You may not hear a whole lot about humidifiers in Acworth, GA, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t needed in some homes! What you are more likely to hear about, are dehumidifiers in Acworth, GA. This is because of their functionality and the climate we tend to have in our area, almost year-round.
We’re going to dive into this more below, explaining the difference between a humidifier and a dehumidifier, and how to know if you need either one. The gist is, that the ideal relative humidity level in any given home is between 30-50%. Anything lower than 30% is considered too dry, and any over 50% is considered too humid. Both of these conditions cause problems to both your property and the health of your household occupants. Read on to learn more!
What Is the Difference?
As we alluded to above, the difference between a humidifier and a dehumidifier is that the former adds moisture to your living space, while a dehumidifier removes moisture from your living space.
Our area gets a lot of humidity–we probably don’t need to tell you that! The average humidity level throughout the entire year is around 71% relative humidity. When a home has too much humidity in it, it can cause problems such as mold and mildew growth, which can cause or exacerbate allergy and asthma symptoms for household occupants. It can also cause property damage.
If the air is too dry–a less common issue here but still one that can occur during our brief but fairly dry winters, particularly if you go up to a higher elevation–it can create issues in the home like dried-out wood flooring and cracked paint or wallpaper. It also dries out our sinuses, making us more susceptible to illness transmission.
How Do I Know If I Need One?
You may need a humidifier if you notice that for an extended period of time, it’s really hard to stay warm inside your home, you notice your skin and scalp are dry, or you even discover splintering and splitting furnishings in your home. Again, this isn’t super likely here in the immediate Acworth area, but it’s still a problem to be aware of.
You’re more likely to need a whole-home dehumidifier. The way you can determine if this is the case is to look for these signs:
- Condensation forming on your windows.
- Visible mold growth anywhere within your home.
- A musty odor in or around your property.
- Recurring water runoff dampness in the spring and summer.
- Blistering paint or peeling wallpaper inside the home.
- Creaky doors, cabinets, windows, and floors, indicating that moisture is causing rust and subsequent friction.
How Long Does Each System Last?
A humidifier typically has a bit of a longer lifespan than that of a dehumidifier… partly because it doesn’t get as much use as the latter. So long as you keep up on home maintenance, you can expect a useful service life of 10-15 years for your whole-house humidifier.
A dehumidifier, however, typically has a useful service life of about 5-10 years. Remember, it’s more likely to last longer if it’s properly installed and maintained by an experienced team!
When you’re ready to learn more about balancing the humidity in your home, look no furtherthan Dayco Systems. Contact us today for your humidifier and dehumidifier services!
