Dehumidifiers offer a wide range of benefits to your home. Not only do they bring you comfort, but they also help to protect your possession and your home itself.
However, many people often debate how a dehumidifier works. Namely, there is a popular opinion that dehumidifiers work to keep your home cool by cooling the air.
This may make them less appealing to those who live in colder climates, and more appealing to those who live in hotter climates.
However, many people question if this is actually true. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about dehumidifiers, like whether or not they actually cool the air, and more. So read on to find out the answer to this question!
What Do Dehumidifiers Do?
If you want to reduce the humidity in your home or any space or reduce any excess moisture in the air, then your best option is to use a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers work by taking away any moisture in the air, which not only makes the atmosphere healthier and pleasant, but it can stop mildew and mold from developing.
Mold and mildew can cause some serious health issues, particularly if you suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems. So it is a good idea to use a dehumidifier in humid areas to make sure that you are not impacted in this way.
How Do Dehumidifiers Work?
When you switch the dehumidifier on, it begins to draw in all of the humid air that can make a room feel stuffy and unpleasant to be in. Inside the dehumidifier, there are refrigerated coils. These coils cool the air by condensing it and then drawing out the water vapor. This is called the “dew point.”
Next, the water vapor will collect and become condensation on the coils, think of how steam turns into condensation when it hits the window, due to the window’s cold surface.
Then, the condensation will become filtered in an internal reservoir, It will either get disposed of or recycled.
Now, the second coil, also called the condenser, will allow dry air to pass through it while heating it to room temperature. This air is then redistributed via the fan.
Do Dehumidifiers Cool The Air?
Not exactly. While dehumidifiers do indeed cool down their air so it can extract the water vapor, the air is re-heated before being distributed back into the room via the fan. So, you will experience no temperature change in your room.
So, where exactly does the confusion come from? Well, people often believe that dehumidifiers cool down air because they think that humidity means the same thing as heat. This makes sense because we often experience humidity in warm weather.
However, decreasing the humidity in the area will not change the temperature of the area. Unlike air conditioners, dehumidifiers have no ventilation source, so will only work with air already in the space. The temperature will not drop because there is no outlet that can expel the warm air.
Whereas, air conditioners will work by moving warm air from both outside and inside your home, while it draws cool air back into the room from outside. This will raise the temperature of the air.
Additionally, you may find that a dehumidifier works to warm up your home ever so slightly. This is because they produce heat if they are on and working for longer periods of time, much like your refrigerator or television.
Do Dehumidifiers Make The Air Seem Cooler?
Yes! While dehumidifiers do not actually change the temperature of the air that is expelled into the room, they can actually make the air seem cooler! But how is this possible?
Well, this is all because of how human bodies react to humidity.
To cool down, the best thing your body can do is perspire. When sweat is released from your sweat glands, the liquid released will evaporate from your skin. This allows you to feel more comfortable because you become cooler.
But, if you are in an environment, like a home or a country that has high levels of humidity, you will find that the air is saturated with high levels of moisture.
This makes it a lot harder for sweat to evaporate as the whole process slows down. This causes you, or the air, to feel clammy, muggy, and extremely uncomfortable.
So, when a dehumidifier has reduced the levels of humidity in the atmosphere, the moist, heavy air has disappeared, and dry, crisp air has taken its place. This allows our sweat to evaporate quickly and allows us to feel more comfortable in our bodies.
So, even though the temperature has not changed, the air will feel colder because your body is performing its natural cooling processes effectively.
This is true even if you have not been exercising, or you are experiencing mild weather. Your body is constantly sweating, whether you think it is or not, or whether it’s noticeable or not.
So, you will be able to feel when an area is humid, and a dehumidifier will help you feel more comfortable. So, no matter if you are in a hot or cold climate, a dehumidifier is always worth having around.
Final Thoughts
Dehumidifiers are great for making the space in your home feel less humid and uncomfortable. They also reduce the risk of mildew or mold in your home which reduces the risks for those who suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems.
Many people believe dehumidifiers cool the air temperature, but this is actually not true. In fact, dehumidifiers can increase the temperature of the air by a few degrees.
However, this is not a concern when it feels humid. Humidity is often associated with warm temperatures, but the air can actually feel humid in all weathers.
Dehumidifiers work by cooling down water vapor into condensation and disposing of it while dry air gets heated back up and filtered into the room.
This dry air feels crisp and cold which allows your body to sweat normally and will make you feel more comfortable. This can feel like the air is colder, but it is actually not the case.
We hope this article tells you all you need to know about dehumidifiers and cold air.
