I live in SE Michigan and two weeks ago I bought a dehumidifier to help the AC out....the thing i liked best is that my basement didnt stink musty, but I didnt notice any better cooling. Do you have one of these contraptions, and did it help? Or did I just waste 200 bucks?
2006-08-11 16:31:19 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Hey after an hour in the basement (where i have my computer) it doesnt stink anymore, and it feels cool since the air is drier....nice
2006-08-11 17:21:47 · update #1
There are a couple of us that actually know our stuff. I suggest you listen to either myself, Appliance Guy, or Air Boy.
If you are getting rid of the musty smell in the basement, the dehumidifier is doing exactly what it is suppose to do. It removes humidity, one of three things mold and mildew require to flourish.
There is a lot of talk these days about indoor air quality, one of the biggest concerns in the HVAC trade right now is mold and mildew. These organisms cause all kinds of health issues, especially if you have asthma or allergies.
So if you wished for a two hundred dollar air conditioner, then yes you wasted your money. If you wished for an improved indoor environment, one free from mold and mildew, then I would say your money was well spent.
I too am an old heating and cooling man. I currently live in Saint Louis and teach heating and cooling at Vatterott College.
2006-08-11 17:16:19 · answer #1 · answered by dont_call_me_sweet_pea 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your AC unit does two things. The first thing it does is remove water from the air. And second, it cools the air. Until the moisture content of the air has been reduced to the dew point, the air temperature will not begin to decrease. The reality is that your AC unit and dehumidifier are the same thing. One is just much bigger than the other. Take a look at your AC unit, and you'll see that it has a drain pan and drain to allow condensed moisture to drain either out of the house or into your home drain system.
The dehumidifier must have a similar drain of some kind.
The reason your basement smells better, is because the dehumidifier is only having to refrigerate a small room....not your entire house.
You could have done the same thing by increasing the size of the ductwork to your basement, and lowered the setpoint on your thermostat. This would circulate more of the moist basement air into your AC unit where the water would be removed. The downside to this is that you would be cooling your entire house, since most homes have only one thermostat. And you would have had to spend additional money on larger diameter ductwork to the basement.
At the end of the day if you are happy with the elimination of the odor, then your money was not wasted. But make no mistake, you woun't save electricity because you bought a dehumidifier.
2006-08-13 13:59:54 · answer #2 · answered by richard Alvarado 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A dehumidifier will take the moisture out of the air. This process will also make it feel cooler because of the lower humidity. If you are not emptying the bucket every day or are not seeing evidence of water coming out of the end of the hose (if that is how you have it hooked up) then you either have it turned down too low or there is a problem with the unit.
If you do not notice any difference in the lower humidity try turning the unit off for a day and see if you can feel or smell a difference.
A dehumidifier is not an air conditioner and will not lower the temperature of any room. It actually adds a little more heat to the room from the motors running.
2006-08-11 23:52:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it does. One would think that the A/C would do the trick, but in the basement there are too many things working against you. A good HVAC guy could probably reconfigure your system to make it work but its gonna cost a lot more than 200 bucks.
2006-08-12 00:27:56 · answer #4 · answered by dak0tawayne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does make a BIG difference. Controls the humidity in the house and stops condensation during winter. Air, specially in basement, is more breathable.
2006-08-11 23:49:30 · answer #5 · answered by apple2be 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I use mine mostly when my allergies act up and it really helps then. I don't know how much it'll help as far as additional cooling though, I've never really tried/
2006-08-12 00:17:10 · answer #6 · answered by ShouldBeWorking 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes you want the humidity level at about 45%. that is the most comfortable.
2006-08-11 23:38:11 · answer #7 · answered by Tim 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
mine does - they produce heat though.
2006-08-11 23:38:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