“What temperature should the air be coming out of the unit... my unit throws out very warm air and actually heats the basement. Is there something wrong with the machine?”
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Dehumidifiers always produce heat for two reasons, which I will get to shortly. Moisture is extracted from air the same way that an air condition extracts moisture in your home. That is, moisture in the air condenses (converts from a vapor to a liquid) when it flows across the cold surface of the cold evaporator coil inside the air conditioner and the dehumidifier. Air that flows across the evaporator coil cools because the evaporator coil is cold. Air that flows across the condensing coil is heated because the condensing coil is hot. With an air conditioner, the condensing coil is outside so that heat is released outside. The evaporator coil is inside and that is why an air conditioner is able to cool your home. With a dehumidifier, both coils are inside the home so the hot and cold coils cancel each other out, yet heat is produced. Here is why. Reason 1. When vapor becomes a liquid, heat is released. Heat applied to water causes water to evaporate. When vapor is converted back to liquid water, the heat is released. This heat is called Latent Heat of Condensation. Reason 2. There are two electrical motors in a dehumidifier. The fan motor and the compressor motor. When these motors operate heat is produced form the elliptical energy that turns them and from friction inside the motors. Touch any fan motor when it has been operating and you will know what I mean. The heat from the fan motor and the compressor (motor) is also released into the air inside your home. Thus, heat from the 2 motors and Latent Heat of Condensation are the two reasons why dehumidifiers will heat the room/basement.
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