When the humid summer months roll around and the summer heat is at its peak, finding effective ways to cool down becomes a top priority. Amidst the wide array of devices that regulate and modify air quality, dehumidifiers often emerge as one of the most popular choices.
As a result, a common question arises: Can a dehumidifier not only lower humidity but also cool down a room?
In today’s post, I’m going to teach you about the relationship between dehumidifiers and room temperature, exploring their cooling potential and understanding how they can contribute to a more enjoyable indoor environment during the hottest days of the year. But first, let’s tackle the burning question,
Table of Contents
Will A Dehumidifier Cool A Room?
The short answer is, no. A dehumidifier will not help to cool a room by lowering the ambient temperature, as they are not designed to do so.
However, the real answer is a bit more nuanced. Dehumidifiers can make a room feel cooler because as they remove excess moisture from the air, the room they are in grows more comfortable and less muggy, and this creates a perceived cooling effect.
It’s important to note that the actual temperature in the room remains unchanged, despite the pleasant feeling generated by the device.
For this and other reasons, dehumidifiers are fascinating devices, and for some people, they can be a worthwhile investment. Follow me below to learn more.
What Can Dehumidifiers Do For You?
Dehumidifiers offer a range of valuable benefits that contribute to a more comfortable and healthier living environment. This is because, by design, dehumidifiers reduce relative humidity levels in a room by extracting excess moisture from the air.
Like with humidifiers and air conditioning units, there are many different designs and types of dehumidifier units available in the market, and this allows consumers to choose the model that best suits their specific needs and preferences.
But when it comes to cooling potential, dehumidifiers and air conditioners are distinct devices with different functions, and it is very important not to confuse the two.
While air conditioners are designed to generate cold air and circulate it throughout the house, dehumidifiers have the specific purpose of reducing humidity in your home. So, let’s delve deeper into the unique workings of dehumidifiers to better understand their functionality and how they can potentially help to “cool” a room.
Understanding The Basics: How Dehumidifiers Work
Dehumidifiers use a fan to draw moisture-laden air into their interior. Once inside the dehumidifier, the humid air is fed through a set of refrigerated coils which condense the moisture in the air and collect it in a storage tank, and the drier air is then vented back into the room.
This results in, as mentioned earlier, the fact that dehumidifiers have the ability to extract humidity from the warm air inside a room.
While they don’t directly cool the room, because they don’t drop the ambient temperature directly, they do make the room feel more comfortable and create a sensation of “coolness” by reducing the sticky, clammy feeling caused by high humidity.
This is quite significant because excessive water vapor in the air, known as humidity, can have a detrimental effect on your comfort and general well-being. For example, high humidity not only makes everything feel damp and muggy, leading to feelings of discomfort and fatigue, but it can also lead to more serious side effects such as the potential for the growth of mold and the proliferation of bacteria.
How Dehumidifiers Can Enhance Air Conditioning Efficiency
When a dehumidifier removes moisture from the air, it leaves the environment feeling cooler and drier. Consequently, when an air conditioner unit is activated in conjunction with a dehumidifier, it has a much easier time cooling air that is already dry.
Without the added assistance of the dehumidifier, the air conditioner would have to work harder to cool damp and humid air.
In fact, you may find that using a dehumidifier to maintain dry air reduces the need for the air conditioner unit altogether. This means that you won’t have to rely on the AC as frequently, resulting in savings on your average electric bill.
This will also translate to lower maintenance costs since the air conditioning system will experience less wear and tear due to the reduced usage.
There Are Exceptions
So it’s clear that if you live in a humid climate, using a dehumidifier can be beneficial in keeping your home feeling cool.
However, if you live in a location that is hot but has low humidity levels, running a dehumidifier may not be a good idea. This is because the dehumidifier itself generates heat while operating. And while most of the time the amount of heat generated will be negligible, if the dehumidifier is left to operate in an environment that is already dry to begin with, the heat will quickly add up and gradually increase the temperature in your home.
Another exception is if you find that running a dehumidifier consumes too much electricity and strains your utility bill. Thankfully, there are alternatives you can consider. For instance, you can opt for a smaller portable dehumidifier that can effectively operate in a single room instead of treating the entire house.
Another option is to open your windows at night to let cool air circulate inside. Once the morning arrives and the sun starts to warm up your house, you can close the windows to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors.
Dehumidifiers Can Help Create A Comfortable Environment
While a dehumidifier is not a direct substitute for an air conditioner when it comes to cooling a room, it can certainly contribute to a more comfortable indoor environment, particularly in hot and humid conditions.
By reducing moisture and potentially easing the load on your air conditioning unit, a dehumidifier can indirectly help in creating a cooler-feeling space.
