Do I Need a Humidifier or a Dehumidifier?

Determining your need for a humidifier or dehumidifier depends on whether you want to increase or decrease moisture in the air. Excessive or too little moisture in the air can cause a variety of health problems. Many of these health problems affect the respiratory system. Use these facts and tips to help you choose a humidifier or dehumidifier for your current situation.

Is a Humidifier Necessary?

The air is mainly dry during the winter in Virginia, which means headaches, nosebleeds and dry skin can become a problem. Low humidity can also have adverse effects on your home, such as dry and cracking wood and other materials. The two types of humidifiers are cool and warm mist humidifiers. Cool mist humidifiers are portable and don't use a lot of energy. These humidifiers use ultrasonic vibrations or fans. Cool mist devices that use a fan force cool water out of the humidifier from a wick filter. Cool mist devices that use ultrasonic vibrations break down water into tiny droplets to provide a cool mist. Warm mist humidifiers use steam. You can use these devices with medications for allergies or sinus problems to help provide relief from the symptoms of these conditions. Warm mist devices use an internal heating element to heat the mist, then release it into the air. This type of humidifier, like cool mist humidifiers, are portable. These devices are best to use when dry air is abundant in your home.

Is a Dehumidifier Necessary?

Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air, which makes these devices ideal for the humid Virginia summers. Removing humidity from the air helps reduce the presence of dust mites and helps with the prevention of the growth of mold, mildew, and other fungus and bacteria. If you or someone in your home has allergies, humid air can trigger allergy symptoms and cause issues with asthma. There is more than one type of dehumidifier, including Refrigerative, Dessicant, and Ionic membrane

Refrigerative dehumidifiers use a fan to remove moist air and transport it over a refrigerated coil. When moist air travels over this coil, it removes the water from the air. Desiccant devices use a moisture-absorbing material that removes moisture from the air using a rotating system. Ionic membrane dehumidifiers use electrolysis to draw moisture from the air. Dehumidifiers are best to use when there is excessive moisture in the air in your home. New River Heating & Air can provide a high-quality heating and cooling solution for your home. We also specialize in indoor air quality. Our staff is committed to providing superb customer service. Our technicians are NATE certified. We have over 30 years of experience in the heating and cooling industry. Contact us today to make your home more comfortable, healthier, and as pleasant to be in as possible. We look forward to telling you about all the ways we can assist you with your home climate comfort needs. Besides heating, cooling, duct cleaning, and indoor air quality services, we also offer residential new construction, tankless water heaters, and generators.