I recently purchased a dehumidifier and noticed that when I first turned it on, the humidity level read 60%. To my surprise, within just about 15 minutes, it dropped down to 40%. Is this quick reduction normal, or could it indicate a malfunction? I checked the tank during this time and it was still empty. After that initial drop, the humidity level fell more gradually and has stabilized around 38%.
I have reasons to believe that the starting 60% reading was correct since my environment tends to be quite humid, and I've been struggling with dust mite allergies for over a week. This suggests that if the humidity were 40% all along, I shouldn't be having these allergy issues.
I'm curious if it's sufficient to run the dehumidifier for just an hour and then turn it off, or if I should plan on keeping it running continuously at least initially to see some benefits. I chose a smaller unit that fits my studio apartment well and is actually more powerful than most small models I found.
2 Answers
Just a heads up, it might not be actually reducing the humidity that quickly. Sometimes, it could just be calibrating its sensors when you first start it up. Make sure there's good airflow and it's not just blowing into a wall, which can mess up readings.
It took me a couple of days during a rainy spell to get my place from 70% to about 55%. My studio is around 600 sqft, and my dehumidifier can cover 800-1000 sqft, so it took a little while, but it got there! This seems pretty average to me.