Thanks to the development of technology, we can now have an array of appliances to combat the discomfort caused by climate change, including dehumidifiers and heaters.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re wondering if you can use a dehumidifier and a heater at the same time. In this post, I’ll show you how dehumidifiers and heaters affect humidity, how these two devices interact, and whether you should use them together.
In short, using a dehumidifier while the heating is turned on is a good idea because the dehumidifier works more effectively in a warmer environment and the humidity level decreases as the temperature rises.
Continue reading, and you’ll have all the information you need at your fingertips about using these two appliances.
Dehumidifier, heater, and humidity
High humidity can encourage the growth of dust mites and mold spores, as well as cause respiratory problems. As a result, maintaining proper indoor humidity levels is critical for our health.
The primary function of dehumidifiers is to regulate indoor humidity. Regardless of the type of dehumidifier, it reduces humidity by removing excess moisture from the air.
Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, are temperature sensitive. When the temperature falls below 60°F, the refrigerant model may not function properly.
Desiccant models can put up with lower temperatures, but you still need to keep the air temperature above 0° F. Otherwise, the machine can freeze up or leave a noticeable impression on your electricity bill.
Heaters are not intended to deal with humidity issues. Instead, they aim to raise the temperature of the room to make you feel more comfortable on cold days.
Nevertheless, the side effect of using a heater is that the humidity level will decrease with it. This is due to the fact that the air can hold more water vapor as the temperature goes up.
Since relative humidity is a metric that shows the amount of water vapor present in the air expressed as a percentage (%RH) of the amount needed to achieve saturation at the same temperature, it will drop when the temperature rises because the air needs more water to reach saturation.
Therefore, both dehumidifiers and heaters can control humidity to some extent. There is nothing wrong with using a dehumidifier and a heater at the same time.
Benefits of using a dehumidifier and heater together
Now that we know a dehumidifier and a heater will not cancel each other out, let’s look at the advantages of running them simultaneously.
Make your dehumidifier function well
Running a dehumidifier in winter is difficult because the coil can freeze up and damage the device.
In this situation, turning on a heater is a good idea because it ensures the machine can work as expected and prolong its lifespan.
Save more electricity
When the temperature drops, the efficacy of your dehumidifier decreases. Because it can’t reach the desired humidity level, it will continue to run at full power, consuming a lot of electricity.
Turning on a heater reduces indoor humidity, allowing your dehumidifier to function properly. It means it can reduce the runtime of your dehumidifier, allowing you to save even more money on your electricity bill.
Tackle the humidity problem easily
When the room is humid, some people like to turn on the heater in the hopes of drying the air. In terms of humidity control, a heater is not as effective as a dehumidifier.
The excess humidity in the room will be removed much faster if these two devices are used together.
To combat dust mites and mold spores in the air, keep the humidity level below 50%, and a dehumidifier can help keep the level under control.
When to use a dehumidifier and a heater together?
The best time to use a dehumidifier and a heater together is when the moisture level is above 55%.
Since heaters can increase air temperature, running these two machines together in summer is not suitable. On hot days, you can choose to run a dehumidifier with an air conditioner.
This combo is a better choice for winter days. In addition, you need to look at the indoor humidity level. If the humidity level is just slightly higher than 50%, running a heater alone may be adequate to reduce humidity.
I often see people use this combo when their houses suffer from water damage or in some specific areas, like their bathrooms, crawl spaces, or basements. In this case, fixing the root cause of the humidity problem is even more important.
How to use a dehumidifier and a heater together?
When using them together, you should turn on the heater in advance. As I mentioned above, the dehumidifier works better with warm air. Therefore, running the heater ahead can improve the efficiency of your dehumidifier.
Furthermore, you can monitor the humidity level when running the heater alone. If it is powerful enough to lower the humidity to a certain level, you can shorten the runtime of your dehumidifier or decide not to run a dehumidifier at all.
Conclusion
Running a dehumidifier and a heater at the same time is perfectly fine as long as the humidity level is above 55%.
Since dehumidifiers can’t work properly in cold environments, turning on a heater can ensure the dehumidifier functions well. As the humidity level will decrease as the room temperature rises, a heater can help with lowering the humidity.
However, running a heater alone is not sufficient to solve the problem when there is water damage in the house. By running them together, the humidity can drop more quickly and reduce the energy cost.
