Energy Star Label

Purchasing a dehumidifier: What can an ENERGY STAR® certification do for you?

Basements can present harsh conditions for many household dehumidifiers -even for those that are ENERGY STAR certified

Since the ENERGY STAR® program began in 1992, it developed to establish specifications for all types of products. This ranges from, electronic equipment, computers, appliances, lighting, new homes, and much much more. So what does an ENERGY STAR® certification mean when you're purchasing a new dehumidifier? 

Its important to consider capacity and efficiency

Dehumidifiers are designed to eliminate moisture from the air by blowing air over aluminum coils which are cooled by refrigerant. Generally, cool air can't maintain as much moisture as warm air. When humid air makes contact with the cold coils in a dehumidifier, it releases moisture though condensation.

• Dehumidifier capacity informs you of how many pints of water the unit will extract from the air over a period of 24-hours under standard conditions and/or circumstances –80 degrees F and 60% relative humidity (RH). It is essential to note that "standard conditions" are not what you normally come across in a basement, where temperatures are greatly cooler and humidity could be higher. A room-size dehumidifier could have a capacity of around 30 pints per day (PPD). On the other hand, a WiseAire™ Basement Dehumidifier has a capacity of 109PPD. 
• Dehumidifier efficiency is typically referred to as the Energy Factor (EF), which is based on how much water (liters) the unit can remove from the air per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity that is consumed. Large dehumidifiers tend to be the most efficient. 
  
  

ENERGY STAR requires dehumidifiers to focus on efficiency and similar features 

Dehumidifiers with a capacity of 75PPD or less need to have at least a 1.85EF to earn the ENERGY STAR®. Models with 75-185PPD capacity must be 2.8EF or greater. Such minimum efficiency ratings are at least 15% greater than those for standard dehumidifiers. On top of meeting minimum EF requirements, ENERGY STAR® dehumidifiers also have to be equipped with an adjustable humidistat control (allowing you to set your target humidity level) or be functional using a remote humidistat. 

Better components lead to more efficient performance 

One reason why larger dehumidifiers can perform more efficiently than smaller units has accordance with size and quality of components. For example, the compact circular cooling coils of a low cost, room-size dehumidifier cover a much smaller cooling surface area than the radiator-like cooling coils that are used in a WiseAire™ dehumidifier. Due to this, the smaller unit's fan must blow a large volume of air through the machine to match the dehumidification capacity of the bigger unit. Electricity consumption goes up as a result. It's essential to learn about dehumidification before buying a new dehumidifier.  

If you need a new ENERGY STAR label dehumidifer, we have just what you're looking for. Contact us today, at 844-203-1819 for a free estimate.