The Dehumidifier Gives Cold Air Because It Is Defective
Many times in the life of your dehumidifier, you might experience the problem of the unit blowing cold air.
You are not alone. Many people experience this.
Well, comfort appliances make our lives so much richer and more enjoyable. But they do have some side effects, too. For instance, in the past, we looked at an article on humidifier sickness symptoms. Yeah, it is not all bliss now, is it?
So, why is your dehumidifier blowing cold air? If it is not lowering humidity, it will blow cold air. By default, dehumidifiers should blow out hot air. Air conditioners blow out cold air to cool the room. Frozen condenser coils will make the dehumidifier blow cold air.
Your dehumidifier should blow warm air only
A dehumidifier should blow out hot air. The heat further lowers the humidity. When my dehumidifier blows out cold air, I know there is a problem.
In the past, we looked at the Pure Enrichment Humidifier not working. Many things can cause a dehumidifier to blow cold air or fail to work generally.
You can see there is always something to take care of. When you take care of your appliances, they take good care of you.
Troubleshooting the dehumidifier
If you put your hand against the vents of the dehumidifier, you will feel hot and dry air coming out of the appliance.
That is how it is supposed to work.
But if you feel cold air on your hand, you need to find out what is not working as it should.
It could be one of the following things:
1. The compressor might not be working
When the compressor inside the dehumidifier is working, it will release hot air into the surroundings. If you notice that you are only getting cold air, check the compressor.
So, how do you know that the compressor is not working? These two ways are:
It makes clicking noises
When the compressor is broken, you might hear a clicking noise that starts when you turn the unit on.
But first, what does the compressor do? Its main work is to circulate the refrigerant throughout the dehumidifier coils.
The coils then condense the vapor from the hot air that the appliance has drawn from the room. That way, the water (humidity) is collected in a reservoir or drained out.
If the compressor breaks down, the refrigerant is not going to circulate. Therefore, the coils will not condense the vapor, and the dehumidifier will blow out cold air.
Simply put, when the compressor fails, it means the dehumidifier is not dehumidifying.
What can you do about a failed compressor for a dehumidifier blowing cold air? Well, if you are in Canada or the USA, call the manufacturer or email them to see if the warranty is still valid.
If the warranty period has expired, just buy a new dehumidifier since replacing a compressor can cost a lot.
My dehumidifier doesn’t collect water
If you have a dehumidifier that blows cold air and it is not collecting water, you need to fix it or replace it.
When you experience such issues, it means the appliance is not dehumidifying your indoor air.
The main cause of the dehumidifier not collecting water is a broken compressor. This brings us to the problem of the compressor, which means having to buy another appliance or call for a replacement if the warranty is still valid.
Also read: Best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal
If the dehumidifier coils do not have refrigerant flowing through them, there is no condensation taking place. Therefore, the air comes back into the room, cold and humid.
2. The coils are icing up
It is recommended that you run a dehumidifier at a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit at its lowest. However, some dehumidifiers might be able to operate at a temperature as low as 42°F.
If you are running it at a low temperature, you might have the problem of a dehumidifier blowing cold air.
When the coils ice up, the dehumidifying operation shuts down so that air can blow over the coils and thaw them out.
In such a case, taking the dehumidifier to a warmer room will get it to start blowing hot air out again. It is also a good idea to check whether the dehumidifier coils are clean.
When the coils are iced over, the dehumidifier might start leaking from the bottom as the ice starts to thaw out.
3. It is running in fan mode
When your dehumidifier is in fan mode, it is just sucking air in and then fanning it out.
This means it is not even drawing moisture out of the air because going into fan mode stops the compressor from working.
The fan whips the air around, and moving air feels cooler. If you put your hand close to the vents, you will feel the coldness of the air.
4. The room temperature is too low
Generally, a dehumidifier will work very well when the room temperature is at least 65°F/18.3°C.
If it is lower than that, the unit will not work properly. The compressor might fail to start or stop, but not work consistently. This could cause the unit to blow cold air.
5. The compressor has shut off after attaining the set humidity
Most dehumidifiers come with built-in humidistat. After you set the desired humidity level, the humidistat will signal the circuit board to stop the compressor.
