What’s the Difference Between Dehumidifiers and Humidifiers?
Maintaining a healthy level of humidity inside your Palm Desert home is critical to ensure the best indoor air quality and the most comfortable living spaces for you and your family. Understanding the difference between dehumidifiers and humidifiers is essential to promote the healthiest environment indoors in our area. Here are some points to keep in mind about the differences between these two HVAC systems.
Humidifiers Add Moisture While Dehumidifiers Subtract It
In the simplest terms, humidifiers are additions to your HVAC system that add moisture to promote healthier indoor air during prolonged dry spells and in the winter months. A humidifier can be useful in creating the right moisture levels to prevent respiratory issues caused by air that is too dry.
Dehumidifiers, by contrast, extract the moisture from the air to create a more comfortable environment during the summer months. High humidity can make it feel hotter indoors. This can often be resolved by installing a whole-home dehumidifier that takes some of the moisture out of the air. By reducing humidity levels indoors, a dehumidifier can lower the perceived temperature inside your home to allow you to feel cooler even during the hottest parts of the year in Palm Desert, California. This cooling effect could even allow you to enjoy lower utility bills during the summer months.
Why You Need a Humidifier
The Mayo Clinic has found that maintaining a fair amount of moisture in indoor air can reduce symptoms of respiratory and skin irritation caused by lack of moisture in the air. Central humidifiers are designed specifically to increase the level of water vapor in the air to promote greater comfort and a healthier environment inside your home. This can be especially important during the winter when your heating system operates most frequently.
Humidity levels should range between 30 and 50 percent. Working with a company that provides professional indoor air quality services is usually the best way to create a balanced solution for maintaining the right level of humidity for yourself and your family. This can be especially useful for family members with asthma, allergies and other upper respiratory problems. Maintaining the appropriate level of humidity inside your home can also provide relief for issues with dry skin that can occur during the winter months.
The Value of Dehumidifiers
According to the experts at ENERGY STAR, dehumidifiers are designed to eliminate excess moisture in the air that can often occur during hot and steamy summer days. While your air conditioning reduces indoor humidity to a considerable degree, it can sometimes be helpful to install a whole-home dehumidifier to improve indoor air quality and to reduce the apparent temperature inside your home.
Moisture levels that are too high can also promote biological growth, which can pose real health risks to you and your family. A professionally installed dehumidifier system can reduce the growth of dangerous microorganisms in your ductwork and throughout your home.
Combination Systems
In some cases, a humidifier-dehumidifier combination can provide the most effective use of floor space while promoting the greatest comfort and the healthiest indoor air for you and your family. Your local indoor air quality services company can provide you with the best recommendations for improving the air inside your home and ensuring the best indoor environment for yourself, your children and every other member of your family.
Palm Desert Air Conditioning & Heating Co. offers a range of air conditioning, heating and air purifier solutions designed to help you enjoy the greatest possible comfort inside your Palm Desert home. We work with you to determine the best solutions for your climate control and indoor air quality needs. Give our team a call today to learn more about our indoor air quality services and how they can enhance your indoor comfort. We look forward to the opportunity to serve your heating and cooling needs now and in the future.