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Should I Buy a Humidifier or a Dehumidifier For My Home?

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Some homes are just too humid in the summer and too dry in the winter.

Humidity levels inside a home should range between 30 to 60 percent, depending on what season it is. In the summer, the humidity level can go as high as 60 percent; in the winter, the heat pump can bring the level down to below 30 percent. To keep your family comfortable, you will need to invest in both a humidifier and a dehumidifier to take care of the seasonal fluctuations in relative humidity. When the humidity drops below 30 percent, the humidifier can bring it up to a comfortable level, and when it hits the 50 percent mark, the dehumidifier will do the trick.

Thomas Hoffman was very responsive to our after hours inquiry, even walked us through some trouble shooting over the phone. We provided pictures of the unit and they were able to quickly buy, schedule and install the part to keep our family warm!
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Nick came by, identified the problem quickly and had it fixed. Great service!
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Zach was very professional and thorough. He was nice and did a great job!
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Great service. Responsive. Well trained technicians. Honest friendly and thorough. I highly recommend Tom Hoffmann and his team.
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Ryan Taylor with Thomas Hoffman did an outstanding job in servicing our unit & explaining everything to me, especially how our humidifier worked, since we were new home owners & had not had one before. Thank you!
Response from the owner:Thank you! We're glad to hear that Ryan and Thomas provided you with excellent service and helped you understand your new humidifier. We appreciate your feedback!
Polite and very efficient.
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Fast, friendly, professional service.
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Great service and arrived on time when promised.
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Ryan was knowledgeable and figured out why our furnace wasn’t working and repaired the problem
Response from the owner:So happy to hear you had a good experience with the team here at Thomas Hoffmann, Jo! Thank you for your support.
Service was great on time very efficient explained what he was doing changed filter disposed of old filter ! Nice young man 👍
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Wonderful work. Great communication and always a happy positive technician. Answered all of my questions with sincerity and patience.
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As always, the Hoffmann technician Zach was polite, professional, and efficient. Pricing is reasonable and even more importantly, they are dependable. I will continue to use Thomas Hoffman A/C and Heating.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Mark, for your kind words about our technician and for your continued trust in Thomas Hoffman A/C and Heating; we truly appreciate your support!
Hoffman is great! Very professional and thorough.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Brandon! We appreciate your kind words and are glad to hear about your positive experience with Hoffmann’s professionalism and thoroughness.
Giovanni was great today! Thanks for everything.
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The technician is always on time and very thorough.
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Giovanni was good…. This is reason we ask for him
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Our service technician arrived right on time and was professional, friendly, efficient and courteous. We couldn’t ask for more.
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Ryan was here on time. Thanks for getting here early, as I requested. Very friendly too. It was my annual checkup and all good!
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I'm a new customer and had my first appointment for furnace check.My tech was Zack and what a professional. He explained how he checked system and answered all my questions. This was a very good experience
Response from the owner:Thank you, Patricia, for your kind words! We're glad to hear that Zack provided you with a professional and informative experience during your furnace check. Your satisfaction means a lot to us!
Thomas Hoffman is a wonderful company to work with. Techs are knowledgeable, personable & efficient.
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I called on December 25th at midnight and started leaving a message and Thomas Hoffman the owner called me back almost immediately. He said he would come out the next morning between 8:00 and 10:00 am snd he was promptly on time. He fixed my problem and while he was there I decided to get an estimate for a new furnace and air conditioning unit. The price was very reasonable and the installers one of them being his son were both very professional very courteous, polite, arrived on time and finished the same day. I enjoy knowing that I now have the support of Thomas Hoffman heating and air conditioning along with the peace of mind that comes with owning a Trane. Nothing stops a Trane.

