A dehumidifier sucks in excess moisture from the air with a fan and runs it over a freezing coil. This causes the moisture in the air to turn liquid and drips into a reservoir. The now dry air passes over a compressor which heats it up back to its original temperature and the air exits the device. That’s the quick answer to the question “how does a dehumidifier work?”

High humidity in your home raises the temperature and makes it feel warmer than it actually is. That’s not all, it creates a conducive environment for a mold infestation which can lead to serious respiratory illness.

The best way to avoid this is to regulate humidity levels indoors. You can do this by opening the windows for ventilation or get a dehumidifier.

In this post, you will find out the answer to how does a dehumidifier work and why you should get one for your home or office. We will provide links to good dehumidifiers available at great prices. Without further ado, let’s get things started.

Why you Should Get a Dehumidifier

Gone are the days when dehumidifiers were considered some sort of luxury and an extra chore. Nowadays, the device is making its way into more American homes than before.

With the advancement in technology, dehumidifiers are not as noisy as they used to be, they’re more compact and less expensive.

So, if your mind isn’t made up whether to get one even though there are signs that you should, here are some reasons to consider.

Comfort

One of the first ways you know the humidity in an area is different is how it affects your comfort. If it’s too high, you sweat and feel sticky. Too low, you get dry skin and chapped lips.

High humidity will raise the temperature in your home and you know how uncomfortable that can be. So, let a dehumidifier remove the excess moisture from the air before it dampens anything else you care about.

Protection for your home

Home is where the heart is. Wherever yours is beating is worth protecting. High relative humidity is not only bad for your health because mold would grow. It also poses destruction for your furniture and fittings.

Mold can destroy your walls and bedding and clothes. Asides that, high relative humidity can also lead to condensation. This is the accumulation of moisture causing wallpapers and paint to peel, wood to shrink, and ugly patches on the wall.

It only makes sense to prevent these in the first place. A dehumidifier placed in the right location can do that for you.

Reduces allergic reactions

Dehumidifiers do not exactly clean the air but will remove some impurities as a result of the reduced humidity. Dust mites are a cringe-worthy occupant in many homes.

It’s bad enough that they live in close proximity to the body such as clothes, mattresses, carpets, and rugs, etc.

Dust mites multiply when the air in your home is damp. So, with a dehumidifier, you can reduce their population or get rid of them entirely.

Your home smells better

One of the obvious identifiers of too much relative humidity is the damp smell in the air. The mold and mildew that grow as a result give off the murky smell.

Like that isn’t enough, furniture, fabrics, and walls absorb this odor making it difficult to control. If you place a dehumidifier in the erring zones, you can quickly curb this disheartening eventuality.

How a Dehumidifier Works?

Have you ever noticed a bottle straight out of the refrigerator gets wet on the surface after a few seconds? Of course, you have, but do you know why that happens? If not, it’s your lucky day!

The bottle is colder than the temperature in your home, if not, you must be an Eskimo. The bottle’s low temperature spreads to the surrounding air. As the air loses heat, so does its ability to hold moisture.

The cold surface of the bottle pulls moisture out of the air which settles on the bottle. Thus, the wetness. If this happens on a larger scale, it can influence the room temperature. This pretty much how dehumidifiers work.

Now let’s look at the step by step process of how dehumidifiers work.

1. Moist air flows into the device. With the help of a fan, the humid air in your home is drawn into the dehumidifier. It first passes through a filter to remove dust and other airborne particles. Depending on the brand, some filters are washable so you can use them repeatedly which significantly extends its longevity.
2. Cool coils remove moisture from the air. The now clean air flows across an array of coils cooled by a refrigerant passing through them (see these coils as the surface of the cold bottle). This part of the process pulls moisture out of the air and turns liquid on the coils and drips into a reservoir.
3. The air warms up. The process so far causes heat and this is used to warm the dry air before it flows back into the room.  

Some dehumidifiers such as this one, have a humidistat in them. Its purpose is to monitor the humidity level in your home. Once it gets to a preset level, the device starts up automatically.

It is important to pay attention to emptying the reservoir when it fills up. If you don’t want to babysit a dehumidifier, you can go for a model like the picture below. It switches off the unit once the water reaches a certain level to avoid a spill.

If you’re using a dehumidifier in a location with high relative humidity, it might be a good idea to install a continuous drain line that automatically flows water out of the reservoir. That way you can leave the dehumidifier running without checking on it too often.

How Long Does It Take Dehumidifiers to Lower Humidity?

For a room 3 by 4 meters with closed doors, a 30-pint/day dehumidifier such as this one from Inofia, will reduce the humidity level from 72 percent to 60 percent in an hour, to 55 percent in 2 hours, and 50 percent in 8 hours.

These figures are estimates. Certain conditions such as the humidity of the day or whether you’re cooking or drying clothes in the house can affect the timing.

However, if you use a bigger and stronger device, for the same room size, the humidity levels will reduce at a faster rate.

What is the Difference between an Air Conditioner (AC) and Dehumidifiers?

An air conditioner is different from a dehumidifier in the sense that it does not reheat the air it pulls from your home which is how it keeps your place cool.

However, an air conditioner can help reduce the humidity levels of indoor air as well. This is so because it works the same way as a dehumidifier. They both pull in the air in your home and remove moisture from it by passing it over cold coils.

Some people even give the credit for the invention of dehumidifiers to Willis Carrier, the inventor of air conditioner. This is probably because they follow the same general approach.

Conclusion

There you have it. Now you’re armed to the teeth to answer when you’re asked how a dehumidifier works. Now you can show off your new-found knowledge to your friends and family. If this piece has been of value to you, why don’t you just share it with them? If you’ve made up your mind on getting a dehumidifier, you can go for one of those featured here. Trust us, they’re great options. If you want more information like this, explore our site. On that note, thank you for your time.