Kimberley Joseph and her family like to watch TV in her basement, but without a dehumidifier, it would be too uncomfortable.
"The first thing we did was get the dehumidifier in so that way we would have a dry basement and it would be inviting to come down here," she said.
Consumer Reports Jim Nanni said dehumidifiers are your best choice when temperatures are cool and humidity is high.
Consumer Reports tested 17 dehumidifiers in three different sizes, including the large capacity, which are good for larger, very wet spaces, like a basement.
To assess a dehumidifier's ability to remove water, testers placed them in a humidity-controlled chamber. After four hours, testers removed the bucket and weighed how much water had been pulled from the air.
"All the dehumidifiers scored well in our testing, but some didn't remove as much moisture as they claim," Nanni said.
Testers also measured noise levels.
For large capacity dehumidifiers, Consumer Reports recommends the Danby, model DDR 606, which is available at Emporio Products in Richmond.
It did an excellent job at removing water from the air. It proved to be energy efficient and pretty quiet too.
It is essential that you buy a dehumidifier that's right for the space you're putting it in. Bigger isn't necessarily better for rooms that are not very wet.
Consumer Reports recommends you get a medium-capacity dehumidifier for rooms that are not very wet.
And don't forget to investigate the source of the moisture in case it is caused by a leak somewhere. The best way to keep humidity down is to prevent moisture from coming inside in the first place.
Before you buy a dehumidifier, try running your bathroom and kitchen fans for a few hours. This could be all you need.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
