Looking at the differences between a dehumidifier and a humidifier, particularly in the way that they both deal with moisture in the air and the health conditions they help treat.
In the case that you are looking to invest in devices that deal with handling issues of moisture in your home, you might have thought of looking into both dehumidifiers and humidifiers.
You might also be curious as to whether they are similar devices and if not, what makes them different and what does each one do in handling moisture in the air?
Knowing the difference between the two will help you determine which of the two devices you might be looking to get according to the job each does.
So, what does a humidifier device do compared to a dehumidifier?
A humidifier works to add moisture into the air as a means of raising the humidity levels of a particular space. There are two main types of humidifiers, and these are cool-mist humidifiers and warm-mist humidifiers, sometimes referred to as steam vaporizers. Both are able to add moisture to the air fairly well.
With cool-mist humidifiers, you get three types, the impeller, ultrasonic and evaporators. The impeller has a plate that is made up of ceramic or metal known as a diaphragm that works by vibrating at very high speeds to blend up water and turn it into tiny droplets that escape the humidifier via the opening and into the air.
The ultrasonic has a disc submerged in water that rotates at high speeds as a way of also forming tiny water droplets but in the form of steam as opposed to the impeller. The steam escapes through an opening and into the air. Evaporators work by having cool air released by a fan through a moist object that makes the air moist.
So basically cool-mist humidifiers will break water up into small particles that are dispersed into the air as water vapour. Steam vaporizers on the other hand use a power source to work.
The electrical power will heat up a storage place that is filled with water until it is brought to a boil. The boiling water will then generate steam that will be cooled down just prior to it escaping the humidifier. In this case, you breathe in the steam as if you are inhaling.
What does a dehumidifier do compared to a humidifier?
A dehumidifier will work in the opposite way as a humidifier. A dehumidifier is meant to draw moisture out of the air, in an effort to keep the air indoors dry. A typical dehumidifier is able to decrease your indoor air’s RH to make it a more comfortable 30 to 50 percent.
A dehumidifier will work by drawing in all the warm air via a fan that works to suck air into the metal coils of the device, that are cooled down by a refrigerant that makes use of chemicals to lower the temperature of the coils. Warm air will basically reduce in size and as this happens, small water droplets will fall out of the air as it decreases in size and amount.
The water droplets will then exit the warm air as condensation that is kept in a tank located outside of the dehumidifier, and then the cooler air that has had moisture eliminated from it is blown back out into the air of your indoor space via a tube that is run by a fan.
What are some health conditions that both devices help with?
Both the humidifier and dehumidifier are capable of helping with a few health related issues, specifically those related to respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis as well as the common cold.
When it comes to asthma, a humidifier will help to make the dry air moist as the drier air will often dry out your airways and increase the likelihood of you getting infections. A dehumidifier will help to decrease the extra moisture making it easier for you to breath and keep out airborne pollutants in the air.
In the case of allergies, humidifiers will release moisture to dry air that is filled with allergens and this will help you breathe better eliminating sinus issues. A dehumidifier will help dry out the very moist areas where allergens can develop.
With Bronchitis, a humidifier will help lower your symptoms and bronchitis likely making you sick and a dehumidifier can also lower the chances of mould and bacteria developing, triggering bronchitis.
So, there are differences between a dehumidifier and a humidifier. Both deal with handling the moisture in the air, but with different intentions.