Dehumidifier vs. Air Conditioner: What's the Difference?

The question “Do I need a dehumidifier or an air conditioner?” is most asked during the hot summer months. If you live in a coastal area and suffer a lot due to high humidity and high-temperature environment you must be confused about whether to buy a dehumidifier or an air conditioner.

Both devices bring different qualities to the table. Everyone’s requirements are also different. This article helps you track down which device would be the best choice for you. It explains the basic functions, working principles, pros, cons, and uses of both dehumidifiers and air conditioners. This article on “Dehumidifier vs. Air Conditioner” gives you a clear idea about the similarities and differences between both devices.

Definition:

Dehumidifier:

A dehumidifier is an electrical device that removes excess moisture from the air. This device maintains the humidity of a room or an entire house at the recommended level. It prevents mold and mildew growth, unpleasant odors, and condensation in damp areas inside your home. It also helps reduce dust mites, and allergens and provides a better atmosphere for easy breathing.

Air conditioner:

An air conditioner is an electrical device that is used to cool down a space by removing heat and humidity from the indoor air. It provides the desired indoor temperature by transferring the heat and humidity of the air outside and supplying the cooled air inside.

Working Principle:

Working principle of Dehumidifier

There are mainly three types of dehumidifiers available in the market i.e. refrigerant dehumidifiers, desiccant dehumidifiers, and whole house dehumidifiers. The working principle of dehumidifiers is categorized into two ways i.e., the process of refrigeration and the process of absorption/adsorption.

Refrigeration

The refrigerant dehumidifiers and whole-house dehumidifiers work on this principle. These dehumidifiers contain 4 main components i.e. an electric fan, cold coils, a hot condenser, and a collection tray. The operating principle of this type of dehumidifier is presented below.

1. After giving the electricity supply to the device, the electric fan draws the humid air inside it.

2. First, the humid air passes over the cold coils and the condensation process begins. As the air becomes cool the moisture or vapor in the air converts into liquid water.

3. The liquid water drips into a collection tray and is later drained from the device through a pipe.

4. The air free from moisture then passes through the hot condenser to bring it to its original temperature.

5. The fresh air is then circulated back inside the house.

Adsorption

The desiccant dehumidifiers work on this principle. These dehumidifiers contain a desiccant wheel. This wheel is made up of desiccant material that attracts water molecules from the air and holds them on its surface. This is called the process of adsorption.

The humid air passes over the large rotating wheel which is made up of desiccant substances.
Then the process of adsorption starts and the water molecules from the humid air get attracted by the wheel. The air free of moisture is then circulated back into the room.
The moisture-absorbing wheel rotates through the heated air and it becomes dry again.
This process continues to remove all the moisture from the indoor air.

Working principle of Air conditioner

An air conditioner works on the principle of phase conversion which transforms a material from one state of matter to another such as liquid to gas and gas to liquid. This device consists of 4 main components i.e., refrigerant, evaporator, compressor, and condenser. The basic operating principle of an air conditioner is represented below.

The refrigerant gas circulates within the air conditioner and through the heat exchanger coils that absorb heat inside the room and supply the cool air outside.
The evaporator is constructed from copper or aluminum. In the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the room and converts it into gas.
The compressor takes the refrigerant gas from the evaporator and compresses it into a high-pressure and high-temperature state.
The high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant gas is then sent to the condenser where the condensation process starts. Inside a condenser, there is a fan that blows ambient air over the heat exchanger. The hot gas then converts into liquid.
The liquid refrigerant is then forced through an expensive valve and passes through the evaporator coil where the liquid refrigerant evaporates and cools the indoor coil.
A fan blows the indoor air across the cold evaporator coils. Here the heat inside the home is absorbed by the refrigerant.
The cooled air is then circulated inside the room.

Pros and Cons:

Pros of Dehumidifiers:

Eliminates Allergies and Dust mites:

The excess moisture in the air can increase dust mites which causes breathing problems, asthma, allergies, etc. Adding a dehumidifier in the house removes the excess moisture from the air and prevents allergies and respiratory diseases.

Creates a Healthy Environment:

A dehumidifier eliminates mold growth and dust mites in the air. It maintains the relative humidity of the air at the optimal level and thus it creates a healthier environment for you and your family.

Removes unpleasant odors:

A dehumidifier removes excess moisture and dampness from a home and thus it eliminates unpleasant odors and creates a fresh surrounding air.

Protects your belongings:

A dehumidifier prevents the development of mold, mildew, fungus, and dust mites on furniture, curtains, and other belongings. It also protects the metal and wooden items from being rusted and warped.

Energy efficient:

A dehumidifier helps the HVAC system to run more efficiently. Your HVAC unit doesn’t need to work as hard to get the job done. Thus it helps to consume less electricity and lowers the electricity bill.

