The conditioner and the dehumidifier represent two possible solutions to improve the livability of your home and office during the summer. The air conditioner lowers the temperature and creates an environment fresh and drywhile the dehumidifier creates a more environment dry but not necessarily fresh, in fact it tends to slightly heat the air it draws in. Air conditioners have an energy consumption (and consequently a cost on the bill) that is on average three times higher than dehumidifiers.
Technical differences between air conditioner and dehumidifier
The dehumidifieras the word itself says, serves to remove humidity from the air. In fact, we know that at the same temperature, an environment with the right humidity level guarantees us a comfortable environment, vice versa the same environment with high humidity makes us immediately feel that sense of mugginess that makes us feel uncomfortable. There are two families of dehumidifiers, those with condensation (which we will analyze in this article) and those to adsorption which are based on the drying properties of some materials capable of retaining moisture (such as silica gel). The conditioner Instead it is a compression machine capable of performing a dual task: dehumidify and cool the air.
In reality, in principle, the two machines (condensing dehumidifiers and air conditioners) are quite similar: both are in fact composed of two heat exchange units, that is theevaporator (which absorbs heat and therefore cools the air passing through it) and capacitor (which dissipates heat and therefore heats the air that passes through it). The difference between the two machines is that in the case of the air conditioner the evaporator is located inside the home and the condenser outside, while in the dehumidifier the two units are mounted together in the same device and therefore both are located inside the home.
To be precise, there are also monoblock air conditioners where both units are installed in the same device (like in a dehumidifier). In this case, the difference is that the device is equipped with pipes (one or two, depending on the model) for the discharge of hot air, to be directed outside, through a hole in the wall or window.
So, to sum up what has just been said in a few words, the air conditioner creates a cool and dry environmentwhile the dehumidifier creates a more environment dry but not necessarily fresh, on the contrary, it tends to slightly heat the air it draws in. Many air conditioners can also operate as dehumidifiers, without lowering the air temperature.
Pros and cons, the comparison between air conditioner and dehumidifier
In light of the technical explanation given in the previous paragraph, let’s see what the main pros and cons of each technology are.
Type of use
Typically the dehumidifiers are used in those environments where the temperature is already low and stablelike the cellars buried, the need in these cases is therefore only maintain a dry environment (for example, to avoid the formation of mould on the walls). In apartmentsespecially for those most exposed to the sun and heat, even the temperature control becomes necessary and so the air conditioner becomes the only possible solution.
Energy consumption
The energy consumption It is one of the most important aspects to evaluate when choosing between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier, both for economic savings and for environmental impact. In general, the air conditioner consumes more than the dehumidifiersince air cooling requires, for the same volumes of air to be treated, more powerful and therefore more energy-intensive machines. The other side of this coin consists in evaluating the purchase of machines performerswith high energy classescapable of conditioning the air while limiting losses (ideally all the electricity consumed should be used to produce cold and dry or just dry air).
THE fixed air conditioners typically have, in relation, a consumption inferior respect to portable air conditioners (in addition to being more efficient). Compression dehumidifiers, on the other hand, have a higher consumption than adsorption dehumidifiers. Finally, consumption also depends on the use made of it: if you use the air conditioner to lower the temperature by a few degrees, consumption will be lower than if you use it to create a strong temperature change. Similarly, if you use the dehumidifier only to maintain an optimal humidity level, consumption will be lower than if you use it to dry very humid environments.
To get a more precise idea of the energy consumption of the individual appliance, the energy label applied to the appliance comes to our aid, indicating the kWh consumed in a year. If the appliance does not have it, it is possible to retrieve it from the EPREL portal by entering the brand and model or it can be measured directly through the use of smart sockets capable of detecting power and energy consumed.
Given that consumption varies greatly based on the characteristics of the device, we can try to do some calculations, just to define an order of magnitude of the figures in play. Let’s assume that both the dehumidifier and the air conditioner work on average 5 hours a day for about three months (90 days), the total hours of operation will therefore be 450. An average dehumidifier can consume about 300W of power. A simple split air conditioner (9000 BTU) with an internal and an external unit, on the other hand, can consume approximately 800Walmost triple that of a dehumidifier.
Cost
The cost, both of purchase and management, is a key factor in choosing between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier. The purchase price varies based on various factors such as model, brand, power and functionality. Generally, the conditioner has a higher purchase cost than dehumidifierbut there are cheap and expensive variants for both depending on the specifications. The cost of ownership includes energy consumption, maintenance and wear and tear of the appliance. Excessive or improper use can lead to an increase in electricity bills and a need for more frequent maintenance. Again, the energy label of the appliance can help in estimating the annual costs related to the energy consumed.
