dehumidifier for cooling?

[JTsyo]

If the temperature is not too high but it's muggy, can you just run a dehumidifier to cool a room? Kid has chest congestion so I don't want to turn the A/C on.

 

[sdifox]

no. It would remove the moisture, but actually heat up the room.

 

[deanx0r]

The A/C unit is a dehumidifier and will cool down the air. Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?

 

[wwswimming]

If the temperature is not too high but it's muggy, can you just run a dehumidifier to cool a room? Kid has chest congestion so I don't want to turn the A/C on.

no, you will end up heating up the room - unless the dehumidifier exhausts its hot air into another place.

 

[edro]

I thought humidity helped chest congestion...

 

[SlowSpyder]

Using a dehumidifier to cool a room is a lot like opening the door to your fridge to cool the kitchen.

 

[bignateyk]

No. The dehumidifier will actually heat the room up. An AC is the same thing as a dehumidifier except that it vents all the hot air outside intead of inside your house.

 

[lxskllr]

The electric usage is similar between them, but only the A/C feels good. Turn it on, but just lower the temp ~2°. It'll make a big difference, but won't cool things down too much.

 

[CZroe]

The A/C unit is a dehumidifier and will cool down the air. Isn't that what you wanted in the first place?

The AC causes the hot water vapor to condense and radiates the heat elsewhere (usually outdoors). The motors generate additional heat as well. A dehumidifies captures and stores the water, thus, all heat remains and will conduct back into the room along with the wasted heat energy from the electric motors.

I have seen dehumidifier-like office air conditioners but they exhaust hot air through a flexible pipe that looks just like a dryer vent tube and must take the hot air somewhere outside of the place intended to be cooled.

 

[mmntech]

A dehumidifier will cool a room, sort of. It changes the perceived temperature. If the room is really humid, your body's own cooling system (sweat) isn't as effective. Dry air will feel cooler to a point. They won't change, or may heat up, the actual air temperature though.

I have seen dehumidifier-like office air conditioners but they exhaust hot air through a flexible pipe that looks just like a dryer vent tube and must take the hot air somewhere outside of the place intended to be cooled.

Sounds like a portable AC to me. The hose vents the hot air outside. They can easily be moved from room to room so one unit provides cooling only where you need it. They have a water bucket that has to be emptied like a dehumidifier.

 

[sdifox]

A dehumidifier will cool a room, sort of. It changes the perceived temperature. If the room is really humid, your body's own cooling system (sweat) isn't as effective. Dry air will feel cooler to a point. They won't change, or may heat up, the actual air temperature though.



Sounds like a portable AC to me. The hose vents the hot air outside. They can easily be moved from room to room so one unit provides cooling only where you need it. They have a water bucket that has to be emptied like a dehumidifier.

I have never seen any dehumidifier with hosed vent.

 

[Murloc]

I have never seen any dehumidifier with hosed vent.

I think he's talking about a portable A/C unit, not a standalone dehumidifier.

Dehumidifier: takes water, doesn't change temperature
running it is useless, unless it's very humid and having less humid air makes it more pleasurable.
But for chest congestion, I think humid air is better.

A/C: uses a motor and energy to take the heat from a closed system (the room hair), and transfers it to the other side, which is the air hose that vents the air outside your house.

Just turn the A/C vents away from the kid, reduce the fan to minimum, and cooldown only by 1-2°C at first and decrease gradually.

 

[bignateyk]

I have never seen any dehumidifier with hosed vent.

It's called a portable AC. It looks like a dehumidifier but has an insulated hose that you stick out a window. It collects water in a bucket just like a dehumidifier does.

 

[sdifox]

It's called a portable AC. It looks like a dehumidifier but has an insulated hose that you stick out a window. It collects water in a bucket just like a dehumidifier does.

Portable AC <> dehumidifier.

 

[sdifox]

It's called a portable AC. It looks like a dehumidifier but has an insulated hose that you stick out a window. It collects water in a bucket just like a dehumidifier does.

not the same thing though. dehumidifier does not produce cool air at all 🙂