Humidifier vs Dehumidifier: Which One Do You Need

The importance of having the optimum atmospheric moisture in your environment cannot be overstated. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are two machines that can help to raise or reduce the humidity level in your homes and offices. But in the humidifier vs dehumidifier debacle, how do you know which one to use?

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers are two entirely different machines. However, not everyone can spot the difference immediately. People often get confused when it comes to choosing the right one they need to improve their environment’s air quality.

For starters, humidifiers help combat low humidity by adding moisture to the air as liquid mist/vapor. Dehumidifiers, on the other hand, remove moisture from the atmosphere.

So, which one should you buy? Before we get there, let’s first talk about humidity, its importance in the atmosphere, and the effects of its insufficiency. But before that,

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Humidity and Your Environment

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the optimum humidity level for healthy indoor environment quality is between 30 – 50%. It is recommended that the atmospheric humidity in your homes and offices should never go below or above this range.

Low indoor humidity levels can birth health, skin, and respiratory complications like sinusitis, itchiness due to cracked skin, etc. Pre-existing health conditions like asthma can also be triggered when the level of atmospheric moisture in your environment is lower than average.

Interestingly, instruments like hygrometers can be used to measure the amount of humidity and water vapor in the atmosphere. At the same time, some smart thermostats can also measure humidity levels.

At the same time, it’s just as detrimental should the humidity level in your home get too high. Excessive atmospheric moisture could promote certain illnesses. That is because a bump in moisture level to anything above 60% causes lethal disease-causing bacteria, molds, and dust mites to thrive.

So yeah, that’s why you should pay attention to your environment’s humidity level just as much as you monitor the temperature.

Now, let’s segue into the role of humidifiers and dehumidifiers in controlling atmospheric moisture.

What Is a Humidifier Used for

As noted earlier, a humidifier adds moisture to the air, increasing the atmospheric humidity level. Typically, you’d want to have a humidifier in your home during winter or cold weather conditions. That is because there is limited moisture in cold air, and humidity level is generally low during such periods. As such, the device helps raise your room’s humidity level and avert negative effects that might result from dry air.

At the same time, not just any humidifier would work anywhere. Here, the size of the room also plays a big role, especially if the room’s size is on the bigger side. After all, you wouldn’t want a humidifier with subdued misting working in a large room. As such, the moisture content will not be uniform across the room.

Today, humidifiers come with several functions and features. For example, the Venta LW25 adds moisture and cleans the air around it. On the other hand, the LEVOIT LV600HH lets you have extensive air control with its neat interface and the remote.

What Is a Dehumidifier Used for

A dehumidifier does the opposite ⁠— it reduces atmospheric humidity by removing vapor from the air. So if your area receives plenty of rain, a dehumidifier is what you need. The atmospheric moisture level of a room increases when it rains. Warm air, on the other hand, tends to carry moisture. And that is why you should buy a dehumidifier when the climate in your region is warm or humid.

Like humidifiers, dehumidifiers bundle various functions and come with different tank sizes. For example, the Frigidaire FFAD3533W1 Dehumidifier pictured above has a 34.93 oz capacity, while Eva-Dry EDV-1100 has a 16oz capacity.

You need to occasionally check the readings from your hygrometer or thermostat. This way, whenever air moisture moves above or below the recommended range, you’d know which duo (humidifier or dehumidifier) to crank up.

Mode of Operation – Humidifier vs Dehumidifier

Humidifiers come with a tank and an atomizer plate to convert the tank water into a warm or cool mist for dispersing the air.

Some models have filters that remove minerals and eliminate bacteria from the water present in the tank. It is also common to find humidifiers with aesthetic illumination that helps improve environmental ambiance. Again, you’ll have to fill the humidifier tank with water when it runs out.

For dehumidifiers, the device draws the air first through a grill opening by a fan. Afterward, the moisture/humidity in the air is removed by a coolant or water-absorbing material into the dehumidifier’s tank. The moisture-free air is finally supplied back to the environment via another opening.

Unlike the water-filling chore in a humidifier, the moisture-collection tray of dehumidifiers must be emptied often.

Lastly, it will take a humidifier less time to disperse moisture into the atmosphere than a dehumidifier to remove an equal amount. That has been experimented and proven.

Which One Do You Need

These were some of the primary differences between humidifiers and dehumidifiers. These devices are designed to improve the air quality of your environment. We’ve briefly highlighted some consequences that could arise from failure to regulate atmospheric humidity and how these two devices can help.

Which of the devices you’d use entirely depends on the moisture in your home at a given time? You can accurately measure that using a hygrometer or a smart thermostat which reads a room’s humidity level.