Does A Dehumidifier Cool A Room? Is It A Myth Or Reality?

Does a dehumidifier cool a room? Many people believe that a dehumidifier will help them to cool their home in the summer.

But in reality, a dehumidifier actually does not work to lower the temperature of the air. However, it makes the air feel cooler by removing moisture from it.

Does A Dehumidifier Cool A Room? A Myth Or Reality?

Do you have a humidity problem in your home? If yes, then you must be aware of a dehumidifier.

They can be very effective at preventing mold growth and reducing allergies.

Have you ever heard of or experienced how humidity affects the temperature of a room?

There is a common question; does a dehumidifier cool a room? Is it a myth or reality? If myth, what led this myth to become so popular? Or, if it is true, what is the reason behind this?

To burst all these bubbles, let’s go into details about the dehumidifier and its cooling effect.

1. A Dehumidifier:

First of all, we should be clear about a dehumidifier, i.e., what is it and what does it do?

A dehumidifier is an appliance used to remove moisture from the air.

This is very helpful in reducing humidity in your home. Also, it can create a comfortable environment and prevent mold and mildew growth.

Dehumidifiers are easy to use. Simply place the unit in the room you wish to dehumidify and turn it on.

Most units have an automatic shut-off feature. So, it can turn the unit off once it reaches the desired humidity level.

However, you may need to empty the unit’s water reservoir periodically. Otherwise, it will collect the moisture removed from the air.

This causes the water vapor to condense and drip into a collection tank. After some time, you have to empty it to avoid overflow.

2. Cooling Effect Of A Dehumidifier:

Dehumidifiers work by drawing in air and then removing the moisture from it. It sucks moist air and absorbs excess humidity from it. Later, it passes out the air with healthy humidity levels.

This happens through a number of methods. The most common type of dehumidifier uses coils and a fan to remove moisture from the air.

The coils are cooled below the dew point. The dew point is the temperature at which water vapor turns into liquid water.

As the air passes over the cold coils, the water vapor in the air condenses into water. Then they drip into a collection tank. The fan then blows the moist-free air back into the room.

Other types of units use a desiccant, which is a substance that absorbs water vapor. The desiccant units work by passing air over a belt coated with the desiccant.

The desiccant absorbs water vapor in the air and then passes dry air back into the room.

3. How Does A Dehumidifier Cool A Room? Two Possible Scenarios:

One common question about dehumidifiers is whether or not they can also cool a room.

There are two different conditions; one when it does cool a room while second is opposite to first one. Both situations have their own reasons. As;

3.1. Yes! A Dehumidifier Does Cool A Room:

Of course, the first answer is yes! Dehumidifiers can actually help to lower the temperature of a room.

But this happens only when you use a unit that reduces humidity through condensation.

In such a scenario, when a dehumidifier reduces humidity and throws the air out, cool air comes out. That’s why we feel a cooling environment in the room.

3.2. No! A Dehumidifier Doesn’t Cool A Room:

No, dehumidifiers do not cool rooms. They only work to remove moisture from the air. They have nothing to do with the temperature. Instead, air conditioners work for that purpose.

However, some people feel the coolness when they use a dehumidifier. This is because the dehumidifier pulls out the moisture from the air.

Consequently, the air around us becomes less humid. And when the air is less humid, we feel cool because humid air feels warmer than dry air.

There is a whole scientific reasoning behind this situation. So let’s dive into deeper details.

4. Science Behind Both Situations:

The science behind how dehumidifiers work is quite simple. Here are the proper reasons behind both conditions.

Why do you feel cooling after using a unit? To answer this, below are comprehensive details;

4.1. When You Use A Dehumidifier With Coils:

The coils present inside the dehumidifier are known as condenser coils. These coils are generally made of copper or aluminum. The function of these coils is to extract moisture from the air.

In order to do this, they need to be at a temperature lower than the surrounding air.

As a result, when these coils are turned on, the water vapor in the air condenses on them.

This means air’s moisture converts into liquid, i.e., a condensation process occurs. This process leads to the release of latent heat.

Latent heat is the heat required to change the state of a substance from gas to liquid. In simple terms, water vapor in the air changes to water droplets by emitting some heat.

When the vapors emit heat, the temperature of the air surrounding the coils decreases. Then, it leads to a decrease in the humidity of the room.

That’s why we feel cool air coming out of the dehumidifier.

So, does a dehumidifier cool a room? The answer is yes! it can make it feel cooler by converting water vapors into water droplets.

The above process is the basic science behind how a dehumidifier works.

4.2. When You Use A Dehumidifier With Desiccants:

In this dehumidification method, a unit uses desiccants to absorb air moisture. The desiccants are usually in the form of a rotating wheel or a static bed.

The most common type of desiccant used is silica gel. As air passes through the dehumidifier, the silica gel absorbs moisture. Therefore, the air becomes light and more comfortable when humidity lowers.

So, you feel relaxed on hot summer days. But, the point is dehumidifier does not decrease the temperature. It just removes humidity.

Here, the point to ponder is that warm air has the ability to hold more water vapors. That’s the reason it feels heavier and more sticky.

But, when a unit reduces the number of water vapors from the air, the air becomes lighter and more comfortable. So, you feel that comfort and relate it to a cooling effect.

Can A Dehumidifier Be An Alternative To AC?

Obviously, No. Dehumidifiers work to reduce the humidity level. They do not have any intention to lower the temperature of a room.

While air conditioners work in such a way that they can lower the temperature as well as remove humidity.

If you want to feel cool and relaxed, go for an air conditioner rather than a dehumidifier.

Conclusion:

Does a dehumidifier cool a room? There are two different scenarios. Well, it depends on the type of dehumidifier you are using.

Using a unit that works on the condensation principle can make your room cooler to some extent.

But in the case of the desiccant method, a dehumidifier does not cool a room. Instead, it eliminates humidity from the air and makes it more comfortable for you to breathe.

Frequently Asked Questions

A dehumidifier is a device that helps to remove moisture from the air. This can be very beneficial in rooms that tend to be humid, such as basements or laundry rooms.

Dehumidifiers work by drawing in air from the room and removing excess humidity. After that, it returns the air in better condition.

Q1. How Long Will It Take A Dehumidifier To Dry My Room?

It depends on the size of your room and the capacity of your dehumidifier. Also, the air’s natural humidity is important in checking the duration of working.

On average, a mid-sized dehumidifier can remove around 30 pints (14 liters) of water from the air per day. So, it can take anywhere between 12 to 24 hours to dry a room completely.

Further factors like air tightness, the number of people in the room, etc., can affect the time required to dry a room.

Q2. Is Using A Dehumidifier Good During Winter?

First, you should be clear about the fact that a dehumidifier does not cool the air. It only eliminates the air’s excess moisture, making you feel comfortable.

So, using a dehumidifier in winter is a good idea only if your room is too humid.

But if the air in your room is dry, using a device will make it even drier, which can cause respiratory problems.

Typically air is more humid in summer because of the heat. That is why using a dehumidifier during winter might not be necessary.

Q3. Why Does Warm Air Hold More Water Vapors Then Cool Air?

The amount of water vapor that air can hold depends on its temperature. Warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air.

That’s why humid air feels warmer than dry air—it carries more heat energy.

When the temperature of humid air decreases, it can no longer hold all the water vapor it contains.

The key reason is some of the water vapor condenses into liquid water droplets. So we can say that cool air goes through a condensation process faster than warm air.

That’s the reason behind warm air holds more vapors than cool air.