A dehumidifier for bathroom humidity starts at about 20 pints per day by Natural Resources Canada’s smallest bracket. Then the manuals complicate it: Midea’s manual for its 20-pint Cube says not to run it in an excessively humid room such as a bathroom.
That catch changes where you plug the unit in. Below, capacity comes from NRCan’s chart, three product types come from manufacturer pages, and drainage covers a room with no floor drain.
We did no hands-on testing. Every figure comes from the sources named inline, opened on 10 October 2026.
How many pints a bathroom dehumidifier needs
Natural Resources Canada sizes by how wet the space is. Its ENERGY STAR dehumidifier page gives capacity ranges in litres per day for rooms under 185 m2, and notes that two pints equal about one litre.
| Room condition | Litres per day | Pints per day (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Slightly to moderately damp, 50 to 75% relative humidity | 10 to 15 | 20 to 30 |
| Very damp, 75 to 90% | 11 to 20 | 22 to 40 |
| Wet, walls or floor sweat, 90 to 100% | 15 to 25 | 30 to 50 |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, ENERGY STAR dehumidifiers. Pint column converted with the page’s own two-pints-per-litre note.
The chart has no tier for a bathroom, since its smallest bracket is still any room under 185 m2. NRCan’s advice is to oversize rather than undersize, so a 20-pint unit is the sensible floor.
Pint ratings are also taken under different test conditions from one brand to the next. Our piece on commercial dehumidifiers and pints per day shows how far two ratings on one machine can sit apart.
Three bathroom options and the drawback of each
| Model | Type | Stated capacity or coverage | Real drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midea Cube MAD20S1QWT | Compressor, 12 L bucket, 45 dBA, 33.29 lb | 20 pints, rooms up to 1,500 sq. ft. | Manual warns against bathrooms, small spaces and showers |
| Eva-Dry EDV-1100 | Electric mini, 22 W, about 33 dB | Up to 1,100 cubic feet; no pints per day published | Internal reservoir shuts the unit off when full |
| Eva-Dry E-500 | Renewable silica gel, no running power | Up to 500 cubic feet, absorbs up to 20 oz | Needs a 10 to 12 hour recharge on a power strip |
Sources: Midea Canada product page and manual; Eva-Dry product pages for the EDV-1100 and E-500, opened 10 October 2026. The EDV-1100 page showed it as sold out that day.
Midea’s Canadian listing gives the 20-pint figures. Its owner’s manual, which covers the MAD20S1QWT, also says not to place the unit where water may splash.
Video: HVAC Training 101
Eva-Dry’s own pages list bathrooms as a use for the EDV-1100. Eva-Dry describes the E-500 as made for enclosed environments, which points to a cabinet or closet rather than the open room.
Drainage when the bathroom has no floor drain
Four routes exist, and the unit you pick decides which ones you get.
Bucket: the Midea holds 12 litres, and emptying it is the routine you accept. Gravity hose: the manual says the unit’s drain port must sit above the hose outlet, so the hose runs downhill to a tub or sink, and never the unit itself into either.
Pump: Midea’s manual says its pump models can lift water up to 14 feet above the drain port, but the MAD20S1QWT lists no built-in pump. NRCan also notes some units take a hose fitting for a floor drain or sump pump.
Mold prevention specs that matter more than pints
Health Canada’s Healthy Home Guide says to keep humidity between 30 and 50%, and to let the bathroom fan run a few minutes after you finish. NRCan adds that a fan cuts moisture at the source.
Look for a built-in humidistat; NRCan says every ENERGY STAR certified unit has one. Check the operating floor too: Midea says coils can frost below 41°F (5°C), and rates the unit for 41 to 95°F.
If the room is that cold, warm it first. Our guides to small space heaters by watts and room size and wall mounted space heaters cover that.
Our position: buy the fan before the dehumidifier. If the manufacturer will not let you run a unit in the wet room, treat it as a hallway tool and check its manual before you buy.
Bathroom dehumidifier questions
Can you run a dehumidifier in a bathroom?
Check the manual first. Midea’s says not to operate in an excessively humid room such as a bathroom, and not to place the unit in a sink or shower. Eva-Dry lists bathrooms as a use for its small EDV-1100.
What size dehumidifier does a bathroom need?
NRCan’s smallest bracket is 10 to 15 litres a day, about 20 to 30 pints, for slightly damp rooms under 185 m2. It also advises oversizing. A 20-pint unit sits at the bottom of that range.
Do you need a drain for a bathroom dehumidifier?
No. A bucket works, and Midea’s 20-pint holds 12 litres. A hose to a tub or sink needs the unit’s drain port above the outlet.
Tricia Nelson writes about technology, science, and how-to guides for 3Zebras. She has a knack for turning dense, technical topics into clear explanations, covering everything from iPhone and Android troubleshooting to the science stories behind the headlines.