Many people like to use their garages as an extra storage area or to store things like memorabilia. Therefore it’s important to make sure your garage doesn’t have excessive moisture.
When outdoor temperatures fluctuate, indoor temperatures are affected. When a garage’s humidity gets too high, it can trigger mold growth.
Finding that your precious items – like baby clothing or stored books – are destroyed by mold can be distressing. Thankfully, garage dehumidifiers can handle moisture and prevent mold from festering on your items.
Will a Dehumidifier Work in a Garage?
A lot of factors can have a hand in bringing too much moisture into your garage. For one, cars can track in dampness. Tackling excess dampness in the garage is important because it stops mold before it forms and protects your garage and stored items.
Garages can start to sweat when too much dampness collects on the ground. Usually, this starts when the ground is cold and attracts moist particles in the air. This gives it a sweaty appearance.
Another issue with garages is the lack of ventilation. This makes it very easy for condensation to form when cold floors are touched by hot air.
Putting a dehumidifier in your garage will quickly and efficiently remove condensation and sweating from the interior of your garage.
What Size Dehumidifier Do I Need for My Garage?
It’s hard to determine what size dehumidifier is right for your garage exactly. This means you’ll need to consider a variety of factors. Knowing the approximate square footage of your garage is a great place to start.
Size Matters
If your dehumidifier is too small, it’s not going to be effective in a large area. On the other hand, if your machine is too big, it’ll be a drain on your energy bill. This is why it’s important to determine your garage size when purchasing a unit.
How to Choose the Best Garage Dehumidifier
Lots of dehumidifiers are on the market, but some are specially made for use in garages. Let this list be a starting place for what you’ll need to think about in your purchase.
Pints Per Day
A common way to sort dehumidifiers is by how many pints of water they’re capable of removing in a 24-hour period. Some units can tackle anywhere from 30 to 70 pints. You need one that’s right for you.
Another consideration is how humid your area generally gets. People who live in hot and humid places like Florida will need dehumidifiers with higher capacity.
Drain Options
Garages can house a ton of moisture. This means that your dehumidifier needs to do a lot of heavy lifting. The frequency of tank emptying needed will correspond with how much moisture your machine is pulling from the air.
One thing to note, a 70-pint dehumidifier might not come with a 70-pint tank. Garages can benefit from a continuous drainage option so that you don’t need to empty the tank all the time.
If your dehumidifier uses a gravity-fed drainage system, water needs to be able to run downwards. Some units also have pumps that are built into the system, extracting the water from your unit.
If you want the drainage to work continuously, you need to have a hose attached. Most machines will come with a small hose, but if yours doesn’t have a hose, you can DIY one by adding a typical garden hose.
If you don’t have a readily available drain, you’ll be forced to drain the tank yourself. In that case, you’ll want a machine that comes with a big reservoir, so you don’t need to empty the tank frequently.
Area Coverage
Knowing the area coverage of your prospective dehumidifier is important. Your dehumidifier’s compatibility will be gauged by square footage, in this case, the square footage of our garage.
Extra Features
Everything comes with extra features these days, so here are a couple to look out for when picking your dehumidifier.
Auto-shutoff: This feature keeps tabs on how much water is inside the tank. When it’s full, the unit will turn off by itself before any overflowing happens. Overflowing is dangerous because it might harm the dehumidifier and make your garage damp again!
Fan speeds: Customizing your dehumidifier fan speed is great because it gives you more control. Some units can have up to four settings.
Defrost: Dehumidifiers come with coils. If the temperature in your garage is really cold, dehumidifiers can actually freeze! A frozen coil will run in overdrive and might drain your energy or burn out. A defrost capability will keep your coils from freezing. It might also be great for keeping your electricity bill down in the winter.
The Best Garage Dehumidifiers of 2021
It’s great to use a dehumidifier to keep your garage from harboring mold, but picking the best dehumidifier for your situation can be a real task. Here’s a list of dehumidifier options to help you get started. When compiling this list, we considered sizes and important features that indicate how each machine might perform in a real-life setting.
Moisture Maniac 22-pint Dehumidifier
The Moisture Maniac 22-pint Dehumidifier might be small, but it’s also mighty. It’s not only energy-efficient but also efficient in general. This machine can purify the air as well, so it does more than just dehumidify.
