Can A Dehumidifier Dehydrate You? Fact Or Fiction?

Dehydration removes water and other fluids in the body and stretches our organs to work more causing us to feel weak both physically and mentally. It can be due to not drinking enough fluid and staying too long under severe heat.

Being aware of the temperature including heat index and humidity levels will help you avoid dehydration. At home, a dehumidifier is essential in improving air quality, keeping well-balanced humidity and making us feel more comfortable.

High humidity causes mold, allergies, dry skin, and other respiratory diseases. This device was developed and designed to remove air humidity and not the fluids in our body and cause dehydration.

There is less to no chance that a dehumidifier will dehydrate you. A rare occurrence will only be when you are sleeping with this device on and your mouth open for the entire night, thus resulting in a sore throat the next day.

Although dehumidifiers are safe to use overnight, make sure that your device is well-maintained and regularly cleaned.

Can a Dehumidifier Cause Dehydration?

Let’s first define what dehydration really means and its health risks. Dehydration occurs when there is not enough liquid or fluid in the body and it can no longer support your daily functions.

We’ll get weak and sick if we don’t have enough body fluids. It can usually be caused by certain diseases like diabetes and fever. Extreme physical activities can also cause dehydration as well as the hot weather.

On the other hand, a dehumidifier is known to extract excess air moisture when the humidity is above the normal level. However, there is no link between dehumidifier and dehydration.

Using a dehumidifier at home cannot dehydrate you since it was developed, designed, and program to get rid of air moisture only.

If Dehumidifier Cannot

Dehydrate You, What is

the Real Cause?

High humidity causes dehydration and this will totally affect your overall health status. Dehydration can be determined through a lot of physical changes like weakness or decreased energy, dry mouth and throat, dizziness, and even a change of urine color.

When you are dehydrated, your urine turns into a dark yellow or orange color. To avoid getting dehydrated, we need to drink enough water to replenish and refresh our bodies so we can continue to perform our daily activities without any problems.

This is also similar to having high humidity inside the house. You can only eliminate excess air moisture through the help of dehumidifiers.

Skin Dryness Caused by Dehumidifier

There are rare cases of skin dehydration triggered by dehumidifiers when they are used in the wrong environment, such as leaving it on all day during the summertime while all the windows are closed. Remember the most comfortable humidity level should be between 45-50%.

Prolonged use of a dehumidifier in a low-humidity room can cause chapped lips and dry skin, but it will not dehydrate your body.

This is why it is highly recommended that you should carefully read and follow the instructions on how and when to use this device.

Can A Dehumidifier Make you Sick?

I know mommies are more concerned about their family’s health and total well-being before anything else. In my previous posts, I have repeatedly stressed out the many benefits of using a dehumidifier.

However, it can’t be too good a device only, right? So I actually did my research on the negative effects of dehumidifiers and one of the questions I came across was “Can a dehumidifier make you sick?”

This sounds a bit weird but hey, there is a possibility. Improper use of dehumidifiers can pose skin dryness, sore throat, and trigger certain respiratory diseases.

There may be a few risks with using dehumidifiers, however, most of which are actually easy to manage.

Here are the possible reasons:

Incorrect Humidity Level Causes Dryness

Again, I always emphasize that you do some needed research first prior to purchasing a dehumidifier. This is because you need to fully understand how this device works, its considerations, working factors, and even maintenance.

When you use it in the wrong temperature area, the dehumidifier will end up drying the entire room. Choosing the right model of dehumidifier matters too, because some devices installed a built-in humidistat to track the current humidity level at home.

A normal and comfortable humidity level usually runs at 45-50% and higher than that, you need to turn on the device to remove the excess air moisture.

Here is a summary of how to buy a dehumidifier that is right for your home:

Respiratory Diseases will Trigger Due to Dirty Filters

Most portable or room dehumidifiers have filters inside to clean the air that goes inside the device. Technically, it removes dust particles from the air before it proceeds through the coils.

And the more you use the unit, the filters work double-time and the more it is necessary to clean or replace it.

Dirty dehumidifiers can actually worsen your cough and allergies. It may be due to uncleaned filters which may no longer serve its purpose because it’s clogged with dust and dirt.

Unwanted Accidents Caused by Manufacturer

Apart from overuse or incorrect use of dehumidifiers, unfortunately, there is also a risk of burns, fire, and shock hazard.

There were reported incidents such as smoke coming from the device due to faulty electricals, freon leakages (which is the compressed coolant inside the unit), and fire which is commonly due to manufacturer defects.

