A dehumidifier is the appliance you didn’t know you need

When moving into a home, some appliances we know we need — think your fridge and range, perhaps a microwave, a washer and dryer if you have laundry facilities — and others we don’t think about right away — until we need them.

The dehumidifier is a perfect example of the latter. A necessity to keep your home comfortable and dry, a dehumidifier also protects against the growth of mold and mildew. Yet for all that work, it’s often not until some moisture appears that homeowners think to pick up one.

“Whether you have a bad leak, or just have muggy, musty spaces, a dehumidifier will make your home more comfortable and healthier,” says Meaghan Wilkinson, Director of Marketing at Hisense Canada. “Homeowners need a dehumidifier more than they know, and often don’t know how bad they need one until they turn one on and feel the difference.”

The list of benefits of dehumidifiers is long: they create a pleasant living space (especially for people living with allergies), remove musty odours, control the growth of mildew and mold, reduce condensation, protect furniture and home electronics from moisture and inhibit the growth of dust mites. And with a range of applications, it is like the multi-tool of home appliances. You can use a dehumidifier for:

• Flooding: Whether from a leaky pipe or a crack in the foundation that spills water into the basement during the spring thaw and heavy rains, a dehumidifier is a vital tool to help keep your basement — and all of your belongings — dry
• Finished Basement: Renovating and finishing a basement is a significant expense. The last thing you want is mold growing behind the baseboards or walls because of the dampness that settles into your home’s foundation. A dehumidifier will pull that excess moisture out of the air and protect your investment.
• Protection: Water may be a necessity of life, but it can also be incredibly damaging. Whether you have a rec room with a big TV and home theatre equipment, a music room stocked with instruments or an unfinished space you use for storage — seasonal decorations, tools, family items (like photo albums) — a dehumidifier will add a layer of protection from the harm excess moisture can cause to sensitive electronics and precious keepsakes.
• Basement Bedroom: Getting into a bed that feels damp is icky, but it is a common problem in a basement bedroom. Removing that humid air from the room will make for a more comfortable and peaceful night’s rest.
• Bathroom: Exhaust fans do great work to prevent the build-up of condensation in a bathroom, especially when enjoying a hot shower. But what if you have a bathroom without a fan? A dehumidifier does the exact same work, will help stop fogging of mirrors and prevent the growth of mildew from condensation settling on the walls and ceiling.
• Cottage Opening: Most cottages sit dormant for a long winter, and when spring rolls around they can smell quite musty. A dehumidifier quite literally clears the air during cottage opening season.

Hisense has a range of dehumidifiers with capacity to hold between 14 and 33 litres of water and can cover an area up to 1,500 square feet. Find them in store and online at Lowe’s, Rona and Reno Depot or visit hisense-canada.com.