Differences and Similarities Between Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers


A dehumidifier is made to control humidity in a living space, specifically to remove humidity from the room/location. Dehumidifiers come in various different pint sizes and capabilities. The pint size determines how many pints of moisture a unit can remove per day; for example, a 70 pint dehumidifier can remove up to 70 pints of humidity per 24 hours. Dehumidifiers come with reservoirs to hold the water; most now offer a direct drain feature, enabling you to drain directly into a sump pump/larger reservoir. Dehumidifiers are also made for different areas. Some are portable and can be moved around easily while others are whole house solutions; you can even hook them up to your ducting-central air to effectively control humidity within the house.

Dehumidifiers are made in different ways, although most use a refrigerator coil system. This is the best cost effective system. Many dehumidifiers are now made to work in cold temperatures. This is perfect for places like basements, where it’s usually a lot colder which could cause some units to break down.

The main purpose of a dehumidifier is to remove excess humidity. Some units will also filter air while doing so. Removing humidity will prevent many problems like allergens in the air and mold growth.


A humidifier does the exact opposite of a dehumidifier. It works by increasing humidity in a given area. Dehumidifiers can be quite complicated machines that require many parts while a humidifier is very simply designed. It usually consists of only three parts - a wick, reservoir and fan.

A humidifier works by the wick (which is a large filter) absorbing water from its reservoir, which then evaporates the water into the area. The fan is used to speed up the evaporation process depending on how much humidity there is in the room already.

There are many other different types of humidifiers available, such as steam units that can raise humidity levels very quickly, although for home use the wick system is the most popular.

When deciding between buying a humidifier or dehumidifier, you will need to first find out what your humidity levels are. You can do this with a hygrometer, which will accurately tell you the humidity levels in your area. If you have very low humidity, a humidifier will work for you, if your humidity is high, then a dehumidifier is the right choice.