A dehumidifier can be described as an air conditioner meant to promote the right moisture content in the air. Dehumidifiers have a fan which pulls in the surrounding air. The air then passes over a hot and a cold coil. The moisture from the air forms on the cold coil. When buying one, you would obviously want to choose the best. You should look at features first and brand name second when searching for the best dehumidifier.

The room size that you'll be using the dehumidifier in is the first thing to consider. You need to match the unit size with the size and condition (how wet) of the area to be dehumidified. It's important too to consider the relative humidity levels in your area. You should try to match the humidity conditions in your home with the capacity of the dehumidifier.

Sometimes, you might be dealing with different conditions in the same house. You'll often find that the most humid room in the house is the basement. Try to test different rooms to be sure. With a portable dehumidifier you can easily move it around to different rooms of your house. This way you can dehumidify each room separately.

After you look at the room conditions you need to start considering the features you'll need in the dehumidifier. One feature that's good to have is a 2-speed fan. Such units offer quiet operations and more efficiency. If you cannot get such a unit, you might also consider other types. However, you must check the noise to determine whether the unit can be used close to the bedroom.

The most important thing you need to look at is the capacity of the unit. For a small area of 1,000 square feet or less you should look to a medium capacity dehumidifier. If you have a larger area then you'll need a large capacity unit that can dehumidify 65 pints or more per day. More advanced features will cost more, so you need to consider what you'll really need.

You need to decide which features best match your situation. A stronger, high capacity model is best for severely humid conditions. One important feature is a auto-shut off function that comes into play when the container is full. This can happen a lot in very humid rooms. It's even better if you can connect a hose directly to the drain.

It is also good to have a humidistat, which measures the humidity levels in the house at any time. The dehumidifier will automatically start and stop to keep the humidity levels at the setting you programmed. Some units even have timers to start at a designated time. This will also prevent the air from being too dry.

You'll also want to look for a defrost function that will prevent the coils from freezing over. If you plan on using the unit in different rooms then make sure it comes with wheels. Large capacity units can be pretty heavy.

Considering all these issues, it is clear that the best dehumidifier is not a given brand or model. The size of the area, the condition, and the features of each dehumidifier are what you should be looking at. Before you buy you need to make sure you do your research and understand which dehumidifier is best for your particular situation.