On 07-2795, KATHY JOHNSON wrote to TOM WEISS:
 KJ> >A three year old dehumidifier should not
 KJ> >make more heat (because it is 3 years old).
 KJ>
 KJ> It did that when I first got it NEW! I just thought that was how
 KJ> they worked, so I never returned it. I know that fridges and A/C
 KJ> units kick out heat from the back, so I figured that the
 KJ> dehumidifier was supposed to also! (I'd never used one before this
 KJ> one.)
 KJ>
De-humifiers work on the principle of cooling heat exchange fins, blowing air 
through them to condense water from the humid air.  For every BTU of cool air 
out the front (or rear depending upon your model) there is an equal amount of 
hot air out the other end.  A small additional amount of hot air is made to 
equal the compressors inefficiency.  If the unit is old, low on freon or the 
condensing coils are dirty, the unit will make more heat than it should.  On 
_balance_, the unit might not be making that much heat ... unless it is 
faulty (hmmm 3 years old? ... bet it is OK).
 KJ>  KJ> Must be something to do with differences in the home
 KJ>  KJ> constructions, I'd guess. Our basement holds heat too well ...
 KJ>
 KJ> >Perhaps, but since most basements are below grade, the earth
 KJ> >becomes a large heat sink and will tend to be cooler in the summer
 KJ> >and warmer in the winter.
 KJ>
 KJ> Hmmmm, not ours. It's COLD down there in winter. My electric bills
 KJ> are awful, from running the electric oil-filled radiator to warm the
 KJ> bird room. I think we need to move to a more well-built house. I'd
 KJ> like a "Florida room" for the birds, something where they can get
 KJ> more sunlight than they do in the basement. But I suppose that would
 KJ> also be hard to keep cool in summer, and hard to heat in winter.
Perhaps, I should have said warmer (in the winter) than the outside ... since 
the ground is in the mid 50's and that heat is going to help warm the 
basement up from the below zero outside.  I'd rather heat my basement than 
the upstairs, more efficent.  Suspect the same is true for yours.
Sheese, I'd find some other way of heating your bird room than using electric 
heat.  $$$$. Can't you duct upstairs heat ducts to them?  The air return 
would need to be filtered or you would get more bird dust upstairs. I use an 
electric heater as a backup to our gas furnace in the basement.  This is to 
prevent pipes freezing in the event the pilot goes out while we are away, the 
bird room is the first beneficiary of this heat insurance.
BTW, we have a 'Florida' type of sun room full of mostly tropical plants.  
Exposed on 3 sides on a concrete pad, attached to our home.  It is warm in 
the winter ... sometimes even warmer than the upstairs bedrooms ... when the 
sun is out.  In summer it is at times too warm for Zonker.  She has been 
spending the last 2 weeks in our living room ... also good for a change of 
habit for her as well as heat avoidance.
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 * Freddie 1.2.5 *
--- DB B2300sl/002493
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