What Should Indoor Humidity Be?

Keeping the right environment in your home is very essential.

So, what should indoor humidity be? Generally, indoor humidity level that is between 30% and 50% is good but you also have to take in consideration the season.

If not, today is the time to learn what level of humidity is ideal for you. You must also know the effects of levels of humidity that are very low or high.

The reason behind it is that high indoor humidity can affect your energy costs, home, and health.

If your home is seventy degrees inside and outside temperature is under 20 to 40 degrees, you must keep humidity under forty percent.

For every ten-degree reduction in outside temperature below twenty degrees, the maximum level of humidity inside must reduce by five percent.

High Indoor Humidity is Equivalent to More Heat

As many people know, the high content of moisture translates to a high level of humidity. If the air is more humid, it can also hold more heat.

By controlling your humidity in your home, you’ll have more control over the cooling and heating of your house and the ability to make such processes more efficient.

Ways to Determine Humidity Levels

The optimum level of humidity in your house depends on your clothing, personal preferences, and physical activity. Experts suggest a range of 45 percent to 55 percent humidity to manage the illnesses and health effects.

The comfortable range of humidity level is 30% to 60%. The recommended range is 45% to 55%. The high range of humidity is 55% to 80%.

Wha You Do If the Levels of Humidity Are Very Low?

During winter, the levels of humidity drop since cold air holds less moisture compared to warm air.

Homes that use forced air heating have exacerbated problems since furnaces utilize combustion to make hot air, therefore burning out water vapor that existed in the first place.

To make some matters worse, if the levels of humidity dip, ambient air feels cooler compared to a more humid environment and you can turn up the heat to compensate.

A low level of humidity causes static dry hair and skin, static electricity, increased susceptibility to respiratory illness and colds and may let germs and viruses thrive.

Furniture, wood floors, and millwork would crack and split, the paint would chip and electronics might be damaged due to low levels of humidity. Adding humidifiers to your house will remedy such problems.

There are some standard kinds of humidifiers that you can choose from:

1. Portable Humidifiers

These are the most common kind of humidifier. There are two kinds of portable humidifiers. These are warm and cool mist.

Both of these use a reservoir for holding water.

Cool mist uses a wick to absorb water and the fan blows the air through the moistened filter as air passes through the filter, this evaporates water in the room.

Warm mist humidifiers utilize a heating element, which heats the water before dispersing that in the air. The benefits of portable systems are many.

They are easy to uses, a wide variety of prices and styles are available, and can be moved as required.

But, the same with an evaporative method, measure, and control of humidity is limited. The reservoir should be refilled about every day.

2. Whole House Humidifier

The most and best controllable humidity system, a whole-house humidifier to your furnace is having vapor distributed directly in the heated air as well as circulated throughout the home your typical duct system.

A whole-house system is considered as the most expensive option and needs space and a cold water connection for the humidifier unit.

With whole-house humidifier, you can control the level of humidity with the device referred to as humidistat.

3. Natural Evaporation

Leaving wet clothes and towels out to dry are some ways to introduce moisture in the air. It’s a low power method and low-tech, yet the humidity and strength are limited.

The available moisture is also dependent on the vessel’s size used and should be refilled frequently.

What You Do If the Level of Humidity is Too High?

It’s possible for homes to have too much level of humidity that will make their own set of issues.

If the levels of humidity are high, you could start noticing condensation around your house, particularly at your windows during winter.

It is the time when moist and warm air comes in contact with the cold air on your window’s other side, temperature drops, and air may no longer hold the water vapor, which can result in condensation.

If the home doesn’t have proper natural and mechanical ventilation, excess water vapor from the air may travel through the ceilings and walls, which can peel paint, wet insulation as well as mold on the walls and rot in your woodwork.

These steps will help you lower the humidity level in your house:

• Use an energy recovery ventilator in a tightly constructed home.
• Lessen the amount of water that’s introduced in your home through cooking with a covered pot. You can also reduce the number of plants in your home, take cooler and shorter showers, and vent clothes dryer directly outside.
• You can use exhaust fans while bathing and cooking or open windows if there are drier and fresher air outside.
• Use dehumidifiers during summer especially in basements.
• If you own a humidifier, you can turn your unit off.

Home Humidity Level – Why It Matters?

Why it’s essential to control the humidity level in your home? Well, not only does good control make your cooling and heating processes more efficient, which saves money, yet inadequate control may damage your house, your health, and your belongings.

When humidity is very high, it can give an attractive environment for mildew, mold, rot, and bacteria in your house.

On the contrary, the heating process and winter weather in your house may result in dry air with low humidity.

The dry air can be uncomfortable, which can dry out one’s skin and cause wooden floors, frameworks, and other belongings to crack and dry out.