Dehumidifiers, Humidifiers and Air Purifiers – Appliances that Enhance the Indoor Air Quality

DehumidifiersHumidifiersAir Purifiers

The term ‘humidity’ brings to mind the muggy feeling that is characteristic of a hot summer day. We often hear of it in weather reports, but most people are seldom aware of the adverse effects of low and high humidity levels.  An optimal level of humidity is essential to create a favorable atmosphere for a healthy body.  The relative humidity recommended for summer lies between 30% and 50%, while that of winter lies between 30% and 40%. Humans are sensitive to humidity levels, as the skin depends on the air to eliminate moisture. As sweating cools the body and maintains its temperature, we feel hotter than the existing temperature when the humidity percentage is high. The converse is true, when the humidity percentage is low. Apart from the humidity levels, impurities and pollutants in the air pose health hazards. With growing technology, there are various systems that provide a solid solution to these issues. The household appliances in this line are described below.

Dehumidifiers reduce the humidness in the air by bringing down the moisture content. They are essential household appliances in humid areas that are subject to hazardous effects, such as mildew formation and dust mites. Air conditioners automatically serve as dehumidifiers as they cool the air in their working process. Dehumidifiers work by condensing the air moisture to form water droplets that are drained into a reservoir or through a hose. They are available as mechanical and desiccative models. The former model is more efficient, and consists of cold metallic coils for the condensation process and hot metallic coils to bring back the dry air to the room temperature. The latter model consists of a desiccative substance that attracts moisture.  Dehumidifier reviews help consumers learn about the features and prices of different brands and models, so as to choose the optimal one.

Humidifiers are another category of household appliances that help add moisture to the air. Lack of adequate humidity results in cracks in wooden furniture and increases static electricity. It also poses harm to the health, causing problems like chapped lips, dry skin, itchy nose and allergic symptoms. They are available in several types, such as evaporative humidifier, steam humidifier, impeller humidifier and cool mist humidifier. Each of them consists of a water reservoir, but uses different methods of dispersing water particles into the air.

Air purifiers consist of filtration systems to purify the air from allergens, pollutants and smoke. They are useful for people suffering from allergies and for asthma patients. Besides, they are gaining renown due to the fact that people are learning more about creating healthier and cleaner air in their homes. The air purification mechanism used in different models varies, depending on the sophistication of the model and the type of filter. HEPA, ionic filter, Carbon Filter, UV purifier and Ozone Generator are the major filtration technologies used n air purifiers. HEPA is considered to be the best, though each system uses a unique method to remove pollutants and particles.

Therefore, you can use a dehumidifier if the air is too moist, a humidifier if the air is very dry and an air purifier to improve the indoor air quality.