Skip to main content

Humidifiers vs. Dehumidifiers

By Perfection Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration
February 10, 2023
dehumidifier

Indiana is one of the highest states ranked for humidity in the U.S. The average relative humidity in Indiana is 72%, with a high of 85% and low of 53% in Evansville. As most residents know, high humidity levels can make the warmer seasons uncomfortable and muggy.

However, humidity isn’t always a bad thing. Your home needs the perfect amount of humidity to maintain many beneficial aspects, because too high and too low of humidity levels can present many disadvantages. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can be useful home tools to ensure proper moisture levels in both summer and winter months. In this blog, we will explain humidity inside your home and how humidifiers and dehumidifiers can be beneficial for homeowners.

What Level Of Humidity Should I Have In My Home?

The right level of humidity in your home can present a variety of advantages on your health and personal belongings. Your home should remain between 30-50% humidity for ideal comfort and benefits. Below are three benefits of staying within the ideal humidity range.

  • Prevents Health Issues
  • Increases Home Comfort
  • Protects Personal Belongings

What Is A Dehumidifier?

A dehumidifying system works to remove moisture in the air. The device comes in many sizes and types, such as a portable plug in unit or attached to your home HVAC system. Have you ever wondered why humidity makes you feel hotter? Humans produce sweat to help keep us cool, which is only beneficial when sweat evaporates. High relative humidity slows down the sweat evaporation process, making us warmer.

How High Humidity Can Affect Your Home

While humidity can affect your whole home, levels are typically highest where spaces lack ventilation and have no AC. We recommend installing a dehumidifying system in spaces such as attics, basements, or crawl spaces. Below we have listed how high levels of humidity can affect your home.

  • Mold & Mildew Growth
  • Health & Allergies
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Damaged Furniture & Electronics

A dehumidifying system can help protect you and your home from the possible effects of high humidity.

Mold & Mildew Growth

Mold, mildew, and dust mites thrive in warm and moist conditions. If areas in your home have high humidity, mold and mildew can grow and spread rapidly. Not only is mold expensive to completely remove, but can pose a threat to you and other residents of your home’s health.

Health & Allergies

If mold or mildew is growing in your home, it can affect your health in many ways. The exposure to mold spores can cause allergy-like symptoms. Additionally, high humidity can encourage bacteria growth and increase illnesses and germs.

Trouble Sleeping

Some people prefer to sleep in the cold temperatures, while others choose warmer settings. No matter your preference, high humidity can affect your comfort when you are sleeping.

Damaged Furniture & Electronics

High moisture levels cause wood flooring and furniture to expand and warp. Additionally, excess moisture can enter electronics around your home and cause damage.

What Is A Humidifier?

A humidifying system does just the opposite of a dehumidifier – puts moisture back into the air. This home device releases water vapor in areas that need higher moisture levels, which can be in any room around your home. Many wonder why you would need a humidifier in climates such as Evansville, but humidity levels can drop in the winter season. Humidity can actually improve comfort and health benefits at the correct level in your home.

How Low Humidity Can Affect Your Home

Many associate humidity with only a hot and sticky feeling, however, humidity can prove to have many advantages for a home. We recommend installing a humidifying system if your home has low levels in the colder months. Below are four disadvantages of low humidity.

  • Dry Wood
  • Skin & Throat Issues
  • Increased Chance Of Illnesses
  • Static Electricity

A humidifying system can help prevent these four disadvantages and keep you comfortable throughout the winter season in Evansville.

Dry Wood

Much like how too much humidity is bad for wood furniture and flooring, too little moisture can cause dry wood. Low humidity can cause wood to crack.

Skin & Throat Issues

Skin can crack in low moisture environments, which is why dry skin is more common in the winter. A dehumidifying system can help avoid uncomfortable cracked lips, hands, brittle hair, and sore throats.

Increased Chance Of Illnesses

Low temperature can increase the likelihood of illnesses, which is why people get sick more often in the winter season. Along with low temperatures, low humidity can increase susceptibility to illnesses and allow viruses and germs to thrive.

Static Electricity

Dry conditions increase the risk of static electricity buildup. Static electricity can cause discomfort and damage to electronics.

How To Identify Home Humidity Levels

If you are unsure if your home has high, low, or the perfect amount of humidity, let the Perfection experts help! We can quickly identify current humidity levels and direct you towards an effective solution. However, homes may show signs of too high or too low humidity. If your home has high humidity levels, condensation will form on surfaces such as windows and mirrors. A common way of identifying low humidity levels is to perform the “Ice Cube Test.” Place two or three ice cubes in a glass of water and stir. After five minutes, the glass should have moisture or condensation on the outside. If there is no sign of moisture, humidity levels are likely low.

Both humidifying and dehumidifying systems can be beneficial for your home. Let us help decide if your home could use more or less humidity in any given season. Your comfort is our top priority!

Are Your Ready To Experience True Comfort In Your Home?


We are here to help! At Perfection Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration our goal is to provide perfect HVAC repair & replacements to homeowners in the Evansville, Indiana area and beyond. 

If you are in need of help improving the comfort in your home, or would like a free estimate on getting a new system, get in touch with us! Our team is standing by ready to help.

Service Request

Please fill out this form to request service or to schedule a free estimate.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.