When controlling the air quality of a single room or a small space such as a studio apartment or storage space, you may believe that an inexpensive store bought dehumidifier is enough. However, these small, cheaper models will have to work harder, causing them to break down sooner and use more energy than one adequately efficient commercial quality dehumidifier. Especially if you've got a moisture problem throughout your home or office, spreading these small, often inefficient appliances around various rooms could prove to be a costly mistake in the long run.

It can be tempting, when comparing the pints removed per day in commercial grade and simpler off the shelf home dehumidifier models, to see the cheaper version as the better deal. What is important to realize is that often these ratings are based on operation at saturation levels: 100 percent relative humidity, a state your home will seldom be in. In most cases, if the pints per day rating does not state under what conditions the model was tested, you can assume the actual performance capacity to be at about half of what is stated.

The difference comes when the manufacturer gives an AHAM capacity rating. This is a standardized test performed at 80 degrees and 60 percent relative humidity. This figure will give you a more realistic idea of the amount of water a commercial quality dehumidifier can remove from the air in your home or commercial property.

The larger, commercial grade dehumidifiers can more easily address property-wide moisture issues. The air in your home is in constant motion as cold air enters the lowest levels of the structure, then becomes heated and travels upward through floors and walls to exit through roof vents. This constant flow brings with it moisture from the ground. As this moisture condenses on pipes, absorbs into wood and other building materials and eventually into your carpets, fabrics and furniture, it creates an ideal environment for mold, mites and vermin of all sorts. Add to this natural hydration of the air the artificial hydration of daily activities such as showering, cooking and even breathing, and you've got a pest's paradise.

A commercial quality dehumidifier can cut this problem off at the source. By placing the appropriate unit in the lowest levels of your building, such as a basement or crawlspace, air can be dried before it has a chance to circulate through your home, preventing mold and pest problems early. There are many units that can even be added to your existing HVAC system and operated via remote humidistat for complete air quality control in your entire home.

Because a powerful commercial quality dehumidifier will operate more effectively and less often, it will ultimately be more efficient in terms of not only energy usage but also long term equipment costs. A dehumidifier regulated by humidistat will maintain the air comfort in your home or commercial space while only using energy when needed. Many people also find that a commercial grade dehumidifier will also save them energy use and wear on their A/C units as lower relative humidity also means that air feels cooler and more comfortable.

The most important goal is to match the proper dehumidifier to the needs of your space. A more substantial investment now will save not only the cost and hassle of repairing or replacing burned out units, but also the much more extreme cost and hassle of moisture damage throughout your home, office or commercial property.