How to choose a humidifier, dehumidifier or air purifier?

These three types of small appliances are useful for normalizing humidity levels and improving air quality. Their use is particularly beneficial in homes where children, the elderly or people with respiratory problems and allergies live.

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers regulate the air in the home. They aim to counter the effects of dry or humid environments by increasing (humidifiers) or reducing (dehumidifiers) humidity levels to achieve maximum comfort, facilitate breathing and prevent health and aesthetic problems in the home. The purifiers improve air quality and create a purer atmosphere in the home.

How to choose a humidifier a dehumidifier or a purifier

Air humidifiers

Humidifiers are used to combat the high levels of dryness that sometimes occur in the home as a result of climatic conditions (summer, winter), poorly ventilated areas or heating systems that dry out the air. This makes it possible to combat an excessively dry environment and the respiratory problems it causes, such as allergies, dry skin and eyes...

Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers are used to regulate excess humidity in a room. Using a dehumidifier in a damp room reduces heating consumption and improves comfort levels in the room itself. The type of dehumidifier you need depends on the surface area of the room and its dehumidification capacity.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers eliminate airborne particles such as dust mites and pollen. They also prevent the appearance of mold and mildew, thus avoiding allergic reactions and improving environmental quality. Another benefit is the neutralization of unpleasant odors. Their use is particularly recommended for people suffering from asthma, allergies, atopic dermatitis, etc.

How to choose a humidifier, dehumidifier or air purifier?

Did you know that all three are portable and require no installation? To choose the most appropriate model, you need to take into account the space to be humidified, dehumidified or purified, the noise level of these devices and the energy consumption of each model.

Humidifier types
The recommended humidity level is between 40 and 60%. If a room doesn't fall within this range, we recommend installing a humidifier. Their presence will hardly be noticed, as they are small and there are many very discreet models available.

Humidifiers, like dehumidifiers, are devices used to regulate air quality. One of the aims of air conditioning a home is to achieve the right atmosphere, which is determined by temperature and humidity.

The main reason for the increase in the former and the decrease in the latter is heating, added to the poor circulation and renewal of air in the home in cold environments, causing a rarefied and less healthy environment. Cleaning the unit is very important.

Hot-steam humidifier or boiling humidifier. In this case, the unit heats the water, boils it and releases the moisture. Boiling water has a sterilizing effect, preventing the proliferation of bacteria. They must be cleaned regularly to prevent scale build-up. These models are noisy and may cause burns.

Cool-steam humidifiers. They provide fresher air to the room. As they contain cold water, they reduce the risk of accidents in the home, but they must be cleaned monthly as they do not eliminate bacteria as hot water does. On the other hand, the P5000 humidifier humidifier uses UV light to kill bacteria and viruses.

Two models are available:

The evaporator. This consists of a reservoir of cold water that evaporates the liquid. At the same time, the fan inside the humidifier releases the moisture. With this type of humidifier, you can't adjust the humidity level. They are the most economical, but the fan can be noisy and filters need to be kept clean.

Ultrasonic. Water is struck by high-frequency sounds, and these vibrations produce cool steam. Their advantages are the ability to regulate humidity levels and minimal energy consumption. They are quiet (as they have no internal fan) and easy to maintain (as they need no filters).

Benefits of a humidifier

Adding a humidifier to a room offers the following advantages:

It prevents the air from drying out, thus avoiding skin and throat irritations, as well as damage to furniture and electrical appliances.
It reduces the risk of spreading micro-organisms responsible for infectious diseases.

Humidity levels of between 40% and 60% make colds more bearable and easier to bear.

Types of dehumidifier

The different types of dehumidifier can be classified according to the method used to dehumidify the air. They are classified as either compressor or compressorless.

With compressor or refrigerant. The dehumidifier draws air from the room by means of a fan, filters it and directs it to an evaporator, which is cooled by the operation of a compressor (which compresses the refrigerant gas). The extracted water may accumulate in a tank, which must be emptied, or go directly down the drain. This air (already separated from the water) passes through a condenser, which makes the air warmer because the humidity has been eliminated, and expels it into the room. These are the most common domestic systems.

No compressor or desiccant. They have no compressor or refrigerant. The air is treated in the unit so that the dehumidifier dries the water contained in the air using a silica gel that absorbs the water. Recommended for very cold spaces (below 10 degrees). It is generally used in industrial environments.

Types of purifiers

Filters. Filters trap particles in the air and remove them from the environment. The air first passes through a filter that retains the largest particles. Next, HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters come into play. They are effective against tiny particles such as mold spores, dust, pollen, tobacco smoke... This extends the life of the HEPA filter, which can last up to five years, depending on use. Filters do not generate ozone or harmful elements. They should be cleaned regularly.

