Humidifiers, Dehumidifiers and Air Purifiers

Humidifiers are electrical appliances that help to increase the humidity in regions where the air is very dry by generating a steam or a water mist. These are particularly useful during the winter months to ease allergies, colds, nasal irritation, dry and itchy skin and chapped lips. As opposed to humidifiers, Dehumidifiers help to reduce or remove excess moisture and make your living area more comfortable. Either too high or too low humidity levels encourage bacteria, mildew, dust mites and mould growth. It can harm things made of wood such as wooden furniture, musical instruments, cause chemical changes in paintings and static shocks around the house.

Humidifiers

A wide variety of humidifiers, based on size/design and the type of mist –cool or moist - it produces and the method employed to produce vapor are available. Warm mist humidifiers can be directed to a specific area in the room if needed. The warm mist humidifiers boil water to produce vapor, which is slightly cooled before being released into the room. Such humidifiers are conducive to people with respiratory allergies and colds. The vapor thus released is mostly bacteria-free. These units can be used with hard water also, provided the unit includes a mineral absorption pad. Cool mist humidifiers draw water with a wick through which air is forced with the help of a fan, to produce cool vapor that humidifies a larger area. Look for extra features such as a hygrometer for measuring humidity levels, antimicrobial action and UV light options, mineral pads for hard water and additives to prevent mineral build up. Following are the types of humidifiers, different from each other on the basis of their size / design:

Tabletop humidifiers: are small and portable units that can easily be carried from one room to another. These have a reservoir capacity of one to four gallons of water and needs to be filled manually. Affordable and convenient, tabletop humidifiers are designed to humidify one room comfortably. These are available in both, cool and warm mist types and can be set up on the floor or on a table. Its compact size ensures easy storage when not in use.

Central or in-duct humidifiers: are attached to the heating system and the water pipe. This saves you the trouble of frequently refilling the water reservoir. Though expensive initially, these humidifiers need less maintenance in the long run.

Console humidifiers: come with a large water tank and can humidify many rooms at a time. Such devices use the evaporative technique to produce cool mist. Although noisy, console humidifiers are stylish enough to merge with the décor of the room.

Ultrasonic humidifiers: can produce cold and warm mist. These types come with filters and anti-microbial coatings to combat bacteria or other impurities produced along with the vapor. Being ultrasonic, the noise levels are very low. Some models combine a heater or an air conditioner with a humidifier to save on operating costs, space and are comparatively cheaper than the cost of two separate appliances.

Dehumidifiers

Depending upon the size of the house, there are two kinds of dehumidifiers available. Whole house dehumidifiers though are better at removing excess moisture from the home, are extremely expensive. These need to be installed and connected to the existing duct system of the central air conditioner or heater. Highly economical, a portable home dehumidifier simply needs to be plugged into the socket and is ready to use.

Based on the dehumidifying technology, there are three common types of dehumidifiers.

Heat pump dehumidifiers comprise of a heat pump that extracts moisture from the air by first condensing the moisture in the air across a cold coil and then warming up the dry air by passing it over a heated coil. Ideal for warm climates, Chemical absorbent dehumidifiers comprise of a heat drying wheel that uses a desiccant or a chemical drying agent, to absorb water molecules from the air. The moist air is sent outside via vents. When humidity reaches a specific level, Dehumidifying ventilators get into action thanks to a built-in sensor controller. These are recommended for basement installations.

Air purifiers

Air purifiers or Air cleaners, purifies air that is inundated with allergy-causing dust, smoke particles, bacteria, virus, moulds, mildew, pollens, pet dander, etc. that affect health of human beings as well as animals.

There are many brands of air cleaners available in the market to cater to a consumer’s specific needs and preferences. Brands such as Oreck, Honeywell, Ionic Breeze, Alen, Ecoquest and Holmes have been market leaders since long.

Points to keep in mind before buying an air purifier:

Filters – Check the kind of filters that the air purifier uses. Is it a HEPA Air Purifier filter, ultraviolet, charcoal, pre-filters or some other technology that is used to filter out the contaminants? Some HEPA air purifiers require their filters to be changed frequently, which can be quite expensive, while others come with permanent reusable filters that are easy to clean.

Noise levels – Some air purifiers are relatively silent while some with fans are noisy. Check the decibel information mentioned on the device.

Frequency of cleaning – Some models continuously clean the air, while others clean anywhere from twice to six times in an hour. This determines how clean your air will be.

