If you have problems with high humidity in your home, you’ve probably heard of dehumidifiers. In case you want to try them out, but you have all these questions about them, you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, I’ll answer one of the most common questions that people have: does a dehumidifier cool or heat a room? Furthermore, I’ll provide you with all the important information about this device and answer other questions that you may have. So, let’s learn a thing or two about dehumidifiers together!
What Is a Dehumidifier?
If you’re struggling with the excessive dampness in your home, you already know that it’s not easy to get rid of it. Besides opening a window, using fans, or other methods, you can also buy products that are made especially for the purpose of solving this problem — dehumidifiers.
Dehumidifiers provide one of the most effective ways to reduce the level of humidity in a house. They are one of the best aids you can have if you’re struggling with the excess moisture in your home.
How Dehumidifiers Work
In order to answer the main question of the article, I need to go in depth on how dehumidifiers work. What they do is they basically suck in the humid air from a room, thus removing moisture from it, and then put it back into the house.
So, how do dehumidifiers achieve that? Firstly, the product draws in the air from the room using a fan. Next, the damp air comes in contact with a cold coil inside the device. That leads to water from the air condensing.
Then, the air without the excess moisture goes through a warm coil that heats it back to its original temperature. After that, the dry air is released back into the room.
But, what happens with the water that the device removed from the air? Well, that depends on the type of dehumidifier that you own. We’ll take a look at two types of dehumidifiers.
The first type
This type comes with a water tank or a bucket (see an example). When removed from the air, water just drips into the tank and stays there until you empty it.
If you have a bigger dehumidifier, you’ll probably have to remove the water every couple of weeks. On the other hand, smaller appliances need to be emptied every day.
However, a lot of dehumidifiers, no matter what size they are, have the option to let you know when you need to empty them. What’s more, many devices come with a special feature that will prevent any leaks or spills.
Thus, if you have this kind of dehumidifier, you don’t have to worry about the water from the tank ruining your floor or furniture. You just need to make sure that you choose a high-quality appliance that has some of these features.
- High-Efficiency Work: Small and compact dehumidifier...
- Auto-Shutoff Function: Compact dehumidifier shut-off...
- Ultra-Quiet& Efficient: Built-in Thermo-Electric...
- Save Space and Portable: It is mid-size, Perfect for...
The second type
Another way that dehumidifiers get rid of water is by using a drainage hose. These kinds of devices usually come in larger sizes and have a hose that you’ll have to attach.
Some devices have a continuous draining feature (like this one), which means that you won’t have to turn them off before draining the water. However, others have to be switched off. So, you should read the manual that a dehumidifier came with in order to ensure safe use.
Does a Dehumidifier Cool or Heat a Room?
So, what does a dehumidifier do to the temperature of the room? If you’ve been following the article closely, you already know the main purpose of this device.
As opposed to the air conditioning, a dehumidifier has neither cooling nor heating purposes. However, it works by cooling and then heating the air that it sucked in to remove the excess moisture.
Therefore, the device can affect the temperature of the room. A lot of dehumidifiers’ air heating features are stronger than cooling ones. So, there’s a chance that the air which came out of them will be warmer than before it came in contact with the device.
However, you need to keep something important in mind. High humidity brings warmer air and a stuffy and muggy feeling when you’re inside the house.
Thus, if the air from the room is dryer, it will appear to be cooler and more comfortable to breathe in. So, even though a dehumidifier doesn’t have cooling purposes, it can make a room feel colder because it gets rid of the excess moisture.
In case you have a dehumidifier and a room in which you’ve placed it still feels warmer than usual, you’re probably using the wrong type. There are many different types of dehumidifiers, and they are made for various room sizes.
So, you should read a manual that came with a product. If your room is larger than the square footage that your particular model can cover, you should consider buying a dehumidifier that is designed for bigger areas.
Do You Need Air Conditioning When Using a Dehumidifier?
The ability of a dehumidifier to make a room feel cooler will raise another question — do you even need the air conditioning then? Well, the short answer is yes.
The air conditioning unit is something you’ll definitely need in the summer. A dehumidifier by itself won’t be enough to get you through hot days.
However, dry air is essentially easier to cool than the damp one. Thus, dehumidifiers can help the AC to cool the room more quickly.
What’s more, you’ll save money on the electricity bill, since you won’t have to run your fans or the AC for too long. In addition, many dehumidifiers can turn off on their own when the humidity in a room reaches a certain point. So, they won’t waste energy.
Therefore, if you’re thinking of purchasing only one of these devices, think again. I believe that the dehumidifier won’t be enough to cool the room when the temperature is too high.
On the other hand, the air conditioning unit will waste too much energy. Furthermore, it won’t be able to dry out the air quickly enough if you use it for this purpose.
So, those who live in warmer areas will certainly appreciate the combination of these two devices. They will reduce the level of dampness in the house while keeping the air cool and pleasant.
More on Dehumidifiers & Room Temperature
Hopefully, this article provided useful information to those who are new to the world of dehumidifiers. These devices are really important for everyone who struggles with a high level of humidity in their home.
I tried to explain how this product works. Furthermore, I hope I provided answers to anyone who wondered what a dehumidifier would do to the temperature of a room.
Now that you know that you don’t have to worry about additional heat in hot, humid days, it’s time to get yourself a good, high-quality dehumidifier. In case you don’t know where to start, I’ve got you covered! I have articles about the best dehumidifiers for bedrooms and other areas of your home that you should check out.
Good luck with finding the perfect device for your house! I hope I’ll see you in my next article.
