How to Use a Dehumidifier
How-To
There’s nothing worse than wet carpet! It smells, it could turn mouldy, and it’s not much fun to walk on either. Whether it’s a flood, a leaky pipe, or a carpet that refuses to dry after a thorough cleaning, sometimes the only fix is to call on the big guns from Kennards Hire.
Working together, a dehumidifier and a blower dryer give you the best chance of getting all that moisture out, leaving your carpet dry, mould-free and comfortable again.
The blower dryer is a fan that blows air across the surface of the carpet. A dehumidifier sucks the moisture out of the air, which assists the drying process.
If you have any questions about our equipment or need advice on the best equipment to use, the team at your local Kennards Hire branch will be able to help you.
Steps
Step 1 - Do you need to use a wet-vac first
When you have a wet carpet, the key is to act immediately to dry it. The longer you leave it, the more likely it is to develop mildew and start smelling.
But before you use the blower and dehumidifier, you should consider whether you also need a wet vacuum cleaner. If the carpet is very wet, it won’t respond well to the drying process. If water wells up when you walk on the carpet, that's an indicator you need to use a wet-vac to remove the excess water first.
Once that’s done, place the blower dryer in the far corner of the room and face it so the air blows across the carpet. In many cases, this will method will be enough to get rid of moisture.
Step 2 - Placing the blower nozzle under the carpet
However, if the carpet has a thick underlay, or the weather is cold and damp, you can insert the blower nozzle between the underlay and the carpet. Raise a corner of the carpet and place the blower nozzle underneath the flap between the carpet and the underlay.
When you turn the blower on, you should see the carpet rise as the air fills the space beneath it.
At the same time, put the dehumidifier in the room. Once it’s switched on you can see by its sensor how much moisture the air contains. The two-pronged attack of blower dryer and dehumidifier is the quickest way to dry wet carpets.
If the water has only got into a small area, you could hire a spot dryer to direct warm air straight down at the problem area for faster drying.
Step 3 - Checking whether the carpet is dry
The only way to truly tell if a carpet is dry is to feel both the carpet and the underlay. Sometimes the upper carpet may be dry, but if the underlay is still wet, you run the risk of the damp causing mildew. Make sure both carpet and underlay are touch-dry.
Using a blower dryer and a dehumidifier means you can rescue wet carpets that otherwise might turn mouldy and need replacing.
Ask the team at your local Kennards Hire branch for the best way to dry carpets in your situation. Their input means you’re not just hiring equipment; you’re getting expert advice as well.
