Does my dehumidifier work?

[Solarjunkie]

I have just bought a 2nd hand B&Q dehumidifer. I plugged it in in the porch to see if it works, but I don't know how long to wait before I see any water appearing. All the displays work, the fan works, but after several hours not a drop of water was visible.
Short of taking it into the shower room so there will be a lot of water in the air to work on, I don't know how else to check it's working before I give it to my intended recipient.

[Solarjunkie]

How humid does it need to be to work? I thought outside would be more humid than inside, but still needed to near a socket.

[in a mo]

Leave the machine on for 24/48 hours it will take moisture from your porch anywhere there might be moisture ,condesation,damp,you can dry out plants etc so you need to be careful ,I have sold hundreds of machines . Give it time ,if you need any more advice please post ..
Cheers
In A Mo

[Clanad]

Additionally, unless the humidity outside approaches 75% it's likely the small amount of water vapor extracted would soon evaporate, especially if there's any wind blowing...

[Solarjunkie]

Thanks inamo & everyone. I just want to ensure it works! I can find lots of information online about how long it could take to dry out a room/flat etc, but really I just need to see a few drops so I know it's working. I would hate to give it to someone and then find it just took space and electricity but didn't deliver. I don't want to dry out my plants, I guess I'll just have to wait for a misty day and try it again. How humid does it need to be to be most effective? Over 75%, as indicated by Clanad? And if I operated in say in really high humidity, how long before the water started appearing? I guess I'm in an odd situation, with a dehumidifier but no humidity! TIA

[Sandy-Wroe]

Run it in the kitchen for an hour or so. If it's working there'll be some moisture in it.

[Graham-W]

BTW It will work better in a warm environment than a cool one, so if it's cool in the porch it will be less efficient.

[madmaggot]

Depends where you live; here in west wales the air is always more humid than say, the midlands.
Try it in the bathroom after you've had a shower when you can see the humidity.

[Matheous]

Personally I would take it back and spend my money on something else more useful....

[what..the?]

Yes as someone said the temperatur is important the cooler it is the less mouisture the air holds so in summer you will get more mousture in the air than now, it too cold for the air to hold it.

damp and condensation is often caused in winter because its too cold too open are windows but yet it is often too cold in the house to make a dehuimidifer work sufficiently. I read that you just cann't draw that much moisture for the air in winter.

Would reccomend trying it indoors to your kichen or bathroom. Also check the filters if they are pull out ones, but I have been running mine for years filter fine. Mine also collects very little at times so I wouldnt worry too much. You will know its working when you start getting thirsty.

If there is open water around it will collect that if you close the door, if im drying a room out say a bathroom I have to put the plugs in and put cling film over the toliet other wise it just sucks it up.

[lukey121]

Dehumidifiers are really only for the summer. The air is the dryest it is at any time of the year during winter. And by using this your making it dryer. Very bad for your health and skin.
If it is working by five hours you should see water.

[Solarjunkie]

It works! Thanks all.