Volume – This factor lets you know the amount of air the air cleaner produces to cover the whole room.

Aesthetics – From a flat horizontal or vertical box to a standing sleek tower, there are different designs available to suit the space and décor of your home.

Some Info on Popular Air Purifiers:

Oreck Air Purifiers clean the air in a 12’x18’ room twice in an hour by capturing bacteria, molds, virus, germs and allergens. The clean healthy air is then re-circulated in the room. The Oreck Air purifier comes with a patented Truman Cell permanent reusable filter that needs to be simply rinsed, dried and reinserted. The built-in Odor Absorber eliminates foul odors and all kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. Oreck Air Purifiers with Helios Shield uses ultraviolet light (UVA) for eliminating odor and VOCs. A UV lamp, installed inside air cleaner kills all the bacteria and germs passing through it and the air that comes out is relatively clean. This air cleaner comes with a remote control that helps you control the unit from anywhere in the room. With vertical and horizontal designs, the elegant looking Oreck Air Purifies easily fits into tight spaces.

Honeywell Air Purifiers are portable purifiers that are perfect for cleaning the air in a large 12’x14’ sized room. This HEPA Air Purifier clears the room about 6 times in an hour and comes with two filters a pre-filter and HEPA filter to reduce air pollutants.  The pre-filter reduces odor while the true HEPA Air Purifier effectively clears up to 99.97 percent (up to 0.3 microns) of dust particles including animal dander and airborne microbes. The Honeywell Air Purifiers feature an IntelliCheck system that monitors the filter’s performance. These filters come with indicator lights that alert you as to whether the filter has a long way to go or whether it needs to be changed. The pre-filter needs to be changed every three months while the HEPA filter has a life or one to three years. The Honeywell Air Purifiers has three speeds and works soundlessly.

Ionic Breeze Air Purifier uses the ionizer technology to clear the air of pollutants. When the air cleaner’s ionizer is turned on, high voltage is charged to a series of built-in needles, to create and discharge electrons into the air. These electrons fix themselves to the air molecules to form negative ions. These are then released into the room where they affix themselves to all airborne contaminants including pet dander and allergens to form bigger particles. These particles are readily trapped by the air cleaner’s filters. Those descending on the floor can be picked by your vacuum cleaner.

A well maintained ionic air purifier works silently and uses just 10 watts of electricity thus saving on electricity bills. The permanent filters in this ionic air purifier are washable and reusable. As the Ionic Breeze Air Purifier works without a fan there is almost zero noise while it continues to clear the air of contaminants. This ionic air purifier contains charged metal plates that attract electrically charged pollutants in the air that enters the air purifier. These contaminants stay stuck to these charged plates till the machine is switched off. These plates are easy to remove and clean once in a fortnight. Lighter and pollutant-free air particles are blown back into the room to create a healthy environment.

Alen Air Purifier removes nearly 98% of airborne pollutants using the HEPA technology. This HEPA air purifier has a low filter replacement cost making it economical to use. The Alen Air Purifier comes with one or two HEPA filters and an ultraviolet lamp for destroying bacteria and virus. The Alen Air Purifier is energy star qualified, and is ozone safe.

EcoQuest Air Purifiers uses ozone technology and an ultraviolet-light ionizer to destroy germs and eliminate odors using the ozone it produces. Another model by EcoQuest uses the Radiant Catalytic Ionization (RCI) technology by creating hydro-peroxides and oxide ions to minimize asthma and allergy causing airborne pollutants and eliminate odors.  The EcoQuest purifier’s large capacity enables it to clean a 3000 sq ft home, eliminating the need for having multiple purifiers in the home. The EcoQuest Air Purifier displays digital information in the front and can be operated with a remote control across the room. With the EcoQuest Air Purifier, you don't have to worry about replacing the filters every few months.

The Holmes Air Purifier uses HEPA technology that continuously cleans the air in a medium sized room. In addition to the HEPA filter, the Holmes air purifier uses a charcoal filter to deal with odors. The Holmes Air Purifier uses an ionizer to charge particles and prevent them from hanging out in the air. This air cleaner works without making too much noise however, it won’t disturb you while watching your favorite TV show.

Final word:

With global warming on the rise, erratic climate is a norm at most places on this planet. These conditions make use of humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers in your home all the more important so as to maintain the comfort level. Choices are aplenty, in fact so much that it is slightly difficult to pick the right one that will meet all your requirements. If you are looking to shop for any of these, this guide will help you make a wise decision.