Dehumidifier on First or Second Floor – What’s The Ideal Placement?

Home appliances such as humidifiers and dehumidifiers are essential for comforting air quality in our homes.

Depending on the requirements, these are being used in 1-3 room flats residential apartments and even in 2-3 story houses.

If you plan to buy a dehumidifier device for your home or apartment, it’s essential to know the ideal placement.

Whether you need to place it on the first floor or a second floor (downstairs or upstairs) to get the maximum benefits?

For most of the homeowners, it’s a second floor which is ideal for placing the dehumidifier.

This is due to the fact that the second floor of your house is often more humid than the first. And hence requires controlled humidification.

With that being said, you may now have many other questions appearing in the back of your mind.

Let’s try to answer this in simple terms in our article below…

Why is Humidity High on the Second Floor?

Well, many homeowners have high humidity on their second floor, and you are not alone. It might happen due to several factors.

To understand better, you should first know that it is reasonable to have a slightly humid environment upstairs, as all the warmth and moisture from the ground level tends to go up.

But if you experience this situation regularly and it leads to an obvious discomfort, you might also have issues such as:

• Lack of qualitative insulation for your exterior or interior walls;
• Problems with ductwork, including leaks;
• An oversized AC.

How Can You Control Higher Humidity on the Second Floor?

Higher humidity is extremely dangerous for your property.

Higher humidity on your second floor (compared to the first) can lead to damaged wood, paint, or insulation.

Not managing this situation correctly might harm your house’s structure, surfaces, and overall condition.

Thus, you might ask yourself how to manage this unique situation in which humidity is high on your second floor.

To find out our experts’ recommendations on how to manage and balance indoor humidity in your house upstairs, read on further.

1- Managing high humidity caused due to poor insulation

If you feel like your second floor gets more humid during summer, your house most likely has problems with insulation.

Inadequate insulation allows outside heat to enter through leaks in your attic, which might impede the AC system from keeping the second level adequately cooled.

Anyhow, you can quickly fix this situation by using the help of an expert.

He will analyze your property’s insulation status and recommend how to insulate your home properly.

Great insulation will balance humidity and insulation levels, making the interior more comfortable than before.

2- Managing high humidity caused by issues with ductwork

Two-story houses were designed with a unique system. This means that a separate AC unit does the heating and cooling of the house.

As a result, the cool air is released only on the second floor so it can descend all around the house.

But if there is faulty ductwork, it can lead to extreme humidity and moisture.

And this happens because of the unique design of an AC.

This device was made to remove some moisture from the interior to use in the cooling process.

But if you have leaky or faulty ductwork, too much humidity enters the system.

Therefore, the solution for this case is using a technician’s help to identify the ductwork issues.

Replacing or sealing them will most likely solve your humidity problems for your second floor.

Keep in mind that even a poorly connected duct might favor excess humidity.

So, it is best to do regular maintenance of your system to avoid such situations. 

3- Managing high humidity caused due to an oversized AC

Choosing the right AC system for your home is more than necessary.

If you opt for an AC too large for your home’s dimensions, it won’t be able to create a pleasant environment.

And this happens because it will stay on for a limited time.

This will prevent the device from removing the correct amount of humidity from the air, making your second floor more humid and filled with moisture.

So, before installing an AC system, you should ask a professional for advice.

But, of course, if you already have a system that is too large, you can always use the help of a technician to replace it with the proper dimension for your property. 

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Factors That Affect the Placement of Dehumidifier In A 2-Story Building

In general, the humidity level in a 2-story building can depend on various factors (including your activities which often increase the temperature in your house).  

Whether you need to put your dehumidifier on the first or second floor will typically depend on these factors:

1- An area with better airflow:

Most of the time, dehumidifiers should be located at a place where they can extract moist air and expel dry air quickly.

Placing a dehumidifier at such a location where there is a lower number of obstacles (like furniture items, home appliances, etc.) enhances the airflow and can help better.

2- An area with the most moisture:

This sounds to be obvious and needs to be considered the most.

The areas such as your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room are the places that have higher levels of humidity.

And if they are located downstairs, you should consider placing a dehumidifier there.

3- An area with the most minor temperature:

The house’s coldest floor with a minor temperature is ideally the best location to put your dehumidifier.

Whether it’s upstairs or downstairs (or even the basement), you should check the humidity and place the dehumidifier there.

4- An area with fewer dust particles:

The place where you locate your dehumidifier machine should ideally be free from dust particles, lint, and smoke.

If you put the device near such dirt sources, it may put too much strain on the filter, causing it to get damaged sooner.

Depending on your choices, dehumidifiers can be placed on the floor, up high, or on the first floor.

By keeping all the factors in mind and weighing them over one another, you may quickly figure out where you may want to place it for maximum benefits.

Before you place it, make sure that you check the availability of the electric source near to it.

The power source should not be too near to cause electrocution.

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So, Where is the Best Place to Put My Dehumidifier – Upstairs or Downstairs?

Managing excessive humidity is not an easy task.

And the situation gets worse when you live in a two-storied house, which experiences distinct levels of humidity and moisture on each floor.

As such, you might have different environments throughout your house, ranging from hot and damp to humid.

The fact that relative humidity is not evenly distributed in a 2-story building makes it important for you to figure out whether you should precisely place your dehumidifier upstairs or downstairs.

To conclude, we can clearly say that it’s best to place your dehumidifier on your second floor or the basement as these are the most humid places in your 2-story apartment or house.

Just in case you find high humidity conditions on the ground floor or the 1^st floor, it’s better to find its source and fix the problem by hiring an expert rather than placing a dehumidifier there.