There’s nothing better than walking into a home that is air conditioned on a hot and humid day. It’s also a delight to walk into a basement that is nicely dehumidified and not damp and musty. So what is the difference between an air conditioned versus a dehumidified home, and is one better than the other? The basic differences are in how they operate and what results from each. Air conditioners remove hot air and replace it with cold, but doesn’t remove fungus. Dehumidifiers remove moisture and fungus from the air, but not the hot air itself. Air conditioners remove many allergens from the air, whereas dehumidifiers remove mold and fungus. With air conditioners, the main options to choose from are window units, ductless systems, and central air conditioning. And dehumidifiers types include desiccant, thermoelectric, and refrigerated coil. Next there are the various features that both air conditioners and dehumidifiers offer, which could ultimately be the deciding factor for a consumer. Are you looking for something that treats the air in just one or two rooms? Then you might be happy with a small, portable, easy to install dehumidifier. It’s also much cheaper than other options. If you have a basement room or rooms that smell musty and feel damp, a wise choice would be a dehumidifier which covers a wide range of space and also includes a sensor that detects the optimal level of fan speed and duration of the frost cycle. If it’s the above-ground rooms of the home that get very hot in addition to the feeling of dampness, then central air conditioning is the way to go. Finally, there’s the cost factor. Stand-alone dehumidifiers almost always cost less, but air conditioners that tackle both heat and dampness problems may be more efficient overall. Finally, dehumidifiers and air conditioners can be used together. The choices are many, but the features of both are what should be used to make your final decision.