It’s hot and humid and you’re using a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity. But you’ve noticed hot air coming out of your dehumidifier. In this article, we look at why your dehumidifier blows hot air and give you some tips and advice so that you’re happy with your dehumidifier and how it’s working.
How does a dehumidifier work?
A dehumidifier decreases the relative humidity level of the air in a room. It removes the moisture in air so that it is less humid. The ideal humidity level in a room should be between 30% to 60%.
A dehumidifier draws in air using a fan, and then the refrigerant in the coils inside the unit cools the air down.
Through condensation, which is when air vapor hits a cold surface, the some of the air turns into water droplets and ends up inside the water tank in the dehumidifier ready to be emptied.
The remaining air is heated by the air compressor and then dispersed back into the room. The air coming out of a dehumidifier may feel hot, and you may be worried about what this is doing to your room temperature.
Are dehumidifiers supposed to blow hot air?
Yes, dehumidifiers are supposed to blow hot air. The air inside a dehumidifier is reheated before it is dispersed.
The air coming out of a dehumidifier should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A dehumidifier blows out hot air because cold air is harder to disperse as vapor, and very cold air turns into water droplets and stays inside the dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier takes air from a room and removes the moisture before blowing the air back into the room.
An air conditioner, on the other hand, which is usually on a roof, blows the hot air outside while blowing cool air into a home.
Does a dehumidifier make a room hotter?
You might be worried that a dehumidifier that blows hot air back into your room is going to make your room hotter.
If you’re standing next to the dehumidifier as the hot air blows out, yes you will feel hotter.
However the overall impact on the temperature in the room would be minimal.
The hot air coming out of a dehumidifier now has less moisture, which contributes to the decrease in humidity level in the room. When a room’s humidity level decreases, the room feels cooler.
Your dehumidifier unit will always feel warm when it’s operating which is completely normal, just like most appliances. If you touch your refrigerator in your kitchen, you will notice that it feels warm on the outside yet it is still very cold inside.
Can a dehumidifier cool down a room?
No a dehumidifier cannot cool down a room like an air conditioner can.
A dehumidifier helps to reduce humidity in a room, which leads to a room feeling less hot. However, a dehumidifier doesn’t alter the room’s temperature by much.
You would still need to run an air conditioner to drop the room temperature significantly.
It’s not necessary to run both a dehumidifier and your air conditioner at the same time. This is because as the air cools down, it holds less moisture, so the room’s humidity will drop too. An air conditioner will help remove the moisture in the air as it cools down a room.
Dehumidifier gets hot: is this ok?
If your dehumidifier gets hot and you think it might be too hot and something is wrong, there are some things to help you with this problem.
Check that the dehumidifier is getting enough air flow.
Make sure that it is not right up against a wall or is blocked by furniture or something else. A lack of air flow will quickly heat up the dehumidifier and can lead to malfunction and ice forming on the coils.
If the air flow is ok and the dehumidifier still feels too hot, switch it off and check your user manual for possible problems and troubleshooting.
If the only heat you can feel is coming from where the air is blowing out, this is normal because a dehumidifier blows out hot air.
Some signs that your dehumidifier could be malfunctioning include hearing clicking sounds, the coils not being cold (they contain refrigerant which keeps them cold) or the fan not working and blowing out the air properly.
One final word
If you’re wondering why your dehumidifier blows hot air and you’re worried, don’t be. It’s normal for a dehumidifier to blow hot air once it has removed the moisture.
As long as your dehumidifier has good air flow and isn’t up against a wall or furniture, and the air flows easily out of the appliance, it’s normal for you to feel warm air.
The job of a dehumidifier is to simply remove the moisture in the air to reduce the humidity level. It’s job is not to cool down or warm up air, but the warm air that leaves the unit is simply due to the air compressor inside the unit.
