According to experts, it takes a high level of humidity to cause any damage to electronics like computers. Therefore, humidifiers won’t damage your electronics once you know how to use them properly.
For many people, electronics and appliances mean everything to them. In fact, there isn’t a single place that does not have at least one electronic device.
From life-support machines, phones, computers, gaming consoles, sound systems, televisions to other gadgets, electronics make lives much easier and more convenient. However, whether you are at your work or home, electronics can be delicate compared to what most of you think.
Almost all kinds of electronics are vulnerable to humidity and temperature changes, but only when in the high extreme.
If you have a humidifier, you might be enjoying its moisture-butchering effects. But, does it really damage electronics?
Humidity’s Effects on Electronics
Depending on where you are living and what air is around you, getting a humidifier in the same room as your electronic devices might be either harmful or helpful. On the contrary, a high level of humidity may damage some components in your electronic devices. But, a low level of humidity may come with its own risk factors.
How High Humidity Level Affects Electronics?
The primary concern with high humidity levels is that excess moisture may tend to find places to collect and condense. If the difference in temperature is cold enough, moisture will settle there for sure.
If there are some electronic devices and items nearby, a thin film of water could collect on the surfaces, which can result in loss of data, short circuit or physical damage. Once there are exposed metallic parts on devices and appliances, corrosion might happen.
With time, corrosion develops to rust that can result in loss of conductivity, short circuits, increased resistance, and some malfunctions on various electronics.
How Low Humidity Level Affects Electronics?
It is not just a high level of humidity that may damage your electronic devices. A low level of humidity may also have an impact on electronics. If the content of moisture in the air becomes very low, damaging static discharges are more likely to happen in numerous electronics.
This might result in electrical short circuits as well as damage to electrical components that weren’t meant to handle high loads. Dry air makes electric current susceptible to taking any unintended paths within your electronic devices.
That is the reason why having a humidifier may help in this care. Water droplets alter the path of electricity. It also offers a route with less resistance to avoid any damaging short circuits or electrical discharges.
Are Humidifiers Really Bad for Computers?
Like other kinds of electronics, computers are vulnerable to humidity and temperature extremes. Depending on what air is like in the place you’re living in, having a humidifier in your room where your computer is can be helpful or dangerous.
Computers run best in average humidity. If your home is of average humidity, having a humidifier may increase the likelihood of damages on computers.
Electrical shorts may happen on a computer when condensation forms on electrical components. Water droplets alter the electricity’s path by providing a route with less resistance than intended ones.
If the electricity takes an unintended path, it can cause damage by destroying components that aren’t meant to handle high loads. Fixes for shorted components are frequently hard. If your computer is in a dry environment, damaging static discharge is more likely. In this case, the use of humidifiers could make computer operation safer.
If humidifiers are being used, try keeping the temperature of your room constant. Having any rapid changes like switching off and on the air conditioner will surely boost the chance of condensation damage.
Make sure to give your computers an hour before you power them up if there are changes in the temperature. This will help you avoid any possible problems that may occur.
Importance of Humidification for Electronics
In places such as hospitals, offices, server rooms, and data centers, people depend on electronics to perform in an efficient manner and operate as they’re intended to.
Dust accumulation may result in different problems in electronics like overheating because of fan blockage leading to hardware failure and risk of combustion in extreme situations. It may result in system performance issues.
No matter what electronic devices you have, if they’re sitting directly on the floor, it’s only a matter of time before these are overwhelmed by the buildup of dust. A lot of desks incorporate low shelving that’s raised off of the floor to protect against dust buildup.
Therefore, if you have a desktop computer sitting on the floor, that could be another alternative to consider. Combined with appropriate humidity control, which regulates air moisture, it must be easier to keep computers clean and less prone to the buildup of dust.
The best way to protect your electronic devices from dust buildup is by enforcing consistent humidity control. Through using a humidifier, you will be able to manage interior temperature and humidity levels more efficiently. Keeping your RH or relative humidity between forty to sixty percent is essential because it reduces the amount of the time dust may spend airborne, which forces it to settle quickly.
The Bottom Line
The damage of the humidifier on electronics depends on how low or high the atmospheric water level. If the electronics are exposed to high humidity for a long period of time, the humidity will cause more damage to you and your family members than to any other electrical appliances.
That is the reason why experts recommend that you should monitor the levels of humidity in your home and make sure that they remain between forty percent and sixty percent.
It’s an optimum level needed not only to keep you healthy, but also it ensures that your electronics will run efficiently. It’ll also guarantee that there is no risk of mold buildup and some health risks because of poor air quality.
All in all, a humidifier won’t damage your electronics in any way once used properly. When it comes to making a choice, you should prioritize your comfort and health more than any home appliance or electronic device.
