Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within a home and how it relates to the health and comfort of you and your loved ones. At Springfield Heating & Cooling, we’d like to take a moment to tell you more about managing the levels of humidity in your home, so you can better prepare for the various weather/temperatures we experience here in Ohio! It’s truly mind-boggling how much your indoor air quality can affect your comfort, health, and home!
Humidifiers Vs. Dehumidifiers, What’s the Difference?
First, let’s address this question by defining what humidifiers and dehumidifiers are; then, we will discuss when to utilize these devices. Humidifiers insert moisture into the atmosphere of your home when it is too dry. Typically, we use humidifiers in the wintertime to battle the dryness that accompanies winter air. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air when the humidity is dense. Dehumidifiers are typically used in the spring and summer to eliminate the sticky and stuffy feeling a house can have with elevated humidity.
The optimized humidity level in a home is between the range of 30% and 50%. Therefore, a dehumidifier is essential if your home is above 50% humidity. Likewise, a humidifier is necessary if humidity levels are below 30%. Great information to know, but how do we even determine the humidity levels in our home? Some people are sensitive to their surroundings and can sense where these levels currently reside. However, if you are like me and are unsure where your home’s humidity lies, our experts at Springfield Heating & Cooling will gladly help you determine that!
What Are the Health Benefits of a Humidifier?
We utilize humidifiers to improve our health by counteracting the adverse effects of dry air. Dry air can cause moisture to leave our skin and cause discomforting respiratory symptoms to appear. Humidifiers help those who suffer from dry skin, eye irritation, dry throat/airways, allergies, chronic coughing, bloody noses, sinus headaches, and cracked lips. In addition, research has proven a high probability for faster elimination of virus particles in the air when a humidifier is in one’s home; what encouraging news for us as we continue to navigate this pandemic!
What Are the Household Benefits of a Humidifier?
Not only are there benefits for using a humidifier in regards to one’s health, but for your home as well! Humidity can help prevent your home’s wallpaper from cracking, halt static electricity build-up, and it is great for preserving wood floors and furniture in your home Not to mention, your moisture-loving houseplants will thank you! Humidity in your home can also help lower your monthly utility bills in the winter because when there is moisture in the air, your home will feel warmer. You can’t beat that!
What Are the Health Benefits of a Dehumidifier?
If moisture is abundant in your home, then your home is susceptible to mold and mildew, which can spread at an alarming rate, and nobody wants fungus growing in their safe space! It can also be very challenging to rid your home of mold and mildew once it begins growing. Therefore it is essential to reduce excess moisture in your household. The health issues related to exposure include congestion, wheezing, irritation, and lots more! By extracting the excess water from the air, dehumidifiers can help prevent mold and mildew growth and improve your domain’s indoor air quality. Mold and mildew can also cause allergy symptoms, including sneezing, stuffy/runny nose, dryness, congestion, watery/itchy eyes, and nose/throat irritation. As if feeling stuffy and sniffly in the springtime isn’t already inconvenient, too much moisture in the air can make it complicated for us to breathe. Reducing the humidity indoors with a dehumidifier makes for a more breathable atmosphere, especially if you or your loved ones have asthma!
What Are the Household Benefits of a Dehumidifier?
Apart from the fact that mold and mildew are harmful to your health, it’s also quite unsightly! Many of us have dealt with flooding and water leakage in our homes. I wish someone would have told me that utilizing a dehumidifier to help clean up excess water effectively speeds up the drying process, thus preventing mold and mildew growth! A moist environment can also make your home smell musty. A dehumidifier will prevent these odors, making your home more inviting for yourself and others. Termites and other pests thrive in wet environments, so if your home is high in humidity, your home is the perfect place for insects to nest up, which is far from ideal for you and your home!
Don’t wait for mildew, mold, and bugs to take over your home. Instead, contact our experts at Springfield Heating & Cooling today at (937) 350-1881, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
