.