Cons of Dehumidifiers:

If you live in a drier environment a dehumidifier can make the air more dry.
If someone is suffering from pneumonia, the dry air can worsen the health condition.
Dry air also causes coughs, colds, stuffy nose, etc.
It also makes your skin and hair dry, itchy, and irritated.

Pros of Air conditioner

Improves air quality:

The filtration unit in the air conditioning system removes pollutants from the air, improves the air quality, and makes breathing easy and comfortable.

Control humidity:

An air conditioning system also controls the humidity in the room and maintains the humidity at the recommended level.

Increases productivity:

According to researchers, an air-conditioned room improves the thinking quality of a person. Thus, it improves workforce efficiency and helps to increase productivity.

Offers a good sleep:

An air conditioner keeps the temperature of the room at the desired level and maintains the temperature of the body. Thus, it offers a better quality sleep.

Prevents electronic devices from overheating

Electronic devices may suffer from major damage and can also be completely destroyed if they are put in a high-temperature room. An air-conditioned room increases the life span of electronic devices.

Cons of Air conditioner

An air conditioning device eliminates humidity from a room and makes the air drier. The dry air causes respiratory problems, itchy throat, coughs, colds, dry skin, damaged hair, etc.
It emits harmful gases which negatively affect the environment.
It consumes high electricity to maintain the temperature of a room. Thus, it also increases the electricity bill.

Dehumidifier vs. Air Conditioner

Key Differences Between a Dehumidifier and an Air Conditioner

	Dehumidifier	Air Conditioner
Basic Function	If you want to remove high humidity from the indoor air, then you need a dehumidifier.	If you need a cooler indoor environment and you don’t have a problem with humidity, then you should buy an air conditioner.
Components	A refrigerant dehumidifier consists of 4 main components i.e. an electric fan, cold coils, a hot condenser, and a collection tray.	An air conditioner consists of 4 main components i.e., refrigerant, evaporator, compressor, and condenser.
Cost	Less costly than an air conditioner.	It is usually very expensive.
Energy efficiency	A dehumidifier consumes less electricity to operate.	An air conditioner consumes high energy to operate.
Air quality	A dehumidifier improves air quality by removing excess moisture from the air. It prevents mold growth, pollutants, and dust mites in the air.	An air conditioner regulates the temperature of the indoor air and keeps it cooler than the outside temperature.
Humidity level	A dehumidifier’s main job is to remove the excess moisture and maintain the humidity at the recommended level.	An air conditioner also helps in removing humidity from the room but, is not as efficient as a dehumidifier.
Cool air	A dehumidifier removes excess moisture from the air and maintains its humidity level.	An air conditioner removes heat from the room, provides cooler air, and cools down the room.

When to Use?

When to Use a Dehumidifier?

When condensation appears on the windows, it shows high humidity in the indoor air. This is a sign that you need a dehumidifier in your home.

The droplet formation is known as condensation which causes damage to the windows and doors.

2. If your home has unpleasant odors for a long time due to humidity, you need a dehumidifier to remove the humidity from the room.

3. If the growth of mold and mildew damages your valuable belongings due to a high moisture level in the air, you have to the excess moisture from the air.

4. If the indoor air quality is very poor and the air contains pollutants such as dust mites, pollen, and other allergens, you need a dehumidifier to improve the air quality of your home.

5. If someone in your family is suffering from respiratory problems like coughing, or sneezing for a long time, it may be due to high humidity in the air and you need a dehumidifier.

When to Use an Air Conditioner?

When the temperature of outdoor air reaches 75 degrees Fahrenheit you should turn on your air conditioning system to maintain the temperature inside the home.

Conclusion

Dehumidifiers consume less energy and are also less expensive than an air conditioning system. However, a dehumidifier cannot reduce the temperature of a room to make it cooler. It only helps to remove excess moisture from the air and maintains the humidity at the recommended level. Whereas, an air conditioning system keeps you cool inside the room during hot summer days. It does the same more effectively than a dehumidifier.

If you are not struggling with high humidity problems and just need a cool room, you should buy an air conditioner. It offers you a cool and comfortable environment to live. If you live in a cold climate area but suffer from high humidity problems a dehumidifier would be the best addition to your home.

If your air conditioning system is not very effective in lowering the humidity inside your room, then you need a dehumidifier along with an air conditioner.

FAQS

Can You Use Both a Dehumidifier and an Air Conditioner?

Yes, you can use both a dehumidifier and an air conditioner simultaneously. There are times when the humidity level of your home is very high and the air conditioning system of your home cannot adequately keep the humidity at a comfortable level. In this case, you can use a dehumidifier along with an air conditioning system that maintains the humidity level of your room and also takes some strain off of the air conditioning system.

Dehumidifier vs. Air Conditioner: What’s the Difference?