What are the Different Methods of Humidity Control?

The air inside a building can be very different from the air outside of it. The enclosed nature of a building can cause pollution and allergens to build up inside a home. In addition, the use of air conditioning, heaters, stoves, baths, and similar items can dramatically change the humidity of the air. In order to keep the air inside of buildings more comfortable, different methods of humidity control were developed. Some of these methods include humidifiers, dehumidifiers, vaporizers, and exhaust fans.

There can be physical consequences with having too little humidity present in a home. Like many natural processes, humidity travels from high concentration to low concentration. Thus, the lack of humidity in the air can result in the air stealing moisture from you, leading to chapped lips and dry noses. To counteract this, different humidity control methods are available to add humidity into the air. Some of these humidity control devices are humidifiers and vaporizers.

There are several types of humidifiers on the market. Some of them are evaporative, ultrasonic, impeller, and steam humidifiers. In some cases, such as with impeller humidifiers, you may see the moisture rising from the product in the form of fog. Steam humidifiers are also known as vaporizers and add moisture into the air by boiling water. Medicine and herbs can also be added to a vaporizer, which can be of immense help when there is a sick person in the building.

Too much humidity can also lead to problems inside a building. Mold, mildew, and other pests can multiply in a moist environment. Excessive moisture can also contribute to the destruction of furniture and books. In order to control excessive humidity, humidity control devises such as dehumidifiers and exhaust fans can be used. Exhaust fans are commonly installed into the building structure while a dehumidifier can be installed or be purchased and used as a separate unit.

A dehumidifier is the opposite of a humidifier. Rather than adding moisture to the air, a dehumidifier removes it. The moisture removed from this humidity control device is commonly collected in a container and disposed of. Exhaust fans remove humidity from a building and expel it elsewhere. Ideally, the moisture captured from the fan should be released outside of the building. If not properly disposed of, this moisture will only continue to contribute to the humidity inside of the structure.