Dehumidifiers manage the humidity in your home, remove unwanted odors, keep the air clean and make room temperature easier to regulate. But dehumidifiers can be really loud too. You want it to get on with doing its job but you don't want to hear it.
Whether you’ve had your dehumidifier for a long period of time, or you just recently bought it, you may be noticing that it’s louder than you'd like.
So, this leads us to the question, “How can you make your dehumidifier quieter?”. In this article we’ll be discussing the answer to that question as well as the possible reasons for why your dehumidifier is making so much noise.
Why is my dehumidifier so loud?
Even the quietest dehumidifiers have a reputation for making some noise. What makes them so loud? Once we get the gist of why the humidifier sounds the way it does, we’ll be in a better position to know how to make a dehumidifier quieter.
There isn’t necessarily one specific reason for why a dehumidifier is so noisy. Dehumidifier sound is generated mostly by the compressor, the fans and moving parts like the louvers.
Dehumidifiers have been designed to intake and exhaust air to help reduce the humidity levels in our home. It’s when this air passes through the dehumidifiers compressor that the dehumidifier tends to vibrate and make the most noise.
Other sources of dehumidifier noise are the fan blades and fan motor that can be found inside the dehumidifier. Both of these components are known for causing vibrations and they also break easily. Quality dehumidifier brands like Frigidaire will use better quality materials.
For example, the fan blades can bend or brush up against other components in the dehumidifier, which affects the overall performance of the dehumidifier and the amount of noise it makes.
Dehumidifiers will also make a large amount of noise over a long period of time because of components wearing out and dirt build-up.
Another culprit when it comes to dehumidifier noise is loose screws. If there are any loose screws on the inside or outside of your dehumidifier it will cause the dehumidifier to vibrate a lot.
If you have an energy efficient dehumidifier then it's going to run the compressor less often and will make less noise.
How to make a dehumidifier quieter
You can’t replace the compressor or fans in your dehumidifier easily but there are ways to make it quieter or to make the noise less noticeable. Here are a few tips to try:
Use a carpet
Carpets are useful for a lot more than merely being an attractive, soft object to walk on. Carpets actually have soundproofing, or sound dampening, properties and they’re particularly handy when it comes to making a dehumidifier quieter.
How specifically do carpets help? When you put a dehumidifier on a carpet, it will absorb the vibrations and any airborne noise that the dehumidifier might produce as well.
Wool carpets are the best kind for the job. They prevent sound from traveling, so you will be able to stop the sound waves from taking a trip along the floor and around the room. Wool carpets are also preferred because they absorb the majority of airborne noise that you’d find in a room that has a dehumidifier in it. Up to 80% to be more exact.
Soundproof the room
When we talk about soundproofing your home, we’re not just referring to one section of your house but rather the whole thing. It is a more complicated and drawn out solution, but it will go a long way to providing you and your household with the peace they need.
Of course, this solution doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’ll be quieter in the room where the dehumidifier is, but if your concern is that you can hear the dehumidifier from another part of the house then this should work for you.
There are plenty of soundproofing materials to choose from and while they’re not all pretty, there are different colors and styles that might suit your taste. For example, Amazon offers you a pack of 12 acoustic/soundproofing panels that come in 7 different colors. These are specifically meant to be used on the walls.
You may also want to consider soundproofing your windows and doors. Okay honestly, soundproofing your windows probably won’t influence the amount of noise you hear from the dehumidifier in your home. But if you live in an apartment with thin walls then it'll help make sure your neighbors don't hear you. Not sure how to do it? We’ve got a step-by-step article that discusses how to soundproof a window.
Check whether the dehumidifier is damaged
A damaged product will not work properly and often it’s one of the main causes of unwanted noise. Unfortunately, there may not be an obvious sign that points to the fact that it’s damaged, unless the dehumidifier starts making more noise than it did when you first got it.
The first thing you’ll want to look at is the fan because it’s one of the components in the dehumidifier that breaks easily. You can also check inside the dehumidifier to see if any parts are loose or corroded.
If you notice that a part is damaged you should replace it. It’s possible that you can replace the part on your own but it might be wiser to call in a technician if you don’t feel confident about replacing it.
Place the dehumidifier on an even surface
Placing the dehumidifier on an even surface will cause the entire unit to rattle and make noise. The simple solution to this problem is to place the dehumidifier on a flat surface.
This will prevent the dehumidifier from vibrating heavily and rattling. If your dehumidifier still makes quite a bit of noise after you’ve moved it to an even surface, you can invest in a woolen carpet or anti-vibration mat which will dampen the sound.
Make sure that the dehumidifier’s airflow isn’t obstructed
Like we’ve already discussed, a dehumidifier makes a lot of noise because it has to work so hard to bring in air. So, when the dehumidifier sits in a position where the airflow is obstructed by a wall, it messes with the smooth movement of the airflow and will make even more noise than is necessary.
