Deciding Between a Humidifier and a Dehumidifier This Winter
You may not be aware of just how much the humidity level of the air in your home is affecting your overall comfort. Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor present in the oxygen, and when that level is too high or too low, it can cause discomfort and even health issues.
With the winter months approaching, home comfort is likely on your mind more than ever, and making sure your home’s humidity level stays where it needs to be can go a long way toward creating a pleasant environment. So, should you go with a humidifier or a dehumidifier this winter?
Benefits of a Humidifier
In most places, including northeast Texas, the air tends to be drier during the cold winter months. This means that the humidity level is likely to be lower than what is ideal. Having the air in your home be too dry can lead to a wide variety of issues. Fortunately, you can prevent many of the issues by using a humidifier in your home. In fact, humidifiers offer various benefits during the winter:
- Prevents dry skin and hair
- Preserves wood furniture
- Helps with congestion
- Improves your HVAC system’s efficiency
Installing a humidifier this winter can make a positive difference in your and your family’s physical health as well. In addition to improving the health of your skin and hair, studies have shown that air with a humidity level of at least 40% can make it almost impossible for airborne bacteria to spread.
If you suffer from allergy symptoms or congestion of the nose and throat, a humidifier should also make your daily life much more comfortable. The moist air helps to soothe the tissue in those parts of your body, alleviating irritation and helping to open up the passageways. With the right humidity level, even breathing becomes a bit easier.
Finally, adding a humidifier to your home can make it much easier for your furnace to do its job. Dry air has a much harder time transferring heat around. This means that your heating system must work much harder and burn more energy to do its job in a dry environment. Over time, this leads to more wear and tear on your system. By increasing the moisture level of your air, you can give your furnace a bit of a rest and help it to have a longer lifespan with fewer wear-related issues.
Do You Need a Dehumidifier This Winter?
You have probably guessed by now that a dehumidifier pretty much has the exact opposite purpose of a humidifier. Instead of adding moisture to the air, it removes it. Since the air during the wintertime is usually already pretty dry, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to install a dehumidifier in your home during the cold months. This would only serve to make the air even drier, thus increasing the risk of things like dry skin and hair, damage to your furniture, and respiratory issues.
However, you may still be able to find a good use for a dehumidifier this winter. In the basement of your home, the air is not likely to become as dry as it will in the main rooms of your house. Because of this, there is always the potential for too much moisture to accumulate down there. When there is excess moisture, it can lead to the growth of mold or mildew. By putting a dehumidifier in your basement, you can remove some of that excess moisture and keep these fungi from flourishing.
Your Local Heating and Cooling Professionals
If you are looking to improve the air quality of your home or have any other heating or cooling needs in the northeast Texas area, we at Ken Parker Service, Inc. have a team of friendly experts ready to assist you. We have been serving the area since 1977, and our community has come to know us for the consistently high-quality services we provide to both residential and commercial customers. In addition to our air quality services, we offer maintenance, repairs, and installation services for both heating and cooling systems.
If you need assistance managing the air quality in your Greenville home, it’s best to get it taken care of before the winter arrives. Give us a call at Ken Parker Service, Inc. today, and get an appointment scheduled to get the process underway.
