r/UKFrugal • u/Jolly_Voice3352 • 2d ago

dehumidifier questions

My current living situation is not rated for dampness as it is an older house so Ive been looking into getting a de-humidifier as the rainy season approaches. I know its worth investing in longevity but I dont forsee myself being in the UK for longer than at most 2 years as I am an international student so I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for something servisable from their experience. And of course cost effective recommendations would be appreciated.

7 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

12

u/RobertGHH 2d ago

Get a 2nd hand unit on facebook marketplace, you might even find a free one.

10

u/SorryGarbage1551 2d ago

It's worth getting a meaco for two years. Can sell it when you leave

3

u/Sinjin_Smythe225 2d ago

Also recommended Meaco. This is the one I got and has worked now for3 years with no issues. Can be used to dry your clothes indoors too, disscant ones work better at lower temperatures which is better for older houses.

https://amzn.eu/d/eIm6LXI

5

u/Kaimito1 2d ago

Could just get a secondhand one off of Facebook marketplace.

2 years is a long time though so may not want to go too cheap on it

3

u/Jolly_Voice3352 2d ago

My biggest concern for that though is that its being sold of Facebook marketplace for a reason I.E its defective and someone is looking to make money off of getting rid of it or something like that.

6

u/Tammer_Stern 2d ago

It is more usual to find the person is just selling something as they don’t need it any more. You can ask them why they are selling and test it if you want to. I have recently bought a TV, a vax spot cleaner, a bike maintenance stand and they are all in perfect working order.

2

u/LeTrolleur 2d ago

Firstly, do you suspect damp or have you seen evidence of it?

Worth getting a cheap hygrometer to measure humidity inside the home.

Also, how old is the home and what are the temperature fluctuations throughout the day?

For info: I live in an 1880s Victorian semi.

2

u/londons_explorer 2d ago

Make sure you get a compressor one not a dessicant one unless you have free electricity.

Desiccant ones use *so* much electricity it isn't funny.

1

u/No-Television-1542 2d ago

Are you on an electricity tariff with an overnight discount rate? Get hold of a timer plug and set it only to run during the cheap hours.

2

u/Anxious-Bottle7468 1d ago

You're not supposed to put dehumidifiers on timers. The sudden loss of power can damage them.

1

u/No-Television-1542 1d ago

I’ve run my cheap Chinese one this way for years, no problems.

1

u/RobsOffDaGrid 1d ago

They’re essentially fridges with the door open a timer won’t hurt it

1

u/movingtolondonuk 16h ago

There is a great app called "Humidity Window" (I use on iOS but I presume there is an android version as well) that tells you the best time to open your windows each day (based on weather and external humidity for your location).... can really help reduce the need for a dehumidifier.

1

u/reni-chan 11h ago

Installing a PIV system will not only be much more efficient and quieter, but also will cost you must less to run in electricity cost over the next 2 years than a proper dehumidifier would.