Does a dehumidifier cool a room?

When temperatures start to rise outside, the humidity in your home increases as well. If you have a basement, bathroom, or attic that suffers from excess humidity in the summer, you’ve probably wondered how to make the room more comfortable with cooler air.

Rooms that suffer from high humidity levels need a little extra help to keep the temperature regulated from time to time. That’s where dehumidifiers come in. While these handy plug-in devices can do wonders for the air quality in your home, you may be wondering if they’re the solution to your humidity problem. Before you add the one you’ve been eyeing to your Amazon cart, we spoke with two HVAC pros to find out whether or not dehumidifiers help cool your home.

Will a dehumidifier cool a room?

In short, dehumidifiers don’t actually cool rooms; they remove excess moisture from the air, which increases humidity levels, which can make the room feel slightly cooler. However, just because dehumidifiers don’t actually cool the air in your home (that’s what an air conditioner does) doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider installing one in certain rooms.

Installing a dehumidifier in rooms with high humidity, such as the basement or bathroom, helps your air conditioner run more efficiently because it doesn’t have to work as hard to combat the extra moisture that keeps your HVAC system from reaching its set temperature. Moisture makes the room feel warmer than it actually is and causes your HVAC system to run longer or colder, which can lead to frequent repairs or system failure. “Homeowners may find it helpful to use a dehumidifier in humid climates and during the summer months to help maintain optimal indoor air quality,” Roberson says.

So, when the humidity in your home makes the room clammy and difficult to breathe, placing a dehumidifier in the room to run alongside your air conditioner can be very beneficial.

What is a dehumidifier used for?

Not to be confused with humidifiers (which add humidity) back Dehumidifiers work in the exact opposite way, drawing moisture out of the room and turning it into liquid. “A central air conditioning system extracts heat from inside your home and releases it outside. A dehumidifier works the same way, but instead of expelling heat outside, it uses it to further dehumidify the air,” Radocaj explains. “The air first passes through a filter and then over a cooling coil, which removes the moisture. Then the air passes over a heating coil, which then increases the temperature and significantly lowers the relative humidity.”

The good news is that dehumidifiers are easy to use and self-contained. All you need to do is buy a dehumidifier that is the right size for the space you are working in, plug it in, and turn it on to the appropriate setting.

“When looking at dehumidifier features, the size and capacity of the unit are important,” Roberson says. “An undersized unit will not be able to adequately remove moisture from a home. Another aspect of a good dehumidifier is how easy the unit is to use. The dehumidifier should be easy to use with user-friendly controls, automatic restart capability and timer controls.”

The best solutions for creating cool rooms

The best way to achieve a cool, comfortable atmosphere in your home is to invest in a functional HVAC system. You can choose from several options that best fit your budget and needs, including central HVAC units (this is the most common option that consists of an outdoor unit that disperses cool air throughout the house, a ductless mini-split, or a portable unit).

If you’re trying to keep a single room in your home cooler, like a basement or a room that isn’t connected to central air conditioning, portable units may be the best option for you. These units can move from room to room without connecting to anything other than a nearby outlet (just remember to vent through a nearby window or door), and they’re much less expensive than central or ductless units. Don’t forget to also place a dehumidifier in the room if you’re dealing with high humidity levels that make the room feel stuffy.