This device includes an auto-shutoff function and a gravity-fed drain hose outlet. This lets you use it constantly without being concerned with overflow. Humidity can be controlled using the settings on the display.
Why We Love It
Great for Medium-Sized Garages
Medium-sized garages will appreciate this particular unit. It can deal with up to 1500 square feet and drain away 22 pints of moisture in 24 hours. The Vremi is great at lowering the humidity in garages, which stops mildew, bacteria, and mold from forming.
Portability
The Moisture Maniac is not only effective, but it’s also quick to move from place to place. It comes with two handles and a set of wheels.
Auto-Shutoff
Auto-shutoff is a great feature to have. It keeps tabs on the fullness of the water tank and turns itself off when it’s full. This stops overflowing from occurring. A light also turns on to indicate that the unit is off due to auto-shutoff, reminding you to empty it.
Continuous Drain
Maybe you don’t want to empty a big tank of water. No problem! Just use the drain hose outlet feature. This only requires that you stick a hose onto your unit and send the other end to a drain nearby. The dehumidifier will remove the water through the hose rather than keeping it in the tank.
Air Purification
You can do more to keep your garage clean than just sweep the floor. You can also clean the air inside your garage with this dehumidifier! That’s because it comes with a fine filter that can trap particles like dust, dirt, and mold spores.
You can detach the filter and wash it in warm water mixed with mild detergent whenever required. This is recommended once a month to keep the filter working at its best. Ensure that your filter is completely dry before it’s replaced.
Keep in Mind
Loud
The Moisture Maniac is an effective machine, but it can be loud. If you want to use this dehumidifier in a room other than the garage, the noise might be a problem.
Ivation 30-Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier
The IVation 30-Pint Dehumidifier is great for bigger garages because of its capacity for moisture removal. It’s also a compact model that can be easily moved since it’s attached to four caster wheels.
This is an energy-efficient machine with extra features like a timer, filter, and auto-shutoff. This dehumidifier is unique in that it can also be used in very cold weather; it includes a defrost function to protect it.
Why We Love It
Compact
Sometimes you can be a bit pressed for storage room in your garage, so compact units are always appreciated. Despite its size, this machine can remove up to 30 pints of moisture in 24 hours. It can also handle spaces of up to 2000 square feet in size, which should take care of an average garage.
Cleans the Air
An Ivation Dehumidifier also comes with filtration and evaporation capabilities. This works together with moisture removal to stop mold and mildew. It can also filter allergens from the air like dust mites and other things that can trigger asthma.
Large Tank
Even though this dehumidifier is on the smaller side, it still comes with a 10.4-pint water tank. This size will be convenient for those who don’t want to empty the moisture tank constantly.
Smart Features
A great perk of this particular model is its extra included features. For one, it includes customizable fan speeds, a filter alert, and a timer. Using the humidistat, which can be controlled through the monitor, you can choose what humidity level you want in your space. The bright LED display is easy to monitor and operate, so you can easily have total control.
Defrost Function
Winters can really do a number on a garage, which is usually not a portion of the house that is heated. Freezing temperatures can be harmful to dehumidifiers since their coils can become frozen. Defrost functions on this machine will keep your unit safe for use even in the coldest months.
Keep In Mind
Missing Screws
If you want to attach a hose to your unit to facilitate continuous drainage, you need to use two screws. Unfortunately, this is not included with your unit and will be something you need to buy separately.
Aprilaire 1830 Pro 70-Pint Dehumidifier
Are you someone who loves efficiency and always wants the fastest results? Maybe the Aprilaire Dehumidifier is for you. Built for endurance, the Aprilaire is powerful enough to suck a lot of moisture out of the air.
This unit is a bit heavier than other units on this list, but it sure does its job well!
If you want to dehumidify more than just your garage, you can also use this unit in your basement for the same purpose. Aprilaire offers you a five-year warranty with your purchase, which can cover any potential breakages or errors.
