Do Dehumidifiers Stop Mould?

4 July 2024

People might think of warm weather in the UK as rare, but when it does come around people take as many steps as they can to make the heat more bearable. One step many take is the use of a dehumidifier, but can dehumidifiers contribute to mould growth, or even put a stop to mould?

What is Black Mould?

Black mould is a fungus. This means that anytime you see a patch of black mould on a surface, you can be sure that it’s not there by accident. Instead, the spores from which black mould grows from will have landed on that surface, and thanks to the conditions present, will have sprouted.

This leads to the mould growing, fruiting, releasing more spores which cover more of the same surface, which then repeat the process.

Basically, if a surface in your property meets the correct conditions, it’s definitely at risk of harbouring an outbreak of black mould.

Black mould prefers areas where there is a higher percentage of moisture. This means that condensation can be a massively significant factor influencing the growth and spread of black mould.

With humidity being a key factor that often influences the amount of condensation being created on various surfaces throughout a property, plenty of people think about buying a dehumidifier to stop the problem from getting worse, or even believe that a dehumidifier can stop mould entirely.

Will a Dehumidifier Stop Mould in my Property?

The short answer here is no, a dehumidifier isn’t going to stop black mould.

Whilst the resident level of humidity might lower with the use of a dehumidifier, the condensation that creates the ideal environment for the black mould will require addressing before the black mould spread can be stopped.

So, whilst a dehumidifier may alleviate some potential black mould issues, the fact is that it’s not going to stop black mould from growing.

To put a stop to black mould for good it’s always best to increase the airflow and ventilation in the property, potentially reducing the amount of condensation being created by the people within.

This isn’t a difficult task by any means

Simply opening your properties windows and allowing for twenty minutes of a draft and fresh airflow could be enough to drastically reduce the amount of condensation being created, and mould spreading.

You could also look into active methods of condensation reduction like a positive pressure system, which will continuously push warm, moisture laden out of your property as long as it is in use.

Can Dehumidifiers Cause Mould?

Whilst many people buy a dehumidifier to stop mould from growing around their property, they may be startled to learn that in some instances the dehumidifier itself can be a source of black mould growth.

A dehumidifier works by sucking in air, and then uses either an absorbent material, or specially made coils to collect and remove the moisture (humidity) from the air.

This collected water doesn’t disappear though. Whilst some dehumidifiers are fitted with a pipe that can facilitate the drainage of collected humidity, plenty of dehumidifiers instead make use of an internal tank.

This means that within the dehumidifier is a tank of water with an open top, with the collected moisture ready to release itself back into the air within your property over time. That is of course, if you aren’t diligent in the emptying and cleaning of the collection tray or tank within the dehumidifier.

So, what if you don’t empty the dehumidifier?

Well, first off all, the collected moisture can and will re-enter the atmosphere inside your property, eventually condensing onto your property’s walls and causing the same kind of mould issues you were hoping to avoid when you first bought the dehumidifier.

Then you have to think about the conditions within the dehumidifier itself. A piece of damp material that isn’t given the chance to dry is the ideal breeding ground for black mould, and should mould already be present in the property then it will only be a matter of time until a black mould spore makes its way onto that same absorbent material, fruits, and spreads.

Now the problem is you have black mould within your dehumidifier. Not only that, but once that black mould fruits, its spores are going to be released through the dehumidifier which is blowing the ‘dehumidified’ air through your property.

To recap, if you don’t take care to empty your dehumidifier you may well enter into a situation where the dehumidifier is actually blowing out humidity-rich air, that is also laden with black mould spores, spreading the problem rather than slowing it, or making it any better.

How Can I Make Sure My Dehumidifier Isn’t Contributing to Black Mould?

As we mentioned, making sure that your dehumidifier is emptied regularly is going to be key.

If allowed to retain moisture within, your dehumidifier runs the risk of growing black mould within, and spreading mould spores as it is supposed to be cleaning the air within the property.

So, making sure to clean and empty your dehumidifier is important.

If used in conjunction with ventilation, you can then begin to think about clearing the black mould that might have already grown on your properties walls away. We offer black mould removal kits that can remove black mould on the surfaces in your property, and help to discourage further growth.

It’s important to remember though that you should only think about cleaning the black mould once the humidity and condensation levels have been taken care of.

Should I Use a Dehumidifier to Stop Black Mould?

If you are concerned about black mould in your property, then we strongly recommend you look into condensation control before anything else. You can learn more about effective condensation control methods on our website, and once you have taken steps to increase ventilation you can then consider a dehumidifier as an additional control method.

For more information on how you can improve the condensation levels in your property you can click here, but if you require further help with condensation and black mould in your property you can always speak to our team.

Just call 0800 288 8660, or fill in one of our online contact forms and a member of our team will be in touch.

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