Where it’s used
Common situations where the 38L commercial may be suitable.
Built for the hire trade and fire / flood markets — also a sensible step up for homeowners with a job that’s larger than a single bedroom.
What it actually does
Helps reduce humidity in larger occupied rooms and small commercial spaces.
The Broughton CR40 is a refrigerant dehumidifier — it does not dry walls or remove mould directly. It can help lower a room’s relative humidity so moisture moves out of walls, carpet and plaster into the air, where the unit can collect it. Bringing a damp space closer to 45–55% RH may help reduce condensation, musty smells and the moisture conditions that can contribute to mould growth.
Refrigerant performance varies with room temperature — output may reduce noticeably below ~15°C. For cold sites (unheated garages, lock-ups, building sites in winter), an LGR option may be more suitable. See the larger options below.
Comfort range
Damp
Mould risk
Our dehumidifier range
Where the 38L commercial sits in our hire range.
Six options across the Hireload range — choose the right capacity class for the size of the job.
Broughton CR40 — 38L/day Commercial
Damp rooms, post-leak drying, plaster, refurb, occupied dwellings.
Selected · You’re here
Dri-Eaz The Cube — 43L Industrial
Tight-access industrial drying support and refurbishment work.
Dri-Eaz 1200 — 55L High-Capacity
Larger drying jobs and demanding moisture loads.
Dri-Eaz Revolution F413 — 63L LGR
Low-Grain Refrigerant. Demanding drying, flood-recovery drying support, contractor use.
Industrial Building Dryer — 70–90L
High-capacity option in our hire range. Large-area drying support where appropriate.
Job-fit guide
Which jobs is the 38L commercial dehumidifier built for?
Match the job to the machine. If your situation is not listed, contact us before booking.
Lab extraction figures are measured under controlled conditions. Real-world performance varies with temperature, humidity, airflow, room size and the source of moisture.
Room & job suitability
Where the 38L commercial may be a suitable fit.
Our approach
From booking to collection in five steps.
Book online
Pick delivery & return dates that suit your job.
We deliver
Next-day delivery options across Greater London where available.
Position
Kerbside or indoor placement options where access allows. Confirm at booking.
Run it
Plug in, set a target humidity. Continuous drainage option for unattended runs.
We collect
Done early? Let us know and we’ll arrange collection.
Hire vs buy
How much does it cost to hire a commercial dehumidifier in London?
A quality commercial dehumidifier typically costs between 800 and 2,000 to buy outright. For most damp, post-leak or plaster drying jobs, hiring makes more sense.
Hire from Hireload
Buying outright
If you need a dehumidifier for a one-off job (post-leak drying, plaster support, damp flat), hiring is almost always more cost-effective than buying. You get a commercial-grade unit, inspected and tested, with no storage or maintenance to worry about afterwards. Most residential and small commercial jobs are done within 1-3 weeks.
What does it cost to run?
The Broughton CR40 draws around 300W (1.3A at 230V) — economical to run, even over long drying jobs. At typical UK electricity rates, that works out to roughly 15-25p per hour or around 3-6 per day running continuously. Running costs vary with your tariff and how hard the unit is working.
Setup & usage
Setup tips for better drying performance.
Small setup changes can improve drying efficiency. Results still depend on site conditions.
Close the room, not the building
Doors and windows shut so the unit works on one space, not the whole property.
Position for airflow
Place the unit centrally, away from walls and curtains so air can move freely in and out.
Keep the room warm where appropriate
Refrigerant output may reduce noticeably below ~15°C. Some heat usually helps.
Use continuous drainage where suitable
Connect a hose to a sink or drain. Can reduce manual emptying where set up correctly.
Pair with air movers if needed
Helpful for soaked carpets or surfaces where the air alone isn’t reaching the moisture.
Check filter and progress on longer hires
Check the filter intake on multi-week jobs and monitor humidity before stopping.
Featured use cases
Three jobs the 38L commercial may be suitable for.
FAQ
Dehumidifier Hire London FAQs.
Answers to common questions about dehumidifier hire, damp rooms, leak drying support, plaster drying and choosing the right capacity.
Complete your drying setup
Equipment commonly hired alongside a dehumidifier.
For faster, more effective drying, trade and insurance professionals often pair dehumidifiers with air movers and heaters. Drying packages available on request.
Dehumidifier hire delivery across Greater London
Hireload delivers dehumidifiers from our depot in Greenford, West London (UB6 7JD). Next-day delivery options across Greater London, subject to availability and site access. Free depot collection is always available.
