What Does a Dehumidifier Do? Tips to Beat the Summer Heat (2024)

FAQs

What Does a Dehumidifier Do? Tips to Beat the Summer Heat? ›

John Carey, appliance expert and vice-president at Designer Appliances, explains that a dehumidifier does not actually cool down a room like an air conditioning unit does. Instead, it takes in excess moisture to lower humidity and make the space more comfortable.

Running a dehumidifier in the summer months is one way to improve indoor air quality and help lower the occurrence of allergy symptoms and asthma attacks. By removing excess moisture from the home's air supply, whole house dehumidifiers help reduce allergens such as mildew and mold growth in the home environment.

What does a dehumidifier do? A dehumidifier removes water from the air in your home until relative humidity is reduced to the level you choose. Once it has reached this level a good dehumidifier should automatically maintain that comfortable level with no interference from you!

Do dehumidifiers create cool? A dehumidifier will not lower the temperature of your room, but it can make you feel cooler. *Because they don't affect actual room temperature, you shouldn't use a dehumidifier in place of a portable air conditioner—you simply won't get the same effect.

The reason a dehumidifier can feel like a great way to cool down a room, is because it helps create an environment where our sweat evaporates more quickly, relieving our skin of the 'clammy' sensation we often associate with summer and making us feel cool, continues Tony Abate, certified indoor environmentalist, and ...

The ideal relative humidity level in a home is between 30 and 50 percent. However, in the hotter summer months (and if you live in a more humid climate) you will want to aim for the 50 percent range to maintain a manageable energy bill.

Dehumidifiers are designed to remove humid air from a hot room, which can have a cooling effect. While a dehumidifier can make a room feel less warm, it's not its primary purpose. If your home is uncomfortably warm, we would recommend investing in an air-conditioning unit instead.

Cons of Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers blow out warm air from the back of the unit, whilst this maybe a perk in the winter during the summer it could result in excess overbearing heat. The machine would also be needed throughout seasons; winter to combat damp but summer to cut down on pollen.

Dehumidifiers are designed to remove excess moisture from the room – not cool the air. You will feel more comfortable with dry air because the muggy, heavy moisturized air is gone. But dehumidifiers themselves don't cool your air.

Is a dehumidifier better than AC? ›

A dehumidifier will remove the excess humidity without causing temperature to drop significantly. An air conditioner will reduce the humidity AND lower the temperature significantly. So, dehumidifiers are best used in situations where moisture ( humidity ) is a problem but where significant cooling is not required.

If you live in a humid climate, running a dehumidifier in moisture-filled rooms in your home–such as the basem*nt, attic and bathrooms– during the summer months is highly recommended.

So what is the best humidity setting for a dehumidifier? According to Energy Star, the optimal level of relative humidity in your home should be between 30% and 50%. Anything below this range may cause extreme dryness in your home and levels above may promote bacteria growth.

So what is the best indoor humidity for your home and how can you manage it? Most experts say that the ideal house humidity should be between 30 and 50 percent, but definitely below 60 percent in the summer months.

Should a Dehumidifier Run Constantly? No, your dehumidifier should not have to run constantly to regulate the air humidity. An optimal humidity level to shoot for is between 30 and 50 percent. Your dehumidifier should reach this in 8 to 12 hours.

When the temperature in the space where you run your dehumidifier starts getting down around 65° F, it's time to think of unplugging your unit and stowing it away for the winter. The lifetime of dehumidifiers usually ranges from five to 10 years.

However, many people wonder if their dehumidifier should run in the winter. The answer is that, in most cases, dehumidifiers typically do not need to run during the winter months in most areas because the air is naturally dry due to low humidity and the use of heating systems.

Warm or hot air coming from under or behind the dehumidifier is normal and part of the dehumidification process as long as the unit is drawing moisture from the air. When the unit is dehumidifying, the compressor is generating heat as it operates.