Will A Dehumidifier Work Best in a Warm or Cold Room?

When you buy a new dehumidifier, you will have many questions in your mind. One of them is: Does a dehumidifier work better in a warm room?

This is a good question because there is a relationship between humidity and temperature, as we saw in our article on the humidity and temperature relationship chart.

So, do dehumidifiers work better in hot or cold conditions? A dehumidifier will work more efficiently in warm and humid weather, such as you can find in Florida. If the humidity level is above 60 percent, the dehumidifier works very well. Also, it works better at temperatures of 60°F (15.6°C) or higher.

The most important thing when using a portable dehumidifier is to find out what the manufacturer recommends.

If they say you should use the unit at 65°F (18°C), it is better to use it at that temperature. Even if it is not indicated, just know that a portable dehumidifier operates best at 60°F (15.5°C) and hotter.

Does a dehumidifier work better in a warm room?

Dehumidifiers produce heat. That is why we said that if a dehumidifier is blowing cold air, there is a problem somewhere.

If the air is icy, the dehumidifier is not going to do a good job of extracting water from the air.

Remember, when it draws in moist air into itself, it will remove the water by cooling it in the condenser coils. During winter, these coils can freeze and sustain damage.

With frosty coils, the dehumidifier will not lower humidity. It will keep running, but it will not draw water from the air.

To keep the unit working, you have to defrost the coils first. Instead of going to all this trouble, it is best to avoid it from happening. Do this by keeping the indoor temperature at 15°C, or higher.

A dehumidifier can work when AC is running, but keep an eye on the thermometer so that the temperature doesn’t run too low.

Keep reading to see more information about how efficient dehumidifiers are at low or high temperatures.

How hot do dehumidifiers get?

A portable dehumidifier can get as hot as 90°F (32°C). Remember, this appliance blows hot air. This is not bad because it is supposed to be like that.

If the operating temperature is higher than 90°F, you could smell a burning smell from the unit. Thus, it is best to keep checking the dehumidifier if you think the air in the room has become too hot and too dry.

Dehumidifiers come with built-in safety features, so they switch off automatically when they start to overheat. Therefore, unless your unit is faulty, you do not need to worry about it getting too hot.

Will a dehumidifier work in a hot room?

As long as the temperature is above 60°F, your dehumidifier is going to work very well. In fact, the unit is going to cool the air considerably.

Hot air holds more moisture, and that is why we need a dehumidifier in the summer. As the air dries a bit when you run a plug-in or battery-operated dehumidifier, the temperature will lower a bit.

Can it be too cold for a dehumidifier to work?

Yes. If the temperature in the room is too low, say, lower than 50°F (10°C), the humidity will be too low anyway, so there might not be a need to use the dehumidifier.

Also, the condenser coils might freeze. While a whole-house dehumidifier can work in any condition, a portable unit might not.

Are dehumidifiers better in the summer or winter?

During the summer, the temperature is high, so the air is likely to hold more moisture as opposed to the drier and colder winter air.

Thus, you are more likely to use a dehumidifier in summer and a humidifier in the winter. Summers in Seattle can get humid, but a dehumidifier can help.

Does a dehumidifier work in a cold garage?

This depends on how cold the garage is. If the temperature is below 59°F (15°C), it is not going to work, unless you get a unit that is designed to work in cold temperatures.

If the air moisture level in the garage is high, say, about 70 percent humidity level, it will cause the growth of mold.

What is the lowest temperature at which a dehumidifier will work?

Dehumidifier low-temperature operation is possible up to temperatures as low as 41°F/5°C. This is just a guideline, so for a portable dehumidifier, it is best to run it at a temperature that is not lower than 60°F (15.6°C).

If in doubt, always confirm with the manufacturer what operating temperature is best.

Do dehumidifiers work in cold weather?

If the dehumidifier is designed to work in cold air, it is okay to use it in winter. However, during winter, the air is dry, so there is no need for a dehumidifier. Rather, you need a humidifier to increase the moisture in the air.

Will the compressor dehumidifier work in the cold?

The recommendation for running a compressor dehumidifier is to ensure that the temperature is between 5°C and 30°C. If it is colder than that, it is not going to work well. Portable units work well in temperatures above 20°C.

Do dehumidifiers run less in the winter?

Because the air is dryer in winter, there is no need to run a dehumidifier. Some places that are along the coast and have a tropical climate might need a dehumidifier to run almost daily a year. For instance, Bangkok, Thailand, has high humidity and sweltering heat throughout the year.

Final Thoughts

A dehumidifier operates better in warm and humid conditions, within the temperature range of 60°F to 70°F (15.5°C to 21.1°C).

It also operates well at humidity levels of 50 percent and above. However, this need not worry you at all because it has a built-in humidistat.

Once you set the humidity parameters, the dehumidifier will switch off when the lowest set humidity is attained. It will also switch on when the humidity rises above 50%.

In any case, when the humidity level in your indoor air is below 30 percent, there is no need to run a dehumidifier. What you need is a humidifier to produce mist and increase humidity.