Delivery covers West London, Central London, North London, South London and East London. Delivery charges apply and are shown at checkout based on your postcode. For areas outside Greater London, please call us on 020 3375 4048 to check availability.
Guidance on this page is general and based on typical 38L commercial refrigerant dehumidifier performance (Broughton CR40). Drying time and outcomes depend on room size, temperature, ventilation, moisture level, the cause of the damp and whether the source has been resolved. A dehumidifier can help reduce moisture but is not a substitute for fixing leaks, removing existing mould or addressing structural damp. For demanding drying jobs, multi-room leaks, cold spaces or any uncertainty about suitability, see our full dehumidifier range or speak to our team.
Using Your Dehumidifier: The 2-Minute Guide
Your machine: Broughton CR40 · 38L class · standard 230V plug · UK built. Set-up steps are covered above — this guide is for while it’s running.
Know your machine
The five parts that matter
- 1Air outlet. Blows warm, dry air back into the room. Warm means working.
- 2Air inlet. Pulls damp air across the cold coil inside. Keep it clear of dust and fabric.
- 3Drain hose connection. Standard garden-hose fitting. Water leaves here — route it downhill.
- 4Pop-out drip tray. Slides out for cleaning. A blocked tray is the number one cause of leaks.
- 5Locking castors. Wheel it into place, then lock them so it stays put.
While it’s running
All of this is normal
Six things people mistake for faults. None of them is one.
Warm air blowing out
That is the drying process itself. It gently warms the room, which speeds things up.
Quiet spells now and then
In cooler rooms it pauses to melt frost off its coil, then carries on. It has not given up.
A steady hum
It is a professional site machine — quiet for its class, but more fan than bedside clock.
Less water after a few days
The room is getting drier, so there is less to collect. That is the job working, not failing.
Litres below the label
The 38L rating is a warm-lab figure. A typical UK room gives around 8 to 11 litres a day at first, tapering as it dries.
It never switches itself off
This unit runs until you stop it — deliberate, for drying jobs. Running day and night is what it is built for.
Troubleshooting
Something not right? Start here
Written the way people actually describe it. Each fix takes about a minute.
“There’s water on the floor”
Dust or fluff blocking the drip tray — the most common cause of leaks on this machine — or a kinked hose.
Switch off and unplug. Slide the drip tray out, rinse it, refit. Then follow the hose end to end: no kinks, downhill all the way.
“No water is coming out”
A cold room — below about 15°C output drops right off. Or the room is simply getting dry, or the hose runs uphill.
Feel the outlet: warm air means it is working. Warm the room if it is cold, and check the hose falls all the way to the drain.
“It keeps stopping and starting”
Defrost pauses in a cool room — it rests to melt frost off the coil, on purpose.
Nothing needed. If it has stopped completely and will not restart, check the plug, the socket and your fuse board, then try another socket.
“It’s blowing hot air — is that right?”
By design — refrigerant dryers return warm, dry air to the room.
Leave it be. The gentle heat is helping the room dry faster.
“There’s ice on it”
A cold room. Below about 10°C frost can build on the coil faster than the machine clears it.
Switch off and let the ice melt on its own — never chip at it. Warm the room, then restart. Icing up repeatedly? Call us — a cold site may need a different machine.
“The room still feels damp”
Feel is misleading — surfaces can be dry to the touch while the wall behind is still wet. Days 1 and 2 dry the air; from day 3 the walls, floors and plaster release their moisture.
Keep it running with the room closed, and be patient with walls — deep-soaked masonry dries at roughly an inch a month. Judge by condensation disappearing, not by how the air feels.
Before you call us — the 30-second check
- Windows and doors closed?
- Hose downhill, with no kinks?
- Room warmer than 15°C?
- Outlet air feels warm?
All four yes and still stuck? Two minutes on WhatsApp usually sorts it.
Safety
Five rules — that’s all
- Keep it upright, always. If it has been on its side, stand it for 1 hour before switching on.
- Dry hands when plugging in or unplugging. Never handle the plug from a wet floor.
- Nothing on top. Do not dry clothes or towels directly on the unit, and never cover it while running.
- Keep the inlet and outlet clear — 30cm of breathing space all round.
- Switch off and unplug before moving it, cleaning it, or touching the drip tray.
End of hire
Before we collect — two minutes
- 1Switch off and unplug the machine.
- 2Disconnect the hose and let it finish dripping into a drain or tray.
- 3Coil the cable and hose loosely over the unit.
- 4Leave it upright and dry, ready by the door if access is tight.
Handed back like this, your deposit goes straight back — no questions, no delays.
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