A dehumidifier is a household appliance that can help remove moisture from the air. It does this by drawing moist air over a cold coil, causing the water vapor in the air to condense and drip into a collection tank.
Dehumidifiers can help improve comfort and alleviate problems caused by high humidity, such as mold growth and respiratory irritation.
How Many Types of Dehumidifiers?
There are 2 main types of dehumidifiers for home use: disposable desiccant dehumidifier and electric dehumidifier (portable dehumidifier, mini dehumidifier, whole house dehumidifier).
A desiccant dehumidifier (also called a disposable dehumidifier) is usually a small, inexpensive unit that draws moist air through a gel-like substance that absorbs moisture from the air and then releases it as an undrinkable watery texture into a collection tank.
The most well-known "desiccant dehumidifier"
Desiccant dehumidifiers should be used in closets or gun safes due to its small size and cordless design. While electric dehumidifiers use cold coils to condense moisture in the air into water droplets and are always placed in rooms or apartments.
In this article, we will answer the question: "Are you supposed to put water in a dehumidifier? Is it necessary or not?"
Do You Add Water to a Dehumidifier?
If you're like most people, you probably think putting water in a dehumidifier is a waste of time. After all, the machine is supposed to remove moisture from the air, right?
In fact, a little water to "prime the pump" can actually help keep some old dehumidifiers running efficiently.
However, before you put water in the dehumidifier, it is important to check the machine’s owner’s manual to determine whether water should be added. Adding too much water can damage the machine and reduce its effectiveness.
Most dehumidifiers with a built-in pump on the market today have a self-priming function that will pull water through the machine, even if you don't put water in it. So the final answer to our question is: "No, you don't need to put water in a dehumidifier."
How Do You Know when the Water Tank is Full?
Many dehumidifiers today have a water level indicator that lets you know when the tank is full. Most models have a red light that indicates the water has reached its maximum level and a green (or yellow) light that indicates it is nearly empty.
Make sure you have enabled the continuous draining function if available so you don't need to empty the tank manually.
What should you do with the collected water?
The collected water from a dehumidifier can be used for other purposes, such as watering plants.
First, remove any dehumidifier water that has been stored in the water bucket. Then, add the collected water to the soil in your garden or lawn. You can also use it to wash your car or windows.
Remember not to drink dehumidifier water because some types of bacteria and mold are naturally found in collected water that can harm your health heavily. If you are still in doubt, I highly recommend you to read this article to learn more about it.
Final Verdict
All in all, the most appropriate answer to the question "do you put water in a dehumidifier" is "yes and no". If you are using an old dehumidifier model, you can definitely put water in it to prime the pump when needed.
However, in most cases, it is not necessary to put water in dehumidifiers because dehumidifiers are made to take out the moisture from your house, so it doesn't make sense to put water in them.
I hope this article has helped you to understand more about dehumidifiers and how things work with them. Have any questions about this article? Please leave a comment below.