Irradiation or ionic. This type of purifier generates an electric field that mixes with particles in the environment, causing them to fall to the ground, releasing the charged air. They eliminate smoke, dust and unpleasant odors. The key to these models is to check the ozone level generated by the ionizers, because if it exceeds the acceptable level, it can be harmful to health, especially for asthma sufferers. They have no filters.

Activated charcoal. They are highly absorbent. Ideal for trapping gaseous pollutants, smoke, chemicals, gases and noxious odors. Less effective against allergens and micro-organisms. Need to be used in conjunction with another filter that retains larger particles, such as a HEPA filters.

With ultraviolet light (UV). They sterilize microbes, viruses and bacteria, preventing their reproduction. They are not effective against noxious odors and chemical vapors.

Among purifiers, we now find ozone generators. These devices convert the oxygen in the room in which they operate into ozone and distribute it throughout the room via their internal fans. The ozone generated disinfects and sanitizes any space, eliminating viruses, bacteria and odors from the entire surface, whether in homes, commercial premises, warehouses, cars and so on.

The humidifiers are equipped with a water tank to humidify the atmosphere in a room. The capacity of this tank determines the size of the room it can humidify, and the time required to fill it. For example, a 10 m2 room requires one liter of water.

The dehumidifiers dehumidifiers are equipped with a reservoir designed to collect the water contained in the room. When choosing a dehumidifier, you need to take into account the capacity of the tank and the power rating (existing dehumidifiers have a dehumidification capacity of between 10 and 30 liters). The climate of the geographical area where the home is located is also a determining factor.

The choice of dehumidifier depends on the power of the appliance: there are low-power dehumidifiers for use in the car, and others capable of dehumidifying rooms of up to 40 m2.

The problems of dry or too-humid air

Humidity can alter the wind chill in your home, making you feel either hot or cold. Using humidifiers or dehumidifiers can regulate this perception.

Did you know that
It is recommended that the humidity level in a room be between 40% and 60%. If it doesn't reach or exceed these levels, it's advisable to use these devices.

Dry air can cause health problems by making breathing difficult, drying out the skin and eyes, causing pharyngitis, etc., as well as damaging wooden floors and furniture, peeling paint and wallpaper, cracking walls... Dry air also generates static electricity, which can damage computers and electronic equipment.

Air that's too humid exacerbates health problems (asthma, arthritis, allergies, colds, bone disorders), facilitates mold proliferation and the appearance of dust mites and other pests.

How much energy do humidifiers, dehumidifiers and purifiers consume?

The power consumption of humidifiers and dehumidifiers depends on the model, but in general, a humidifier with an autonomy of around 8 hours has a power consumption of 35 W. Domestic dehumidifiers, on the other hand, consume between 200 and 400 W (like refrigerators).

Air purifiers consume very little energy (around 10 W at low speed) and can operate 24 hours a day. It depends on the model, but in general, the faster it can purify the air, the more energy it consumes.

What additional functions do humidifiers, dehumidifiers and purifiers offer?

These types of appliances can be fitted with a number of accessories, depending on the model. They can be equipped with a thermostat to control humidity, an automatic unit programming system, different humidification or dehumidification speeds, automatic shut-off when a certain temperature is reached, an anti-freeze system, etc.

Where to place an air purifier?

It's important to consider a number of parameters when positioning your humidifier:

The power of the purifier. The power of an air purifier is closely linked to its capacity. The more powerful your purifier, the faster it will purify the air in the room whose size is indicated in the specifications.

Room size. If the purifier is placed in a room that is too large, the purifier's power will be lower, because it will take longer to do its job, but it won't restore the room to perfect condition, because the purifier's capacity is lower.

Indoor or outdoor. If the purifier is placed inside a room whose size complies with the manufacturer's instructions, the power can be reduced so that it does the same job as in a larger room: cleaning the environment thoroughly.

Light consumption. By reducing the purifier's power, light consumption is also reduced. Learn how to control your home's electricity consumption.

Cleaning and maintenance of humidifiers, dehumidifiers and purifiers. The tanks of these devices need to be cleaned periodically to prevent the proliferation and spread of bacteria. To do this, use tap water and a cleaning agent in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

If filters are fitted, they should be cleaned with water every month (although this may be less frequent, depending on how the humidifier is used). They must be dry before being replaced.

We recommend changing the water in humidifiers every day, or removing the water from the tank in the case of dehumidifiers.

Care should be taken with walls, as the excess steam released by the units can cause mold on cold surfaces.

They can be combined with fragrances, but care must be taken when using them in the presence of children or people with respiratory problems.

We hope we've taught you a little more about the subject!

We wish you the best of health and a healthy environment!