Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pablo]

Hello

I know its still cold now, but I remember in Japan losing bedding and expensive imported clothes and shoes to mold in the closet before I found out about the containers of moisture-absorbing powder. Does someone have experience with the mechanical dehumidifiying units? Some questions are:

1) Does running a mechanical dehumidifier plus a fan use less electricity than an air-conditioner? Fans don't use much, but how about the dehumidifier?

2) If you dehumidify the room mechanically, is it necessary/advisable to still put absorbant powder tubs in the closets / cabinets?

3) How do the mechanical dehumidifiers actually operate? They're not just a little fan running air past the same absorbant powder, are they? Does the mechanical dehumidifier need anything "refilled" or "replaced" regularly?

4) To keep mold from forming in closets, does the dehumifier need to keep running even when you're out of the apartment? Also, do you keep it turned on or off at night?

5) What's the approximate going price for a reliable mechanical dehumidifier for a small (bedroom + kitchen + laundry area + bathroom) apartment in 2012? Are HomePlus and E-Mart good places to buy this?

6) What is the earliest month that humidity (and mold) could arrive in the Busan area?

Thank you for any information.

Pablo

[Swampfox10mm]

I have.

I only needed one in a basement apartment where the walls weeped with sweat. They are about the same price to run as a 4 pyung aircon (small wall unit like in a hagwon room).

Keep outside air circulating in your house, and that will help a lot.

[Swampfox10mm]

Now that I'm not on Android and typing slow, I'll try to answer more questions...


The manual "mechanical" dehumidifiers have a setting knob that turns the machine on/off at different increments of time. You can set it to run on/off depending how much you need it.

Newer models may have an automatic humidity meter in them that posts an LED display number next to a 2nd number. One number is the current humidity, and the other is the goal you have set the machine to reach. When the machine reaches that goal, it shuts off for a while until needed again.

Generally, I kept mine running much of the time (old manual style). It really depends on your place. Yes, I left it on when I left the house, if I felt it was needed.

The best place to buy these things in online using a site like www.enuri.com or www.gmarket.com

http://www.enuri.com/view/Listmp3.jsp?cate=0519&islist=

The trick is that you want to get one that pulls out enough water in a day to be worthwhile. In my opinion, the 6 liters/day models aren't enough. I'd go with something between 10 and 30. There are lots of "tiny" dehumidifiers that are still expensive and don't pull out very much water. For what you want, you're going to spend between 150,000 and 300,000 won, I'm guessing. Yes, E-mart sells them, but they are also not as cheap. You'll spend over 250,000 I think.

If you run one of these all of the time, I don't imagine you'll need the Hippo tub things in your drawers/closets that suck out water. They are just 1,000 each at Daiso stores, so it wouldn't hurt to have them anyway.

[nathanrutledge]

First, you don't want to get some gigantic unit for a small room, and you don't want a tiny one for a large room. If you get a unit that is too big, then it will start up, suck the water out, then turn off rather quickly. A little while later, it will repeat the cycle. This on/off/on/off cycle is not good for them. Conversely, a unit that is running constantly is going to burn up. You need one that matches the size of the room.

Another factor to consider is the bucket size. A unit that can pull a million gallons a day but only has a pint sized bucket is going to suck. IF you are dehumidifying a room with a floor drain, you can cut the plug and use a hose to drain automatically.

Also, dehumidifiers suck power. LOTS of power. Simply Google dehumidifier power consumption and do some reading.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dehumid.pr_basics_dehumidifiers

This site has a excel list of popular models with power consumption. For a example, a model that pulls about 47 liters per day is going to pull 2.6 liters per kWh. So.... 18 kWh per day IF you're running it all day long. That adds up!

Personally, I used a small dehumidifier in my laundry room, coupled with a fan, only when drying my laundry in the summer. Added a BIT to my bill, but only an hour a day on average, not too much. Still, be careful. They are the electric heaters of the summer...

[Pablo]

Thanks much, everyone. Well, I guess the big question that this initially boils down to is:

I already have an air-con provided in my apartment. One of my main motivations for possibly buying a dehumidifier is to avoid an expensive air-con electricity bill. Is a dehumidifier really going to do that?

It's sounding like these things suck lots of electricity on their own, too. If I'm not going to save the cost of the dehumidifier in lower air-con electricity bills over the course of, say, two years, then I'm inclined to make due with the air-con along with powder for the closets/cabinets.

[Swampfox10mm]

The wattage is posted next to the units on the site I linked.

A small aircon is about 400 to 500 watts.

[Lazio]

[nathanrutledge]

[mikesaidyes]

As I arrived here in the Fall (and an Atlanta native), I'm intrigued by this "intense humidity." Is it any different than the southeastern US (say, Charleston, SC - a coastal city - or anywhere else) where you are sweating by 8:30 in the AM?

Part of me thinks that it may not really be necessary to buy all this stuff (I do have aircon in my apartment) to dehumidify as I've never done it before.

Thanks for the newb scoop.