- 16 September 2020
- Air Quality
You want better indoor air – that’s one thing you’re sure of. Your family’s getting sick a lot and you suspect the air quality is to blame. “Air purifier vs humidifier?” is the question on your mind now.
And the answer is, air purifiers and humidifiers each work to improve your home’s indoor air quality, but in unique, specialized ways. (In fact, the two may be used together, as necessary, for a two-pronged air quality solution.) Find out more about humidifiers vs air purifiers below.
Humidifiers and Air Purifiers Both Improve Indoor Air
Before we discuss their differences, let’s emphasize one basic similarity between an air purifier and a humidifier: Both these appliances improve indoor air quality. This is important during the long Georgetown winters when you and your family spend most of the time inside.
Dry, stuffy, poor-quality air may be dangerous to your wellbeing. And the most severe health effects often show up after long-term exposure.
That’s bad news, particularly if you or a family member count among the more than 3,000,000 Canadians with a serious respiratory disease. The good news, though, is that an air purifier or humidifier is a simple way to change your indoor air quality for the better.
Both stand-alone and whole-home systems are available. We recommend the whole-home humidifier type because it’s easier to use and more effective.
Do You Need A Humidifier?
Dry air in your home is not only unpleasant (static electricity!), it can cause a number of health problems, such as:
- Dry skin and hair
- Chapped lips
- Nosebleeds
- Snoring
- Sinus congestion
- Asthma and allergy attacks
- Chronic sore throats and colds
Most residential heating systems, whether furnaces or electric baseboard heaters, tend to dry the air. However, a humidifier counteracts this dryness. You should use a humidifier if your indoor relative humidity measures less than the 30% minimum recommended by Health Canada.
Appleby Home Comfort offers you a choice of two excellent humidifier makes: Aprilaire and Generalaire. Contact us for more information on how these will help your home comfort and your health.
Do You Need An Air Purifier?
Most modern homes are well-insulated and energy-efficient. We’re happy to see Canadians reducing their carbon footprint, but it comes at a price. Namely, sealing up your house against energy loss frequently impacts your air quality, making indoor air stuffy and stale in the winter.
Other signs of poor indoor air quality include:
- Unpleasant odours. These could be due to natural sources, such as pets (you love their cute antics, but they’re sometimes a little smelly) or toxic VOCs, volatile organic compounds, given off by common items such as house paint or synthetic flooring.
- Sneezing, itchy eyes, and other allergy symptoms. Your home might be harbouring common airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander, mould spores, or dust mites.
- Frequent unexplained illness, especially accompanied by cold or flu-like symptoms.
- Excessive snoring.
An air purifier can help with the above, by clearing out contaminants from the air of your home. There are several varieties of air purifiers (which are also called “air filters” and “air cleaners”), with different technologies and different capabilities.
Appleby carries several top brands: Aprilaire air cleaners, Generalaire cleaners, Premie air scrubbers, and Trane Cleaneffects. Would you like to breathe easier? Contact us to discuss how the right air filtration system can make that happen.
Find The Right Air Quality Solution
Now you’ve had an intro to the advantages of humidifiers vs air purifiers. If you have questions about the best air quality solution for your home, get in touch. We’re happy to guide you.