There’s nothing quite as unnerving as hearing a dripping sound in your home and realising it isn’t coming from the bathroom or kitchen.
Recently, I discovered the overflow pipe under the bath had cracked and water was streaming down the walls of the bedroom underneath and through the light fitting. After spending a fortune on an emergency plumber to fix the issue, the cleanup was just beginning.
Luckily, a friend was able to lend me their dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture that was causing a damp smell to linger. They had the compact EasyAcc 1200 ml electric dehumidifier, which became a small but effective lifeline. It’s currently priced at £46.99 on Amazon, down from £58.99.
The device is lightweight (weighing 1.5 kg) and designed for small spaces, such as bathrooms, wardrobes, or basements. It is thermoelectric, meaning it uses a small cooling plate to pull moisture out of the air. It then goes through a vent and passes over a cold metal plate. When warm, damp air hits something cold, the moisture in it condenses into water droplets, which then drip into the collection tank below.
The now-drier air is then blown back out into the room. The fan is pretty quiet – no louder than a whisper or white noise. Its tank holds 1.2 litres, and it automatically shuts off when full, to prevent overflow.
I was mainly worried about the spare room drying out, as that had taken the brunt of the damage. The walls were very wet, and the vinyl floor was already starting to warp. The brand says this dehumidifier is suitable for spaces from 50 to 320 square foot. My spare room is around 105, so it seemed a good match.
I had it running overnight, and it pulled in a full 400ml. I’m not sure how long it took to fill, as I put it on about 10 pm and checked it in the morning at around 11 am.
When I went into the room, the musty, damp smell had considerably lessened, and the stains on the wall were almost gone. I was pleasantly surprised, as it’s not very big but had got rid of a lot more water than I thought it would. This is something other people who bought it found.
One reviewer said: “In testing, it noticeably reduced condensation on windows and helped keep damp smells under control. It’s not powerful enough for large, open spaces, but that’s expected at this size. The fan is fairly quiet — a soft hum that doesn’t disturb in the background.”
Another buyer revealed it had been ideal for keeping silverfish, who love moisture, at bay. They wrote: “I live in university halls and have been having issues with silverfish and humidity, especially at night, so the size is perfect to fit in a small room. The setup was very straightforward. I’ve had it on for around an hour now, and it is already collecting water, more than I thought it would, so it works really well.”
On the flip side, it’s not perfect for everyone, with some users noting that in very damp conditions, the tank fills faster than expected, and they have to empty it more often. Others complained that it wasn’t as quiet as people said, and they couldn’t sleep with it. I didn’t think it was loud, more a gentle hum that can’t really be noticed unless you’re listening out for it.
Also, as previously stated, it is quite compact, so it is only suitable for smaller spaces, despite what it says. If the area you want has a major damp issue, or you don’t want to have to regularly empty the tank, then it would be worth getting a bigger one.
Sadly for me, I could only borrow the dehumidifier for a couple of days, and then I had to switch to the disposable ones. There were lots to choose from on Amazon, but I opted for the Cuqoo disposable dehumidifier for home, which can each hold 500ml of moisture. They come in a pack of 10 and cost £10.39.
These were ideal as I could place them underneath the bath to soak up the moisture directly. They had an average rating of 4.2 from over 4,000 reviews, and loads of customers raved about them. I knew they wouldn’t be better than an electric option, but to get right underneath the bath where the leak had occurred, they’ve been ideal. The flood was just over a week ago, and the disposable dehumidifiers have already sucked up a lot of moisture.