Just bought one of these to help prevent dampness & mould growth. electriq.co.uk/p/cd20le/ele...
We had a mould specialist in to treat the whole house (had to move out for several days) and he recommended we keep the machine running 24/7 in autumn and winter. It’s set to 55% humidity.
Does anyone have any views on this? I’m not really worried about the cost, my lungs are the priority. It’s just that I’m always a bit nervous about leaving appliances running when we’re asleep or out!
for me 55 is too low, gives me very dry lips and skin, now use 65 during sleep and during day only as necesary maybe due to cooking etc. DoesntDoesn't run continuously unless set to laundry mode which will dry a full wash load whilst we sleep without dry lips or condensation. Hopes thus helps,
Yes, very helpful, thanks. The mould man said it’s brilliant for laundry and told me never to use a heated airer. Atm 55 seems ok but will keep dryness in mind because my skin is very dry even without a dehumidifier!
I think modern appliances can be relied on jd, I wouldn't trust very cheap ones or things advertised on social media (except this one). The first thing I did between emptying buckets, pots and baling out big plastic boxes on 20th September monsoon here in Gloucestershire was order 2 dehumidifiers with 2 litre reservoirs. I knew it was vital to dry out the carpets in the 6 soaked rooms. A daughter sent me a third one, the roofers lent me an old 4th one and all three were on 24/7 & one day another daughter brought over theirs so 5 on that day plus a very small one I used in the basement. For 6 weeks I was emptying 6 litres per day out of each of the modern new ones. Horrendous but omg I had no idea how brilliant they are. They've also kept me safe (severe allergy to ordinary mould) in your case it'll be a brilliant addition My girls use them for their mountains of washing rather than using dryers too, so very much cheaper and now know, healthier.
As an add on, yesterday (wearing the right glasses) I noticed the outside of a filter was covered in dirty looking dust so shook that off outside & vacuumed.
Good move jd. They switch off when full &/or overheating.
(Soz for waffling, brain fog 🙃)
I just don’t know how you got through that, peege, without a nervous breakdown! You’re a tough woman 💪 I believe you said the repairs are ongoing too.
I don’t know why I didn’t get one before. I seem to be using my Ventolin less often already 😊 I had no idea we had such a problem with mould! We spotted one or two patches, in bathroom & utility room, but the mould man found lots, eg even at the back of built-in wardrobes. Obviously he knows where to look. He’s treated the whole house, & with the dehumidifier we should be ok now.
Ever the optimist, I’m hopeful I might be able to come off these horrible anti-fungals, in time 🤞
It's really good about your using less ventolin already hoorah 😃 and I do so hope you can come off the antifungals in the not too distant future.
They are amazing & take an incredible amount of moisture out of the home. Because you're detached it'll be especially cold in wardrobes/cupboards on outside walls. I keep one wardrobe wedged open for ventilation in a corner with 2 outside walls and clothes are a foot away from wall (I've lobbed half the contents out too so not stuffed to the gills with unworn garb). When I've some energy I'll sell stuff on Vinted
Re flood I did drive myself for 4 days of raining indoors & baling out night and day. I don't know how I did it either without some sort if break down. I didn't and the ceilings are replastered, house is dry & no longer smells like a stable so all over bar repainting & recarpeting. I am a bit broken so resting a lot at the mo. If I start feeling sorry for myself I think of those poor people in Spain.
Stay as well as can be my dear ××××× P
I cannot begin to imagine. Well done and I hope everything is back to normal very soon xx
Yes our outside walls are very cold to the touch, so we get condensation. And after 37 years in the same house our wardrobes too are stuffed. Will have to have a major clear out. It turned out the tiny black spots along window sills, which had been puzzling me, were mould.
I really don’t know how you do it, but rest awhile now, it’s that dodgy time of year for us ❤️
Oh, I've tiny black dots on the centre of front sash windows, on the wood where the catch is. They get condensation as single glass & north facing (can't change them as conservation area) I thought it was spider poo. I was wondering where you find a mould expert too & was it messy?
If you can’t clean it off, it’s not spider poo 🤣 But I think you can get stuff to remove mould, if there’s not much of it. It’s advertised for things like the lines of black mould you can get in the shower. It’s not at all messy, but you do have to move out. Then you come back to a pristine house 😊 The worst thing was emptying the wardrobes so he could get at the backs of those x
How did you find a mold man and how much did he charge if you don’t mind me asking. I’m convinced there’s mold in my house . Does he use any special kit for detecting it?
We just looked on google for someone local. It cost £800 plus VAT for the whole house. He spent two hours inspecting the house and using some sort of meter, not sure what it was. Then he explained it all, but tbh I left that to my husband & wasn’t really listening. If we hadn’t gone ahead with him, there was no charge for the inspection.
