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The placement of a dehumidifier is one of the main factors that is going to affect its efficiency. In case you live in a house with multiple floors, you might be asking yourself whether it would be better to place the device upstairs or downstairs.
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As a rule of thumb, place the dehumidifier close to the source of moisture, away from any obstructions, and in a place with good airflow. For the majority of households, the perfect place for the device is either in the basement or on the upper floor, close to the stairs.
What things should you bear in mind when looking for the perfect spot for your dehumidifier? Below you’ll find a few helpful tips.
Where Is the Best Place to Put a Dehumidifier Upstairs or Downstairs?
When trying to determine what dehumidifier location would be ideal for your specific case, consider the following things:
What room has the highest humidity in the house?
Ideally, you would want to get a hygrometer and measure the moisture level in the different rooms of your house. If it’s your basement that’s suffering from high humidity levels, then place the dehumidifier there. If you’re trying to avoid moisture build-up in your bedroom, for example, then the device should be put in that room.
What room has the best airflow?
The more air circulates the dehumidifier, the more effectively the device will be working. The unit should be able to pull as much air as it can from your house – sometimes, placing the dehumidifier near the stairs will help the device draw a lot of air from both the upstairs and downstairs.
Read: Do Dehumidifiers Use A Lot Of Electricity?
What room doesn’t have the highest traffic?
You wouldn’t want to place the dehumidifier in a room where your kids are playing or the pets are running around. A lot of homeowners choose to put the device upstairs simply because this is the area of the house that doesn’t get ‘disturbed’ as much.
What room isn’t the dustiest?
You shouldn’t place a dehumidifier right next to a dust source (this can put too much strain on the device’s filter and it will simply get damaged).
Where Is the Best Place to Put a Dehumidifier in a 2 Story House?
A dehumidifier should be placed close to the center of the room, in a place with good airflow and that is close to the power outlet. For some homeowners, that perfect place might be the area on the second floor that is close to the stairs.
If your basement is the space in the house that has the highest humidity, then you would certainly want to put the dehumidifier there.
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Read: Why Dehumidifier Freezing Up?
Does Humidity Rise to 2nd Floor of House?
Indoor air that is moist and warm is less dense than dry air. That’s why the humid air is going to rise and increase the moisture level of your upper floors.
What Floor of House Is Most Humid?
Overall, it is completely normal for the second story to have an around 1-5% higher humidity level than the lower floors.
How Many Dehumidifiers Do I Need for My House?
When determining how many dehumidifiers you’re going to need, you would have to take quite a few factors into consideration:
- The size of your house – if your home has plenty of rooms and multiple stories, then you’re most likely going to need a few units
- Your area’s humidity level – if you live in a dry area, then one dehumidifier should be enough
- How many rooms need dehumidification – in some cases, each room might need a separate unit
- Your budget – ideally, you would want to invest in an energy-efficient model. Those can be quite pricey, so you might simply not have enough spare money to go for more than one device
Read: Mini Split In Dry Mode Vs. Dehumidifier: Which One Is More Efficient?
Should I Have a Dehumidifier Upstairs and Downstairs?
It depends on your dehumidification needs. If there is a moisture issue both upstairs and downstairs, then the best decision would be to place a unit on each floor.
If the general humidity level in the house is not high, then a single dehumidifier might be able to do the job.
Can One Dehumidifier Do the Whole House?
A whole-house dehumidifier would definitely be able to lower the moisture levels throughout the house. Such a dehumidification system can be installed in the existing ductwork and it will be constantly lowering the humidity level of the air that passes through it.
Portable dehumidifiers can, in theory, do the whole house as well, as long as you take the square footage of the space and the humidity level into consideration.
| Humidity Level | 300-500 square feet | 800-1,200 square feet |
| 50-60% | A 20-45-pint dehumidifier | A 40-70-pint dehumidifier |
| 60-70% | 20-45 | 40-70 |
| 70-80% | 25-50 | 45-80 |
| 80-100% | 30-60 | 50-90 |
Will One Dehumidifier Work for Multiple Rooms?
If your dehumidifier has a large capacity and if there is sufficient airflow between the rooms, your device would be able to do multiple rooms simultaneously.
When it comes to portable dehumidifiers, you can easily take the unit from one room to the other, depending on your needs. In such a case, you might want to get a relatively big dehumidifier as it would be able to effectively dehumidify different-sized rooms.
Read: What Size Dehumidifier Do I Need For My Crawl Space?
Where Is the Best Place to Put a Dehumidifier in a Room?
- As close to the center of the room as possible
- Next to the source of moisture
- At least 6 inches away from walls and furniture
- In a place with good airflow
In a small room, you can, basically, put the dehumidifier wherever you want, as long as it’s a level surface and the device is placed a few inches away from any obstructions.
When it comes to big rooms, it is generally recommended to put the unit close to the center of the space.
Where Is the Best Place to Put a Dehumidifier High or Low?
Putting the device close to the ground is a lot more practical. After all, you might have to empty the bucket from time to time, and doing that if the dehumidifier is located close to the ceiling would not be convenient.
It doesn’t really matter whether you’re going to place the unit on the floor or around 3 feet above the floor, as long as the surface is level and the device is away from any obstructions – it will get the job done.
Read: Can You Run A Window AC In The Rain?
Best Place to Put Dehumidifier in Bedroom
If the bathroom is the source of moisture in your bedroom, then putting the dehumidifier close to the bathroom or even in it would be effective.
When picking a device for the bedroom, make sure to pay attention to the noise level of the unit – some dehumidifiers can be quite noisy.
Best Place to Put Dehumidifier in Basement
Go for a dehumidifier that can withstand relatively low temperatures and place it at least 6-12 inches away from any obstructions for better results. If your unit has a top-mounted discharge, then you can place the device against the wall.
You might also want to make sure that all the windows and doors in the basement are kept closed while the dehumidifier is running.
Where to Put Dehumidifier in Bathroom?
It is vitally important to choose a safe location for a bathroom dehumidifier. That’s why you should place an electrical unit away from the shower and bath.
Alternatively, you can go for a non-electrical dehumidifier, if you don’t want to have to worry about tripping over electrical cords or getting electrocuted.
Conclusion
The best place for a dehumidifier is close to the source of moisture. In case it’s downstairs, then you would certainly want to keep the unit there.
If you simply want to slightly lower the humidity level throughout the house, then it is recommended to place the device on the upper floor, close to the stairs.
