The relative humidity in our homes can have a dramatic effect on the indoor comfort levels. This indoor humidity can also affect the performance of your HVAC system, and effective humidity management should be a priority for homeowners. In this article, we will explain relative humidity, show how it affects the home, and suggest some ways to manage humidity effectively.
What is Relative Humidity?
The term relative humidity is the volume of water vapor found in the air at any time. This is expressed as a percentage of the volume needed for saturation at the exact same temperature. As the temperature moves up or down the moisture capacity of the air to store and hold that water content changes. If the relative humidity is too low or too high, it can have a dramatic effect on the indoor comfort levels.
What is the Ideal Relative Humidity Level?
This is a difficult question to answer because the environmental conditions where you live will determine the humidity levels. Another key factor is the season; the humidity will change throughout the year and even from hour to hour, so there is no single setting to strictly adhere to. But, it is possible to suggest general relative humidity ranges for summer and winter, and these should be tuned to meet the needs in your home.
Summer: During the summer months, the average relative humidity should be in the 30-45% range. If the relative humidity rises above the 50% point, you will notice it’s harder to breathe comfortably, and there could be damp issues and mold growth.
Winter: In winter, the relative humidity should be set to less than 40% to maintain indoor comfort. If the humidity rises above this point, you begin to see condensation on the inside of the windows.
Again, it’s important to bear in mind that these are general relative humidity ranges, and each home can be very different. It takes time to find the ideal settings, and it will be helpful to try different relative humidity levels to find the right one to suit your needs.
What Happens if the Relative Humidity is Wrong?
If the relative indoor humidity settings are wrong for your home, it will be a far less comfortable place to live. The residents of the home may become more susceptible to respiratory disorders, allergic reactions may be triggered, and other chemical reactions can take place. The wrong humidity can also cause a great deal of damage inside and even outside your home.
One of the primary functions of your HVAC system is to remove a certain volume of excess moisture from your home. But, the AC system alone may not be able to remove all of that excess moisture, and this will affect the relative humidity levels. The ideal temperature to suit your family will depend on their preference, and if you can maintain the humidity levels recommended above, their comfort and safety will be improved.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has recommended the optimum relative humidity levels for your family. These relative humidity levels are grouped into three broad and easy to understand categories.
Comfortable: 30-60%
Recommended: 45-55%
High: 55-80%
ASHRAE has suggested that the ideal range should be 45-55% to effectively manage any allergies, illnesses, and damage to your home.
8 Common Low Humidity Problems
When the relative indoor humidity is too low, it can cause:
- Bacteria, virus, and germ growth.
- Dry and itchy skin.
- Dry and flat hair.
- Damage to electronic devices.
- Static electricity build-up.
- Increased sensitivity to colds, flu and respiratory illnesses.
- Wooden furniture and floors can crack and split.
- Paint can crack and chip.
So, if your relative humidity is too low, it’s a good idea to raise it to 45-55%, and you may need extra equipment to reach this level.
How to Raise the Indoor Humidity
The air tends to be drier in the hotter months, and the external humidity levels are lower inside and outside the home. When the weather turns colder, the interior heating is turned on, and this makes the air drier anyway. Many homeowners solve these issues with a humidification or home ventilation system. Both of these options raise the relative indoor humidity to a healthier level, but they represent a significant investment.
To test whether you would benefit from higher humidity, there are some simple tricks that you can try at home. If you leave a full bottle of water open, you can alter the indoor humidity by a few percentile points, and you may notice the difference. Even having a spray bottle filled with clean water on hand to spray the air can make the room feel more comfortable if you have high relative humidity. Obviously, these approaches are not precise, and they are not a long term solution. For that, you will need to add a humidifier to your HVAC system.
8 Humidifier Benefits
It’s easy to get bogged down in technical lingo, but essentially a humidifier raises the humidity in your home. The system is controlled by a humidistat, and this works much like the thermostat that you use to control your HVAC system. Let’s take a look at eight humidifier benefits that you can look forward to:
- Moist air works wonders on our respiratory systems, and this will reduce any snoring or breathing issues at night.
- A moistened throat is less prone to dryness and soreness.
- The sinuses are cleared, and this improves breathing.
- Many people are surprised to discover that their skin feels moist and less prone to dryness.
- Bacteria and viruses are inhibited if the humidity levels are at least 43% making you less prone to airborne contaminants and flu infections.
- The furniture will be protected against warping caused by dry air.
- Photographs, paintings, documents, and other sensitive items will be better protected against discoloration, brittleness, and flaking.
- When the air is moist, the chances of electric shocks are diminished.
High Humidity Problems
A high humidity can make the home less comfortable; it can be harder to get a good night’s sleep, insulation can become wet, condensation is major problem, and this can lead to rot and mold growth. All of these issues take a real toll on the IAQ, and it’s likely that allergy sufferers and people with existing respiratory issues will notice the difference first.
A high humidity issue can be brought under control by adding a humidifier to your HVAC system. This will supplement the moisture removal by your AC system and bring the relative humidity into a healthier range.
If you want to learn more about adding a humidifier or dehumidifier to your HVAC system, contact a local specialist for professional advice today.