Faulty electricals may cause a fire if not discovered quickly or it might ground the person who might be holding or touching the unit if there are open wires.

Freon, on the other hand, is known to be used in refrigerators; this trade name contains chlorofluorocarbons that helps in cooling devices such as refrigerators and dehumidifiers. However, once it leaks, it is extremely dangerous to our health and to the environment.

People suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems might experience severe breathing issues when they inhale freon.

When there is a freon leakage, contact a technician right away to fix the problem. If you are experiencing this with a brand new unit, contact your manufacturer right away so they can file a replacement for you.

However, there is less percentage of these incidents, but of course, getting caught up in any of these might get you terribly sick.

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Dirty Dehumidifiers can be a Breeding Ground for Molds and Bacteria Too

Did you know that your dehumidifier can be a breeding ground for bacteria and mold growth? Yes, because dehumidifiers have both warm and cold parts inside.

It has a particular part in where it is warm and damp. If you use it on a daily or continuous basis, there are higher chances that molds, mildew, bacteria will grow on these parts.

Set a regular cleanup according to your available time and disinfect your unit to get rid of these issues.

How Often to Use a Dehumidifier

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Whether it is your first time using a dehumidifier or been using it for quite some time but are considering energy costs, it safe to understand how long you should actually use your dehumidifier.

Honestly, it all depends on the level of humidity we experience at home. So, there are several factors you also need to consider:

The main function as to why we use this device is to eliminate the excess air moisture in the house or in certain rooms. You can determine this by using a hygrometer or by checking on the built-in humidistat of your dehumidifier.

If your house or certain rooms have ultra-high humidity then you can use a dehumidifier for about 10-12 hours daily. The longer you use it, the better.

Of course, the size, features, and added functions of your dehumidifier also matter on the number of hours you can use it.

Remember that our goal is to bring down the humidity to at least between 45-50% so we can enjoy a healthy and balanced room environment.

When is the Best Time to Use the Dehumidifier?

There is no definite time as to when to use a dehumidifier. You may contact your electricity provider so they can give you the best time frames.

But, you need to consider as well the changing seasons. During summertime, the RH (relative humidity) level should be at 50% and 30 to 40 % during the cold season.

Keeping the indoor humidity at these levels will immensely prevent common household and environmental issues such as bacterial growth, condensation, mold, dust mites, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Usually, you can run the dehumidifier during night time between 10 pm - 7 am. During these hours, there are fewer people consuming energy which can efficiently cut down your electricity bill.

Apart from using a dehumidifier to balance air moisture, it can also help you dry a room in case there would be flooding or if you are residing in flood-prone locations.

If your concern is the cost of its total consumption, most dehumidifiers are programmed to be energy-efficient. But of course, it is still best to practice practicality.

One thing we can do to lessen the cost of using a dehumidifier is to remove some source of excess moisture. We can add exhaust fans in the bathroom, fix all leaking pipes and plumbings, and ensure that all windows and doors are free from any water or moisture intrusion.

Is it Safe to Sleep at Night with a Dehumidifier Running?

Yes, you can have a good night’s sleep with a dehumidifier on all night if your room is musty. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation suggests that the best humidity level for sleeping is at 50% regardless of the weather outside as long as you maintain this balanced humidity inside the room.

Remember, high humidity can highly affect your sleeping conditions. When there is high humidity, it makes it difficult for the water in the body to evaporate, thus making you feel uneasy and sweaty.

If you are suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems, you may find it hard to sleep at night when there is too much air moisture. When there is high humidity in the room, it actually affects your sleep in three categories:

The worst part is waking up feeling hot and weak due to high humidity levels. Turning on the dehumidifier will alleviate your allergies and make you breathe normally and sleep comfortably. Thus, waking up refreshed and well-rested.

Conclusion

So friends, to sum it all up, a dehumidifier cannot dehydrate you. High humidity is the real culprit as to why you feel dehydrated and using a dehumidifier can actually improve the situation.

It was mainly developed and dedicated to removing excess indoor air moisture that imposes health threats. Although there are reported incidents of skin dryness, it was in fact attributed to inappropriate use of this device.

Just like any of our home appliances, dehumidifiers too, have some side effects when not used properly. Correct usage and proper maintenance are the keys to prolong device life and make the most of it.

If we treat our appliances, particularly the dehumidifier with great care, it will surely reciprocate the goodness we share. It’s all about balancing my dear friends, we simply need to understand how to prolong their lives so we can benefit from these appliances.

So go ahead, there are more benefits you can enjoy with dehumidifiers rather than the fears of using this device. Live comfortably, mommies!