Why We Love It
Its Highly Effective
Especially for garages that are bigger than average, Aprilaire is a super-effective model. It’s truly capable of getting rid of a whopping 70 pints of moisture in 24 hours. You can rest assured that all mold, mildew, dampness, and even termites can be quickly evicted from your garage.
Durable
Aprilaire is a commercial dehumidifier, so it’s really built to last a long time without breakage. It uses aluminum coils that are built to resist corrosion. It’s also designed and built in the United States.
Easy Setup
This dehumidifier is fast and simple to set up. It comes with two plastic duct connectors that can be taken off with a standard screwdriver. Just place it over a drain, or add a hose, and you can drain water without filling the tank.
You can set up the display wherever you want, according to your convenience. It can be set on the top of the unit or off to one side.
Keep in Mind
Heavy
This unit weighs almost 70 pounds, making it one of the heaviest units on this list. However, it makes up for this drawback with its unbelievable durability.
Keystone High-Efficiency 50-Pint Dehumidifier
The Keystone 50-Pint Dehumidifier is a veritable frontrunner in customer reviews. It’s an extremely efficient machine that can deal with areas of a maximum of 3000 square feet. It also comes with an alert that tells you when the bucket is full and an indicator that refers to the transparent water level.
The included dust filter can trap allergens during moisture extraction. This machine includes settings that can be customized and extra features like defrost and auto-shutoff.
Why We Love It
Water Level Indicator
You can quickly check how much water is in the tank of this unit since it has a transparent panel that allows you to visually check the water level. This means you don’t need to open the machine or wait for an LED light.
Easy Controls
Every button on this machine is marked for ease of use. It shouldn’t take long for you to adjust to your favorite settings.
You can customize the timer settings and fan speeds through the electronic controls and high-visibility LED display.
Dust Filter
While moist air is pulled inside the machine, it’ll probably bring dust with it. This might cause clogs.
Luckily, the dust filter included will trap particles that try to enter the dehumidifier. Whenever the filter requires a cleaning, a LED light will indicate it. The dust filter is easily accessible and easy to clean.
Keep In Mind
Uses a Significant Amount of Energy
Even though this unit is so highly efficient, it can become problematic for your power bill. This machine will use even more energy if used non-stop.
Ivation 70-Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier
This 70-Pint unit is great for garages because it can deal with a lot of space at a time while removing a lot of humidity. The tank has a large capacity, but you can also attach a hose to let it drain continuously.
Customers are raving about the longevity of this unit and how efficient it is even after constant use. Its ability to conserve energy will save you some money in the long run.
Why We Love It
Excellent for Large Spaces
Big garages require dehumidifiers with more grit, like this Ivation machine! It’s capable of getting rid of up to 70 pints of water every 24 hours in areas as big as 4500 square feet.
Large Reservoir
If you’re tired of emptying tanks several times a day, consider getting this unit with an extra-large 18-pint reservoir. This will ensure that you don’t need to empty the tank as often.
If you don’t want to empty a tank at all, the continuous drain feature can be hooked up with a hose, which can then redirect into a drain. This also means your dehumidifier can be used continuously without the need for emptying.
Humidistat
This unit allows you to select the humidity level that you personally want using an LED screen. It also shows what level your garage is currently at, so you can keep tabs.
Easy to Move Around
This unit might weigh 45 pounds, but it offers quite a bit of maneuverability with its four caster wheels. This means you can push it wherever you want without too much difficulty.
Keep in Mind
Noise
Since this is a sizable unit, it can be a bit loud when it’s working. If it’s in the garage, it shouldn’t be a big issue. However, if it’s being used indoors, it can get noisy.
How Do I Keep Moisture out of My Garage?
Putting a dehumidifier in the garage can keep moisture levels down. Still, you can also do some of the following things to help lower humidity:
* Ventilate the garage to dry it out.
* Dry your car after parking it to stop sweating.
* Keep the temperature inside the garage from fluctuating.
* Coat the floor to stop it from sweating.
Don’t Sweat It!
Your garage can become a humid place, leading to festering mold. Using dehumidifiers will lower the moisture levels and prevent mold altogether.
Good dehumidifiers should be the correct size and power. We like having the feature of continuous drainage to save you effort and time. However, if that’s not available, you can get a unit with a bigger tank that needs less emptying.