Dehumidifiers are used all over the country rather they be a smaller portable system or a centrally installed system that moves through your duct work. While their function is rather basic, removing excess humidity from your home, their benefits are numerous.
Excess humidity in your home can cause a whole host of problems. It could be causing a damp or musty smell to come from your basement. It could be causing water to condensate on your interior windows. It could be causing mold to begin growing on your walls or curtains. Whatever symptoms you are seeing a dehumidifier can help with all of them. We recommend you read our article on the various benefits of dehumidifiers.
However, if a dehumidifier is used excessively in one room or in the winter then you can risk your humidity falling to low. Yes, it is all a balancing act folks. You don’t want the humidity in your home to be too high as if it is then you can have problems such as mildew, dust mites, fungi, and even mold. These allergens can then affect loved ones in your home resulting itchy/watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, and in more severe cases trouble breathing. The good news is that all of this can be corrected with a dehumidifier like we mentioned earlier.
If your humidity is too low then you can have a slew of other symptoms. These symptoms can include dry skin that can eventually turn into cracked and bleeding skin. It can also result in the drying out of your respiratory tract. This means that you will be more susceptible to infections such as colds, sinus infections, and even the flu.
There has to be a balance of humidity in your home. The recommended and most comfortable humidity level is between thirty to fifty percent. Any higher or lower and you can begin to experience some of the symptoms that we mentioned above. This is why you should be running a dehumidifier in the late spring, summer, and early fall. Then, as the temperatures began to fall you can pack away your dehumidifier and replace it with a humidifier.
Conclusion
So folks, to answer your question… yes a dehumidifier can result in dry skin. This can happen in one of two instances. The first is that you leave your dehumidifier on constantly throughout the summer and also keep it in the same room. This will result in a lower humidity then what we are used too and can result in these dry and cracked skin symptoms.
The other possibility is running the dehumidifier in the winter. I don’t know why you would do this, but if you are and are suffering from dry/cracking skin then your dehumidifier is most likely the culprit.
If you are interested in purchasing a dehumidifier then I recommend you check out our dehumidifier buying guide that I completed earlier this week. The guide goes over every possible question and consideration that should be made before purchasing a dehumidifier.