You’ve no doubt heard that one way to avoid mold in your home (or business) is to keep the relative humidity below 50%. Sometimes in San Diego that’s as easy as opening the windows to our beautifully dry climate, but for some people (those who suffer from allergies or asthma, those who want to avoid outdoor noise, those who worry about safety, etc) opening windows and doors may be less than ideal. In these cases, keeping the windows closed and using a machine to take the humidity out of the air is another option. Which machine? Clean Earth Restorations, specialists in mold abatement, give you a brief overview of air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers.
Of the three types of machines, only air conditioners and dehumidifiers will remove humidity from the air for you. Air purifiers will interest you if you are concerned with indoor air quality (especially for sufferers of asthma and allergies).
Both air conditioners and dehumidifiers make use of refrigerant that is made to go back and forth between liquid and gaseous states. These exchanges absorb heat and produce condensation, removing water (humidity) from the air brought into the machines during the process. Either would be helpful if your only goal is to lower the humidity in your home or business.
The big difference between the air conditioners and dehumidifiers is that air conditioners send the resulting warm air to the outside of the building whereas dehumidifiers recirculate the warmed air back into the room. In short, air conditioners cool the room down, dehumidifiers do not change the room’s temperature.
Another difference is that air conditioners are equipped to swift away the condensed water to outside of the building, whereas dehumidifiers collect the condensation in a water reservoir that must be periodically emptied.
Air purifiers do not remove heat or humidity from the air. They filter the air to remove contaminants such as pollen and other particles (dust, dander, etc) that may be causing respiratory difficulties to the inhabitants of the home. There are several different technologies available for air purifiers. See the article below for more details.
Here are two articles that explain in detail how each of these machines work.
- Green Building Advisor: The Difference Between Air Conditioners and Dehumidifiers
- How Stuff Works: How Air Purifiers Work
Clean Earth Restorations offers mold abatement services to all of San Diego County. Contact us today for a free estimate or to talk about your questions concerning mold.
Even if you don’t need mold services today, bookmark us for the future.
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