When I first got to Costa Rica many foreigners told me that I needed to buy a dehumidifier. I didn’t really see the importance since I was home a lot at first and I didn’t notice any problems with mold. Then one week I left for only four days and upon arriving back home I found mold had grown on all my clothes, wood, couches and basically anything made of cloth. After that I decided to get myself a dehumidifier and it has been a life saver and a killer.

One reason I love the dehumidifier is I noticed when I mopped the house the water would not dry on the floors, now with the dehumidifier I don’t have that problem. After I mop I just plug it in and have no worries. Unfortunately when I bought my dehumidifier I did not calculate the size of my home correctly so when I leave town I have to hire someone to come and empty the water out of the unit.

The biggest problem I have had with my dehumidifier is I noticed my electric bill go up exponentially. Due to this what I generally do is leave my unit unplugged until we have a hard rain or I mop. Basically I only plug it in when I need it. Still, it has hurt my electric bill but by doing this it has been easier to manage.

I would not recommend try to buy a dehumidifier here in Costa Rica mainly because most people don’t know what they are and don’t sell them. If you do decide to buy one here you may end up having to buy an air conditioning unit, since it in affect does the same thing as a dehumidifier. Since it is an air conditioning unit you may find that you need to buy a larger a/c unit than a dehumidifier to control the humidity in your home.

The best option is to buy a dehumidifier in the States and bring it with you to Costa Rica. Though this is a hassle you will have more choices and get more for your money if you buy the unit in the States. Before buying a unit though make sure that it is strong enough to handle the size of your home, if not you may find that your house is just as humid as before you bought your unit.