He arrived wearing a hazard suit & brought chemicals & some gas canisters with him but I don’t know what they were. Anyway, every black spot and patch of mould has now gone
I have a dehumidifier and I keep it running 24 hours a day, therefore when I’m asleep and when I’m out. Mine has a dust filter at the back that’s fairly easy to remove and clean, which I do fairly frequently(ish) because it makes it run better and also I guess reduces the fire risk. I feel the plug from time to time to make sure it’s not feeling warm.
Ha, when I worked in loss adjusting it was overheating tumble dryers (and cigarettes of course) which caused the most fires, so I’m always feeling that particular plug.
As a teenager I had OCD about checking things, which took over my life for years - long story - and I still have to discipline myself not to fall down that rabbit hole again 😳 I left it on overnight and survived 😂but not sure I can do that when we go out. I suspect husband will insist and force me out of the house!
Think you’re right about cleaning the filter, that must make it more efficient.
Check the manual as many would have a cut out switch if overheated etc. I have a Meaco it turns off and back on based on the humidity its set on. Used a lot a few years ago after poor boiler installation resulting in water running down a wall a few days before Christmas. Oh joy. xx
Oh dear, what is it about Christmas? Something bad often seems to happen. I’ve been ill in bed so many Christmases.
My instructions don’t say anything about a safety cut-out but I expect there is. I might email the company. Thanks Dottie x
Great that it's also an air purifier
Yes I’m really pleased about that, and you can set it to air purifier only. Will be handy during pollen season
I thankfully haven't experienced floods and the impact of that on my health but I do have an old dusty house and in the winter, we have laundry hanging up.Forgive my ignorance, do you need to move your humidifier around the house to different rooms on a regular basis?
For drying laundry i believe you keep it all in the same room along with the dehumidifier near it and shut the door. Mine have laundry drying and dehumidifying settings, they're also maneuverable with 4 little wheels and have hand holes on the sides. The 3rd one my daughter ordered only has one hand hole on the back making it slightly less maneuverable. If you're frail you wouldn't want to carry them up & down stairs so best to put one in the room you spend most time in ie bedroom. I've noticed several members having bought one for the bedroom found it so good they've bought a 2nd for the sitting room.
Oh TT, your dusty house and drying laundry are terribly bad for your poor lungs! I have only one dehumidifier, it covers a 5 bed house and you place it centrally eg in the hall. As it’s also an air purifier, it cleans the air. It cost under £200. I’m hoping my lungs will improve - in fact, I’m breathing better already 😊
Thankyou.
I'm sure that the eradication of mould (English spelling as you used) in our home, stopped my years of chest infections. I had 18 infections in 2017, and similar numbers in the 3 previous years. Black Mould was found in our bathroom in April 2018 due to a leak in the bath's drain. We were having the bathroom changed to a shower room. A large part of the floor was renewed. Since that time, I have had no chest infections, apart from a bout of pneumonia and pleurisy in Nov 2019.
I Britain, we've an inordinate amount of rainfall of late, so the atmosphere has constantly been humid. Moss has grown a lot around the garden. Also, cooking can create a lot of steam. Use lids on your saucepans and keep the heat source as low as possible, and put on the extractor fan if you have one.
However, atmospheric conditions aren't the only cause of mould, but water leaks in the house; roof, bathroom and kitchen. The latter two usually causes mould to grow out of sight, under and behind. I do not think a dehumidifier would help much in any of those instances.
I believe that maybe, our previous home may have had mould, as I had 6 infections in 2012. And the lady of the family who bought that house in August 2013, died with a fungal lung infection.
That’s amazing, that it’s made such a huge difference. I’m so pleased for you, and hopeful I can reduce my infection rate too, and improve my fungal problems. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing that janedivney. I have one that I've had for years which is very efficient but also a bit noisy and very heavy, so will definitely look into getting one of those. Can I ask, how did your specialist treat your damp? I have looked into various options but they all involve taking the plaster off all the walls, which I can't face.
Hi Jane, I have two dehumidifiers. I'm in a ground floor flat which is prone to damp. I have one in my bedroom and one in the room I dry clothes in. I used to put one in my bathroom when having a shower but can't drag it now. I keep them on towels and drag them to point at the bathroom and leave the doors open when I shower. Amazing how much water they collect even from that distance. But I have a friend who leaves theirs on 24/7 and they say their bungalow feels much cosier like that. xxx
Terrible what you have been through, I really feel for you, the floods have been horrendous everywhere haven’t they, you are amazing 🤩 sending hugs your way, 😊🌺💐🌺 xx
Humidifier/.dehumidifier
Just had a diagnosis of Bronchiectasis
Air purifier/humidifier 
Dyson Air Purifier
