How Do Humidity Control Systems Work?

Whole house humidity control systems can do almost as much to make your home comfortable as your heating and cooling system. Humidifiers moisten your dry air in the winter while dehumidifiers dry your moist air in the summer.

Whole House Humidifier

When it’s cold outside, your heating system dries your air as it heats up. Overly dry air could damage wood floors, wood instruments and more; it can also have a negative impact on your health, causing dry, itchy skin and nosebleeds. It makes you more susceptible to viruses and infections. Whole home humidifiers add moisture back into to your air, helping you achieve healthy humidity levels, protecting your health and your home’s fine wood. It also helps prevent annoying static electricity in your home.

There are essentially two types of whole home humidifiers:

• Evaporative Humidifier - LBA mostly installs bypass and power humidifiers. This type of humidifier adds humidity to the air by utilizing the systems fan or a built-in fan which forces dry air across a moist pad. The moistened air is then carried throughout the home through the furnace ductwork. This type of humidifier is relatively easy to install, by a trained professional, which keeps them affordably priced.
• Steam Humidifier - A steam humidifier works like a vaporizer. It heats water to create steam, which is then added to the air through a dispersion tube located within the ductwork. A steam humidifier is extremely effective for larger homes with a large amount of wood, cigar collections or musical instruments. It provides endless humidity that a power humidifier cannot.

Whole House Dehumidifier

When it’s hot outside, your cooling system dampens your home’s air as it cools. Too much moisture can cause mold or mildew buildup and leave a musty odor certain areas of the home. A whole home dehumidifier removes excess moisture from your air, eliminating unhealthy bacterial buildup. It also acts as an air purifier because it reduces the humidity level in which viruses and mold survive.

A dehumidifier contains several components to accomplish this:

• Fan Compressor – Pulls in the humid air.
• Cooling Coils – Cool the air and as a result remove excess moisture.
• Re-heater – Returns the cooled, dehumidified air to a comfortable temperature.

Many dehumidifier models also come equipped with:

• A Humidistat – Detects the current humidity levels in your home.
• A Condensate Pump - Pumps the water that has been removed from the air away from the unit.