Dry air is a common household problem in Dallas. In most cases, homeowners have dry air because of imbalanced humidity, and this can be solved by installing a humidification system. Two common humidification solutions are portable humidifiers and whole-house humidifiers. Each has its own pros and cons.
Portable vs. Whole-House Humidifier – Which is Best for You?
Performance
With a portable humidifier, you can control the humidity of each room separately. But a portable humidifier can cover only a small area. That means if you have a big space or a hall, you may have to install multiple portable humidifiers. Again, if you want to cover your entire house, you’ll have to install portable humidifiers in every room of your home.
On the other hand, as the name suggests, a whole-house humidifier covers the entire house, and you can control the humidity of your house centrally.
Noise
If noise is one of your main concerns, you should consider installing a whole-house humidification system. Because a whole-house humidifier makes very little noise while operating. Also, as the whole-house humidifier controls the humidity centrally and is situated in a confined place, it won’t create any distraction while you’re sleeping.
But a portable humidifier tends to be a bit louder compared to the whole-house humidification system. Besides, oftentimes, you’ll have to run multiple portable humidifiers to keep your space’s humidity in check, which will eventually increase the noise.
Maintenance
Maintaining portable humidifiers can be a bit problematic if you can’t change the water of the humidifier regularly. Besides, you’ll have to constantly check on the humidifier to ensure that it’s clean. Because if the portable humidifier isn’t clean or you don’t change the water regularly, contaminants such as molds, bacteria, etc., can start to grow inside the humidifier. Eventually, indoor air will be compromised and make everyone in your home sick.
A whole-house humidifier is relatively easier to maintain than a portable humidification system. Unlike the portable humidifier, it’s directly linked to your house’s water supply line. Because of this, you won’t have to replace the water of the humidifier regularly. However, you’ll have to periodically replace the pads of the whole-house humidification system.
Operational Cost
If you want to maintain a comfortable humidity level in your house without spending too much, you should consider buying a whole-house humidifier as a whole-house humidification system is linked to your house’s water supply. Besides, it uses the fans of your furnace, which also lowers the operational costs of a whole-house humidifier.
But when you have a portable humidifier, it consumes a lot of energy. Besides, you’ll have to replace the water every day, which increases the overall operational costs. Moreover, if you have multiple portable humidifiers in your house, this cost can go even higher.
Installation Cost
The installation cost of a whole-house humidifier is way more than a portable humidifier. Besides, you’ll need a professional humidifier installation. Moreover, you’ll have to spend money on installing air ducts if you don’t have them already. All these increases the overall installation costs of a whole-house humidifier.
Portable humidifiers are cheap and don’t require any professional installation. Besides, you will be relieved from spending extra money on installing separate air ducts, which decreases the installation costs.
However, if you need multiple portable humidifiers, the initial cost can go higher. Again, if you’re thinking about the long-term, you should buy a whole-house humidifier. Because usually, a whole-house humidifier lasts longer than a portable humidifier.
Look
As a whole-house humidifier is installed close to your furnace, it usually remains hidden. But a portable humidifier is situated middle of the room, which sometimes can be odd-looking. Besides, a portable humidifier takes up a lot of space, which will limit your mobility.
Conclusion
If you want an efficient, energy-saving, low-maintenance humidifier, undoubtedly, you should buy a whole-house humidifier. But if you want to control the humidity of each room individually, you should buy a portable humidifier. Besides, portable humidifiers are ideal for single-room apartments.
Before deciding which humidifier to buy, consider the efficiency, installation costs, your space’s size, and maintenance. For any type of HVAC help or maintenance, call Micro Clean DFW or contact us through our website.
See the summary here in this infographic – Whole-House Humidifier vs. Portable Humidifier [Infographic]
