subject: Humidifiers Vs Dehumidifiers: What's the Difference? [print this page] Humidifier and dehumidifiers are both used in a variety of domestic and commercial settings to control the humidity level. The complete environment is dependent on the correct humidity level which is usually either too high or too low and these help regulate it so as to provide total comfort.
Need of humidifiers and dehumidifiers in different conditions
Extra humidity is one of the leading causes of asthma and allergies. It may also result in fungal infections and increased level of bacteria, spores and moulds. A number of electronic and mechanical devices also face problems to operate perfectly in areas with high humidity. To remove this extra humidity from the area, dehumidifiers are used.
On the other hand, low humidity is also a problem as it results in dry skins, dry throats and other respiratory problems. It also can harm the furniture, curtains and upholstery in the house. To increase the level of relative humidity, humidifiers are used.
Functioning of humidifiers and dehumidifiers
Basically a humidifier adds vapor or moisture to the dry air to increase the relative humidity whereas a dehumidifier removes the moisture from the air to decrease the relative humidity.
The humidifiers operate in three different ways to convert water into moisture. Warm mist models heat the water into vapor; cool mist models pass air through a moist pad while ultrasonic models vibrate the water to create a mist. This vapor or mist is then dispersed into the house to help increase the humidity. These come in a variety of shapes, sizes and options.
Dehumidifiers operate a compressor that creates cold tubes. These in turn condense the excess moisture from the air and collect it in a pan. The air inside is now free of excess moisture. These are extremely useful in hot and humid conditions as increased humidity makes us feel hotter.
Energy savings
Both humidifiers and dehumidifiers help reduce the power bills. As humidifiers increase the humidity, they help lower the thermostat level of the heating system whereas the dehumidifiers help reduce the humidity and hence help reduce the air conditioning requirement.
Conclusion
Both are used to control the relative humidity of the air and by accomplishing that go on to save on power bills by reducing the heating or cooling required. However, these are completely opposite machines and perform entirely different functions. Humidifiers help increase the relative humidity of a particular area, are usually used in cold and dry regions and convert water into vapor. Dehumidifiers on the other hand help decrease the relative humidity, are usually used in hot and humid regions and convert moisture in the air into water. Both the important devices to regulate the humidity and add to the overall customer comfort in different conditions.
Humidifiers Vs Dehumidifiers: What's the Difference?
