In an environment like Fredericksburg, TX, where summers are humid and winters dry, it makes sense to have both a humidifier and a dehumidifier working in your home. They act as different sides of the same coin: one removing excess moisture from the air, and the other adding moisture when the air is too dry. The issues are similar but distinct, and each one demands a specific response to treat. Here’s a quick breakdown on the differences between the two systems.
Relative Humidity
Both humidifiers and dehumidifiers are intended to correct the levels of moisture in the air, which is often measured in terms of relative humidity. It’s a scale between 0% (no moisture in the air) and 100% (essentially rain) to categorize the overall ambient moisture. As human beings, we usually need the relative humidity levels to sit between 30% and 50%. When it gets higher than that, there’s too much ambient moisture in the air to evaporate the sweat on your skin (which is our body’s natural way of keeping cool). You feel clammy and gross, the air feels hotter than it is, and it fosters the growth of mold and bacteria to boot.
Conversely, when the humidity drops below 30%, the air is dry enough to begin leeching moisture from your skin. That leads to a dry cracked feeling, as well as chapped lips, static electricity and dried sinuses (which leaves you more vulnerable to colds and flu bugs). It also makes the air feel cooler, forcing your heating system to work harder to do its job.
The humidifier takes care of dry air by adding ambient moisture to your home’s atmosphere. That usually takes place in the winter. The dehumidifier removes moisture from the air by cooling it until it coalesces into liquid. form. They both work during different times of the year, but when taken together, they help your home stay comfortable no matter what.
Call D’Spain today to install a humidifier or dehumidifier in your home!
