Controlling your home’s humidity is a vital part of maintaining healthy indoor air quality, but should you opt for a humidifier or dehumidifier? In Northern Virginia, at least, that answer will depend on the season and your home’s indoor air quality.
Humidifiers vs. Dehumidifiers
Humidifiers increase a room or an area’s moisture content. They can help combat the dry skin and nasal passages many people deal with in the wintertime. A humidifier can also offer relief to someone suffering from the common cold. Children, in particular, benefit from small humidifiers in their bedrooms when they’re sick.
Dehumidifiers do the opposite: They reduce an area’s moisture content. Because of this, you’ll often find dehumidifiers in basements working to combat mold and mildew, but their use doesn’t stop there. During warm, humid summers, dehumidifiers can alleviate allergy symptoms by removing dust mites, mold, and mildew from the air in any room of the house, making the air more breathable.
Take the Seasonal Approach
A good rule of thumb is to use a humidifier in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer, but your needs will depend on your home’s moisture content. If you have had professional indoor air quality testing done in the past and implemented products to maintain a healthy indoor air quality, it’s unlikely that your home has moisture issues during any season. Air humidifiers and dehumidifiers work to balance moisture levels, so determining your need will come down to determining how out of balance those levels are.
Achieving Balance for Your Entire Home
Portable products work great to control a single room’s moisture levels, but implementing whole-home systems come with even more benefits. Whole-home dehumidifiers and humidifiers, such as those manufactured by Carrier, are installed directly into your HVAC system, controlling humidity at your home’s core. This allows you to adjust moisture levels as easily as changing the thermostat.
Call Griffith Energy Services at (888) 474-3391 to learn more about air quality control services and products.
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