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Short answer: yes, if the room is damp and you can live with the noise: a humidistat stops the compressor once the room is dry enough. Flat out, eight hours cost 21p (Meaco Arete One 6L) to about 57p (Pro Breeze OmniDry 20L) among quiet models at the cap rate [calc]. For a bedroom, pick a low published noise figure and, if you want it to stop by itself, a timer.
Quiet models and the cost of a night
| Model | Noise | Power | 8 hours [calc] | Extraction (as published) | Price (Nov 14) | Seller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaco Arete One 10L | from 35 dB(A) | 151 W | 31.8p | 10 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £159.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco Arete One 12L | from 35 dB(A) | 151 W | 31.8p | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £179.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco Arete Two 10L | from 35 dB(A) | 152 W | 32.0p | 10 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £179.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco Arete Two 12L | from 35 dB(A) | 155 W | 32.6p | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £194.99 | B&Q |
| Meaco MeacoDry ABC 10L | from 36 dB(A) | 165 W | 34.7p | 10 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £129.99 | Meaco UK store |
| Meaco MeacoDry ABC 12L | from 36 dB(A) | 165 W | 34.7p | 12 L/day (30°C, 80% RH) | £149.99 | Meaco UK store |
| EcoAir Summit S | from 36 dB(A) | 156 to 180 W | 37.9p | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | £149.94 | EcoAir store |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 12L | from 36 dB(A) | 180 W | 37.9p | 12 L/day (conditions not published) | £109.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 20L | from 36 dB(A) | 270 W | 56.9p | 20 L/day (conditions not published) | £159.99 | Pro Breeze store |
| Pro Breeze OmniDry 10L | from 38 dB(A) | 160 W | 33.7p | 10 L/day (conditions not published) | £94.99 | Pro Breeze store |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
What controls the hours it runs
- Humidistat. Every compressor model we list has one. Meaco's Arete One can be set between 40% and 70% RH, the MeacoDry ABC and Low Energy models between 30% and 80% or 90%. Once the room is below your setting, the compressor stops.
- Timer (from the specification tables): Meaco Arete Two and DD8L Pro, on and off, 1 to 24 hours; MeacoDry ABC, off timer up to 24 hours; Meaco Low Energy, off timer up to 12 hours; Meaco Arete One, none. Pro Breeze, 24 hours on most models (12 hours on the 10L Desiccant). EcoAir, "Timer: YES" on its desiccant models.
- Sleep mode: Pro Breeze 20L Max Extraction ("dims display lights and lowers wind speed"), EcoAir Summit S ("switch off display & lower fan speed").
- Ebac Smart Control: Ebac says it learns when the home needs drying and runs the machine only then. A maker's description, not something we measured.
Whether you need it at all
Ebac, which makes dehumidifiers, writes that "almost all damp and condensation problems will be solved by removing 1.5 to 2 litres of moisture per day" (ebac.com). If yours collects much more than that every night, the source of the moisture (drying washing, cooking, a leak, poor ventilation) is worth finding. The UK government's guidance on damp and mould is on gov.uk.
The quietest figures in detail: quietest dehumidifier for a bedroom. Your own hours: the running cost calculator. All models: the comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Should a dehumidifier run all night?
If the room is damp and the noise does not bother you, there is nothing in the makers' specifications against it: the models we list have a humidistat that stops the compressor once the room reaches the humidity you set. Eight hours flat out cost 32p for a 151 W Meaco Arete One 10L and 57p for a 270 W Pro Breeze OmniDry 20L at 26.32p per kWh [calc].
Should a dehumidifier run all the time?
Only as long as the room needs it. With a humidistat set around the middle of its range (Meaco's Arete One: 40 to 70% RH), the compressor runs only while the air is above your setting. Ebac's own guidance is that most homes need to remove no more than 1.5 to 2 litres a day.
Which dehumidifiers have a timer or a sleep mode?
From the specification tables: Meaco's Arete Two and DD8L Pro have a 1 to 24 hour on/off timer, the MeacoDry ABC an off timer up to 24 hours, the Low Energy models up to 12 hours; the Arete One has none. Pro Breeze lists a 24-hour timer on most models and a sleep mode on the 20L Max Extraction; EcoAir lists a sleep mode on the Summit S.