Last Updated: February 26, 2024
A good dehumidifier is all you need to get the excess moisture out of your environment and get your space back in order. Excess moisture can cause a lot of problems for your health, your home, and your possessions.
A dehumidifier is a right solution for excess humidity, as it extracts the excess moisture from the air, which then collects in a storage compartment of the device.
The capacity of the tank differs from model to model, but one this is constant when the tank gets full, users have to empty it before you can remove any more of the moisture.
Removing the tank manually, especially in smaller models that get filled up quickly, can be annoying. But, as innovation goes, now, it is not always necessary to empty the bucket out manually. In many cases, continuous draining of the water to ensure the constant operation is possible.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the different ways users can enjoy continuous operation by automatic draining.
But before we do that, let’s understand why there’s a need for continuous draining.
Although it is easy to remove the bucket from the dehumidifier and empty it, it can get annoying to keep doing it repeatedly.
Reasons – why you should go for automatic draining?
Less Effort
It takes effort in operating and maintaining the dehumidifier. You even have to keep track of the water level in models that don’t have indicators for that. If you’re busy with some other work around the house, it’s possible to miss emptying the water, which means no more dehumidification till you drain the tank manually.
Automatic draining ensures that the dehumidification keeps going, without your interference. It saves your effort, and you can go on with your day without any worries. All you have to ensure is the regular maintenance of the dehumidifier.
Convenience
As innovations unfold, the continuous draining feature is becoming more and more common. People seek dehumidifiers capable of automatic drainage for the convenience they provide. It saves you time and effort and is also a need for a modern home.
Easy to do
Automatic draining is not as complicated as it seems. It is simple, and anybody can figure out how to do it. It’s not going to take any professional help, and you can do it yourself and save your effort and time.
There are a few different ways to do this. Let’s discuss them in detail. Here we go
3 Ways to Drain Dehumidifier Automatically
1. Gravity Draining
The most common type of automatic draining that users usually employ is Gravity draining. It is a simple way to ensure that you don’t have to keep emptying the tank again and again.
Gravity drain is called so because of a simple fact. The process relies on the force of gravity for the draining. Since there’s no motor involved, what you do is to arrange the set up so that the gravity can facilitate draining efficiently.
Let’s look at what you need to do to drain the moisture with gravity draining.
Place the dehumidifier in an ideal place.
The placement of the dehumidifier is a crucial aspect in the case of gravity draining. Since gravity is the main force behind this automatic draining, you have to ensure that the dehumidifier is placed somewhere high, from where it can reach the sink or the floor drain. If you put it below the intended outlet, it is not going to work.
Remove the bucket
Since there’s no use for the bucket in automatic draining, you can remove it and keep it aside. Usually, it’s not necessary but does make the process quite easy. So, before anything, remove the bucket, empty it, and keep it aside.
Locate the drain connection
Behind the dehumidifier, or somewhere, there’s the drain connection where you can fit the hose. It is essential for the gravity draining to work, as you need to connect the hose to the dehumidifier.
Check out our list of dehumidifiers with drain hose.
Connect the hose
After you’ve located the drain nozzle, all you have to do is to connect the hose to it. So dehumidifier comes with the right tubing, and you can attach that to the drain nozzle. If your dehumidifier does not have one, you can use the standard garden hose.
Find an outlet
After connecting the hose to the drain nozzle, all that’s left to do is, finding a proper outlet for the water. It can be a floor drain, or your sink, or something similarly appropriate. Take the hose and place it well on the outlet. Watch the magic work!
That is how you can employ gravity draining for automatic draining purposes.
Other than gravity wheels, you can also opt for drain pump models. Let’s discuss it!
2. Automatic draining using an external Pump
In gravity draining, the force of gravity does all the work. You have to rely on proper positioning to facilitate the process.
However, you have another option when it comes to automatic draining, which is a little more convenient, and a lot more efficient.
Using an external pump, you can make draining the moisture effortless.
Installing an external pump is not uncommon, and it is an excellent way to make sure that you have a ready option for automatic draining.
Depending on your dehumidifier model, you can figure out what’s the right external pump to buy for with it. After you’ve decided on an ideal option, you can buy it and get it home.
Setting up the External Pump
Setting up the pump is not a hard task. However, if you feel that you’re not up to it, you can always take the professional help. For commercial dehumidifiers that can be the case, however, setting up an external pump with domestic units is quite easy. You can do it yourself in very little time. The process may vary slightly, depending on the model, but more or less, it’s the same. Here’s what you need to do.
- First, get the proper condensate hose that goes with your dehumidifiers. You need to ensure that it is compatible with the unit, as well as the pump. After you have it, locate the opening in the dehumidifier for the hose, and then attach one end to it.
- Secondly, locate the opening in the external pump for the hose. The second end will go there. You can find it at the top of the device in most models. Once you’ve secured this connection, the condensate can collect inside the pump.
- The pump has another hose, which is for the purpose of directing the condensate out of the pump. You can place it either in the sink, the nearest floor drain, or any suitable location from where you can out the moisture.
- After you start the pump, it collects the moisture from the dehumidifier, and once it’s full, it activates. Upon activation, it passes the collected moisture out through the second hose, towards whichever way you’ve directed it.
- That’s how your external pump is going to work. When you’re setting up your external pump, you should keep a few things in mind such as these.
- When you’re buying the external pump, make sure that it’s compatible with the dehumidifier you have.
- While attaching the hose to the pump, or setting up the second hose, make sure that there are no bends. Straight hose ideal, and most efficient setting.
- Check the working of the pump properly to ensure that it’s operating nicely before you decide to leave the pump running in your absence.
- Keep checking for leaks. If there are any leaks, you should immediately take care of the problem. You also have the option of installing a water leak detector which lets you know when there’s a leak. Then you can take the required action.
- That is all you need to know, about installing an external pump for automatic draining. You also have one more option for automatic draining. Let’s see.
3. Getting a Dehumidifier with Inbuilt Pump for Automatic Draining
Some dehumidifiers come with inbuilt pumps users can leverage for automatic draining.
It can be a convenient option for users, as there’s no need to shop for an external pump for the task. If you get a good model, you can ensure adequate range, making removing the moisture convenient. There’s also not a lot to do with such a dehumidifier. All in all, it is an ideal option to go for when you’re considering dehumidifiers for automatic draining.
Here’s what you need to keep in mind.
- Before buying a dehumidifier that has an inbuilt pump for removing condensate, assess your space, and determine whether it has the right amount of power.
- Get a dehumidifier that is from a trusted source. It will ensure quality performance and durability.
- Check to see of the dehumidifier comes with notification features, in case the pump malfunctions. Most dehumidifiers have this, and additionally, the unit turns off when the pump malfunctions.
Having a unit with an inbuilt pump is also a convenient option for automatic draining.
Here are some of the best dehumidifiers with a pump for basement.
Conclusion
Draining the dehumidifier can be quite annoying when you have your hands full with work. Looking out for the filling water tank can skip your mind, and the process of dehumidification can suffer.
Automatic draining provides a neat solution to the problem of draining the water tank manually. You can leave that to one of the many draining solutions, and enjoy your day without a worry.
To determine which is the right course of action when it comes to automatic draining, you can decide whichever one is the most convenient for you. There’s no right or wrong in that. Whereas gravity draining is a popular option, an inbuilt pump or external pump can also do the task effectively. Whatever your choice, you don’t have to worry about emptying the moisture yourself anymore!