What is the Difference Between a Humidifier and a Dehumidifier

WHAT IS THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A

What is the Difference
Between a Humidifier
and a Dehumidifier?

Imbalanced humidity in your surrounding
air can cause adverse effects like allergies,
sore throat, and dryness of your skin or
hair. Nobody wants a bad hair day every
day, do they?

Depending on whether you have too much
or too little humidity, you need to decide
what machine does the job for you – a
humidifier or a dehumidifier. But first,
you’re probably wondering what exactly is
humidity, and what is the difference
between a humidifier and a dehumidifier?

What is the Difference Between
a Humidifier and a Dehumidifier?

Humidity is associated with precipitation and rain, however, there’s
much more to it. In simple terms, the number of water molecules
present in the atmosphere determines humidity. The higher the
amount of water vapor, the higher the humidity is, and vice versa.

Relative humidity (RH) measures how much water vapor there is in
the atmosphere compared to its absorption by the air. This
absorption differs for different temperatures.

Hot air tends to hold more water molecules than cold air due to
faster evaporation at high temperatures. So the hot air will contain
more moisture and has greater absolute humidity than cold air.

Absolute humidity is the actual amount of moisture in the air
regardless of the air’s temperature. It is expressed as grams of water
vapor per cubic meter volume of air.

What is the Difference Between
a Humidifier and a Dehumidifier?

Humans are sensitive to humidity as bodily functions like sweating
and skin conditions rely on humidity. Humidity affects the amount of
heat our bodies can give off through evaporation, so it is important to
maintain certain levels of humidity around us.

Relative humidity between 30 to 60 percent is the most preferred as a
comfortable humidity level, whereas the ideal humidity level for
indoors is between 30 to 50 percent.

You may be wondering why you have a runny nose or a dry throat
despite ambient temperatures at your house. The answer is simple: it
is because of the humidity levels that surround you.

Failure to maintain optimal humidity levels can take a toll on your
health. Let’s discuss the adverse effects of humidity so you can make
the right decision about whether you need a humidifier or a
dehumidifier.

Effects of Humidity There’s a popular saying: an excess of anything is bad.
Humidity levels that are too high or too low can harm
your health in different ways, as well as your
surroundings.

Problems Associated with
High Humidity Levels

You might have noticed that we feel lethargic or low on energy
when it’s hot. This is due to the inability of our body to expel
heat as the temperatures in the surroundings are already
high.

High temperatures combined with extreme humidity levels
trigger allergic reactions, asthma, and dust mites. It also can
make you feel exhausted or fatigued and increases the risk of
a stroke.

Excessive sweating can also happen in such situations, which
can dehydrate you and cause heat stroke.
Extreme humidity negatively affects your home as well. It can
cause condensation on windows, stains on walls, musty odors
in bathrooms, and damage the overall structure of your
house.

When these issues arise, your home probably needs a
dehumidifier.

Problems Associated with
Low Humidity Levels

Chapped lips and dry skin are not always because
of negligence in your ten-step skin regime –
sometimes it’s due to low levels of humidity. The
loss of moisture in the air can adversely affect
mucus membranes causing respiratory problems,
itchy skin, cracked lips, and even a sore throat.

It causes further havoc when we talk about the
effects of low humidity in our homes. Shrinking
wooden items and loose drawers are not the work
of a supernatural force but rather a lack of
moisture.

In low humidity situations, you may notice peeling
wallpaper, gaps, and other malfunctions around
the house.

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You may also feel static electric shocks upon
contact with home appliances or vehicles, and
even possibly with the other individuals in your
home.

If you’re experiencing any of the above-mentioned
issues, don’t worry, there’s a way to fix it. You are
probably just in need of a humidifier.

To avoid the adverse effects of either low or high
humidity, you need to take certain measures.
Installing a humidifier or a dehumidifier may help,
but how do you know which one to get? Let’s
figure out what suits your needs best.

What is the Difference Between
a Humidifier and a Dehumidifier?

The major difference between a humidifier and a
dehumidifier is that one adds moisture to the air and the
other removes it. What you need will depend on what you
wish to accomplish.

Humidifier: A humidifier adds moisture to the air by
releasing water vapor into the surrounding area for
added dampness.
Dehumidifier: A dehumidifier removes moisture from
the air by condensing out the moisture through air
conditioning.

Let’s get into more detailed specifications of these two
options to help you decide which one best suits your needs.

Humidifiers

Humidifiers introduce humidity into an
area by adding moisture to the air.
Humidifiers come in different models –
namely evaporative models and ultrasonic
models. The diffuser installed in a
humidifier breaks water into fine droplets
that are then released into the air.

Large centralized air conditioners in split
or air conditioners installed in your home
are also humidifiers. There are two main
types of humidifiers, which we’ll discuss
below.

Cool Mist Humidifiers

Cool mist humidifiers often use ultrasonic
technology and evaporators.

An ultrasonic humidifier uses high-frequency
ultrasonic waves that vibrate against the
surface of the water. These vibrations range
from 2MHz to 3MHz, which is enough for
converting water molecules into fine
droplets.

An evaporative humidifier blows air through
a fan or sponge that is kept wet by rotating it
in a water reservoir. The air causes
evaporation which, in turn, produces humid
air.

Warm Mist Humidifiers

Warm mist humidifiers, commonly known as vaporizers
or steam humidifiers, make use of steam that is cooled
before it exits the humidifier through a tiny opening.
This mode of humidifying requires a source of heat to
turn the water into steam.

If we compare the two, the cool mist humidifier is the
most common type of humidifier used in homes
because they are safe and do not involve boiling water
that may spill or cause burns.

Warm mist humidifiers are also beneficial as inhalants
and may help with asthma and allergy symptoms. Most
nebulizers used at healthcare centers are evaporators.

Dehumidifiers Dehumidifiers are devices that use the air conditioning
method to reduce the level of humidity by removing water
molecules from the air. It is beneficial to counteract health
issues or to eliminate musty odors and prevent the growth of
spores, mild dew, etc.

Refrigerant Dehumidifier

The refrigerant dehumidifier condenses moisture
out of a room by drawing out damp air from its
surroundings. The air is then passed through a cold
evaporator coil to cool it.

After the condensation process takes place, the
molecules are collected from the cold coil and
released into the air.

Desiccant Dehumidifier

The desiccant dehumidifier works by passing damp air through a
rotor. The rotor has materials that are desiccants that absorb
moisture.

When the water molecules are evaporated from the room air, dry
air is collected from the outside. The water inside is removed by
adding heat to channel the vaporized moisture outside the room.

Both types stated above are comfortable to use and promise a safe
environment free from insects and other creatures.

Dehumidifiers can also greatly increase the shelf life of books and
prevent the destruction of wooden walls. So this may be your go-to
option to have a comfortable, low humidity home.

Ideal Usage of Humidifiers

To figure out what is best suited to your needs,
you need to analyze the weather status in your
area. Humidifiers are used in drier regions and
primarily during the non-monsoon period when
precipitation levels are low.

Humidifiers are best suited in the winter months
and can help control allergies and respiratory
congestion, as well as keep the skin and throat
adequately moist.

Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, are more
effective during the monsoon season and summer
months when the humidity is high and the air is
warm. People residing in coastal areas can greatly
benefit from dehumidifiers as well to keep out
pests and molds.

Conclusion You should now be able to fully identify what the difference is betweena
humidifier and a dehumidifier. If your area has high or low humidity, installing
one of the two types of devices is crucial to maintaining optimal health and
personal comfort. Pick your go-to device now for healthy living.

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