Therefore, the dehumidifier no longer draws moisture from the air, so the air remains cool.
Some dehumidifiers can shut down completely once they achieve the set humidity level.
Others can continue running, but the compressor will shut down automatically.
Meaco dehumidifier troubleshooting
Since 1991, UK-based Meaco has been making dehumidifiers to meet all needs, sizes, and budgets. In the UK, their products are very popular.
Meaco dehumidifier troubleshooting is vital if you have one of their units and it starts blowing cold air. There are a few questions to ask here:
- Is the dehumidifier doing its primary job (drawing water from the air)?
- How cold is the air coming from the dehumidifier?
While dehumidifiers should blow warm air into the room, it is still not enough to warm the room alone. You still need to use a heater.
If the air in the room is already too cold, the little warmth in the air that the unit blows back into the room might not be enough to change anything.
Read our post on: Best dehumidifier for mould
Place your hand against the dehumidifier to feel the air coming out. If it is slightly warm, that’s okay.
The most important thing is for the dehumidifier to do its job—to remove excess humidity from the air.
If you feel truly bothered by the dehumidifier not blowing hot air, check out the few things that we have discussed in the past sections of this post.
Dimplex dehumidifier not working well
Dimplex is another UK-based company that makes dehumidifiers and other products. In their stable, you will find dehumidifier for drying laundry, reducing the level of humidity in your indoor air, and doing much more.
Their line of dehumidifiers is called EverDri. In this series, you will find a unit with a bucket capacity of as much as 20 liters. If you live in a place like London, you know there is persistent humidity throughout the year.
After buying your Dimplex dehumidifier, you should find out whether it works out as it should.
One of the most common issues is the dehumidifier blowing cold air. If this happens, check that the compressor is working.
This is the one problem that can cause your unit to blow out cold air. Find out if the dehumidifier is doing its work.
Is it lowering the level of humidity in the air? If yes, well, there is nothing to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, it is as if appliances have their own minds. Therefore, you can truly never know enough about them.
In this FAQ section, we shed more light on why a dehumidifier blows cold air:
Should it be blowing out cold air?
Dehumidifiers should blow out warm and dry air. All the same, they can cool a room because the dry air they pump back into it feels colder than damper air. If you put your hand against the vents, you should feel warm air blowing out.
What temperature should the air from a dehumidifier be?
The temperature of the air coming out of a dehumidifier should be about 70°F. Some of them can also do up to 90°F. If the air is not cold, there is nothing to worry about.
Why is the air cool?
Check whether the appliance is set to defrost mode, because then it will only blow out cool air.
When you disengage the defrost mode, the dehumidifier should start blowing warm air into the room. If it continues to blow cold air, something is wrong.
Do dehumidifiers make the room warmer?
If a dehumidifier is set in a small room, it will make the air warmer. In a large room, there might not be a noticeable change in temperature. If you stand close to your unit, you will feel warm air coming from the vents.
What should I set my dehumidifier at?
The comfortable humidity level for your home is 30 to 55 percent. 40 to 60 percent is just okay, but higher than that, say, 70 percent is too high.
Too high humidity can lead to allergy provocation and the growth of mold. This will cause serious mold toxicity signs among your family and pets.
How do I know if my dehumidifier compressor is bad?
If the unit is blowing out cold air, it is an indication of either the compressor not working properly or not working at all.
Check whether the dehumidifier is in fan mode because that automatically shuts the compressor down. Remember, the compressor has its automatic switch.
If the fan mode is off yet the compressor is not working, check the temperature of the air in the room. If it is below 65, the unit might fail to work properly.
When the compressor is not working, the dehumidifier will not lower the humidity level.
Wrapping it up
You have seen the three main causes of a dehumidifier that blows cold air. If yours does that, it means it is defective. This appliance should always blow hot air into the room.
That is why you cannot use it as an air conditioner. A dehumidifier blowing warm air is just doing what it is supposed to do.
Mostly, the problem of humidifier blowing cold air and not collecting water comes with age. If it is old and the coils are not iced over, just buy a new one.