Most dehumidifier manufacturers don’t actually tell you how far away the dehumidifier should be from the wall.
Even though this is true, you can make an estimated guess by comparing the distance between the dehumidifier and the wall and how much noise it makes.
Take a look at the fan blade and housing
Are you hearing any grinding sounds coming from your dehumidifier? If so, then it’s possible that the fan blade and housing is causing the noise. Actually, the fan blades are more likely to be the problem than the housing. There are two possible reasons for why the dehumidifiers fan blades could be the source of the noise.
Firstly, the fan blades could be failing to clear the fan housing. The second potential problem is that the fan blades have caught in other internal parts inside the dehumidifier. So how do you check to see if the fan blades are the culprits?
One of the things you can do is turn the blades by hand. If the fan blades don’t run smoothly or they rub up against the fan housing, then you know that they’re the ones creating the grinding sound.
Let’s say that is the case, what do you do then? All you have to do then is clear the fan housing and make sure that the fan blades can rotate without bumping into anything. This is definitely something you can do on your own and it shouldn’t be too complicated.
Another thing you should look out for is whether the fan blades are too big. If they’re rubbing up against the fan housing it could be that they’re not the right size.
Maybe you’ve tried the solution above already and you see that your fan blades turn smoothly, and they work as they’re intended to. If that’s the case, the fan motor might be the component that’s causing the noise.
When you check to see whether the fan motor is working, you’ll need to keep an ear open for a humming sound. An easy way to check if the fan motor is in fact working, is to see whether the fan turns on its own when the power is on. If it doesn’t then you can assume that the fan motor is faulty and you’ll either need to service it or replace it completely.
Give the air filter a wash
The air filter can become easily clogged so it should be cleaned on a regular basis. A dirt build-up in the air filter will definitely stop the dehumidifier from performing as it should and as a result you could hear a loud banging sound.
This is one issue that you should be able to spot quite easily, because when the air filter is clogged, the airflow in your dehumidifier will be disrupted completely.
You can easily fix this by taking out the air filter and washing it with a detergent. Keeping the air filter clean is incredibly important because it actually determines the lifespan of the dehumidifier and protects its quality. Some dehumidifiers design makes removing the air filter a challenge, but for the most part it should be fairly easy to take the air filter out.
If you’re thinking of buying a new dehumidifier that has a more accessible air filter, then the Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 High Humidity 50 Pint Capacity Dehumidifier is a good choice. This is not only because of its quiet operation but more specifically because of its removable air filter that makes cleaning it really easy.
Create a soundproof platform
Earlier, we discussed the benefits of using soundproofing materials on your walls, windows, and your doors. Well fortunately for us, soundproofing materials like carpet, acoustic panels and high-density foam have more use than we would assume.
Plywood interestingly enough, is also a great material to use in conjunction with other soundproofing materials. So how exactly do we make this platform? This is what you’ll need:
- 2×2 piece of ½” plywood
- Carpet (it can be a simple carpet)
- Stapler
You’ve probably already guessed what you have to do with those materials. You’ll want to put the carpet on top of the plywood and staple the two together. Acoustic foam also works really well and may even work better than carpet.
This makeshift platform is going to be like a cushion for the dehumidifier that absorbs all of its loud vibrations. When you use a platform like this for your dehumidifier, you should only be able to hear a humming sound which will be much better than those noisy vibrations.
Lubricate the dehumidifier components
Like most appliances, the component bearings in the dehumidifier will need to be lubricated after some time. If you hear strange buzzing noises coming from your dehumidifier, then it’s highly probable that some components inside need to be lubricated.
All you need to do is remove the cover of your dehumidifier and apply lubricant to the component bearings. You should use light machine oil which can be found in your local hardware store.
Check the water bucket
Why do we need to check the water bucket? We need to make sure that it’s in the right position because if it’s not, the water reservoir can create some serious rattling noises. You can move the bucket around gently to find the right position for it to be where it doesn’t make those vibrations.
While you’re doing this, you can also try pushing on the bucket. If it just so happens that the rattling stops when you do this, then you need to take the bucket out and reinstall it.
Another thing you can try is moving the whole dehumidifier unit. Moving the dehumidifier will help the water bucket to sit in the right place and stop the noise.
Conclusion
A dehumidifier is naturally a noisy appliance but with a little effort you can make a dehumidifier quieter. What’s great is that you don’t necessarily have to spend money in order to make it quieter.
Depending on what the issue is, you can fix the dehumidifier yourself. If one solution doesn’t work for you, don’t give up. Try all of them if necessary. We’re sure that at least one of the solutions will fix your problem.