Albert Koesterer
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The Thomas Hoffmann team did a great job taking care of our semi annual HVAC maintenance. They not only worked with us to schedule the visit, but also did an excellent job sending us reminders on when they would be out.
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Nick was excellent. Super profession, quick, and up front with the pricing (which was fair). Hopefully we don't need to call anyone to fix our AC again, but if we do - I'm calling Nick!
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Same day service. Technician arrived as scheduled. Replaced capacitor quickly. Friendly technician. Repair cost $429 seemed high for inexpensive part and 20 minutes labor.
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Excellent.
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Thank u
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Courteous friendly and efficient! What else could you want!
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Thomas Hoffmann is the most professional and courteous of all the HVAC companies in St. Louis. It has kept my HVAC systems in good working order through the hottest and coldest days for many years.
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Quick response time and great to deal with!
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I notified two companies at the same time regarding a malfunctioning AC unit and Wow! Super fast response from Hoffmann on a weekend no less, to fix our AC unit. Hoffmann’s tech responded to my call immediately and fixed our AC before Galmiche has even responded. Used to be a Galmiche customer, but will use Thomas Hoffmann from here on out!
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Ryan did a great job with my AC reinstall. Very knowledgeable company with Tom Hoffmann providing the engineering expertise.
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These guy's are amazing same day service very well priced for the knowledge they have ask before doing anything to confirm they're my new go to
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They came very fast to fix our AC and service was very good
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My ac compressor was replaced. They always do a good job and they are always available when you need them.I think the price was a little too high since they only had to change the compressor in my unit. The compressor was under the warranty. Other than that Im very satisfied with the job the technician did.
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I was very pleased with your service. Prompt response would was most appreciated. The technician was very knowledgeable and prepared for the work. Also he was very personable and professional.
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Nick zeroed right in on the problem with a slight leak and quickly provided a solution.
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I have complete trust in Thomas Hoffman AC . I have had multiple
technicians who are always polite and knowledgeable.
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Speedy and knowledgeable service!
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Thank goodness for them coming out so quickly. Got our whole job done and we are COOL again. Thanks so much!!!
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Had an amazing experience with Thomas Hoffman. They were very professional and solved the problem quickly. I would highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Alex, for your wonderful feedback! We're glad to hear that Thomas was able to assist you so effectively. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Nick was a true expert in explaining our options for a new thermostat.
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Zac did our service today. A very professional and courteous young man.
He did a thorough inspection and cleaning on our HVAC system.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Tom, for your kind words about Zac's professionalism and thoroughness during your HVAC service; we appreciate your feedback!
I've used these guys twice now and their response time is great, they are friendly, informative, and most importantly, effective. I'm calling these folks every time my furnace sounds weird.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Greg! We're glad to hear that you've had such positive experiences with our team. Providing timely and effective service is our priority, and we're here whenever you need us. Looking forward to assisting you again!

Relative Humidity – How It Affects Your Health

Too high or too low humidity can have an adverse effect on your health, and it may be necessary to use a mechanical device to bring it up or down to a normal level. If you feel your skin is too dry or you are experiencing other skin problems such as eczema, then it is a sign you need to increase the humidity. Dry air can cause other symptoms as well, including congestion, sore throat, nosebleeds, dry sinuses, and a persistent cough. To alleviate these symptoms, invest in a humidifier.

On the other hand, if the humidity is too high, it can aggravate allergy symptoms and asthma. In the summer, when you are using your air conditioning system, you may not require a dehumidifier, but in the fall and spring, when your HVAC system is not in use, you may need a dehumidifier.

Relative Humidity – How It Affects Your Home

Dry air can have an adverse effect on natural materials such as leather and wood. You will need a humidifier to bring the humidity to the 40 percent mark to prevent the cracking of musical instruments, leather furniture, window panes, and other such things in your home.
High moisture can promote the growth of mold and mildew. The early signs of high humidity inside a home are wet stains, a musty smell, window condensation, and rotting wood. If you have noticed these problems in your home, then you need a dehumidifier.

Choosing a Dehumidifier and Humidifier

It is important to choose a humidifier that is the right size for your home. You can choose between a tower, console, or tabletop humidifier. Humidifiers are available in two types: warm mist humidifiers and cool mist humidifiers. If you want to humidify the entire house, you can invest in a whole-house humidifier that is integrated with your HVAC system. Look for features such as a digital display, adjustable humidity level, automatic shut-off, and timer.

When choosing a dehumidifier for your home, capacity should be your first criteria. You can choose between a portable and whole house dehumidifier. The various features that you can look for are adjustable humidistat, digital display, auto shut-off, built-in pump, multispeed fan, and automatic defrost.

To get the moisture levels inside your home under control, get in touch with Thomas Hoffmann Air Conditioning & Heating LLC at (314) 471-7625.

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