Learning a little more about moisture levels in the air helped us with our humidifier journey. We thought we’d share with you to help you have the best environment in your home or workplace.
Did you know around 45 to 75% of our body is water? therefore it’s reasonable to conclude that we could be affected by water in the air!
Indoor humidity levels should be between 30% and 50% (optimal)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Table of Contents
Comfort Levels/Zones
Dry/Low – lower than 30% humidity
Comfort – between 30% to 60% humidity
Wet/High – above 60%
During different seasons the comfort level may vary. In summer months around 40-50% and in winter from 30-40%.
When humidity levels are low – a humidifier helps to put moisture back into the air.
When humidity levels are high – to remove too much moisture in the air a dehumidifier or increased ventilation may help.
We recommend checking the moisture level in your home or workplace with a hygrometer to give you a baseline for determining the right action to take.
Effects of humid air
What is the importance of humidity?
CCOHS Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
The body attempts to maintain a constant internal temperature of 37°C at all times. In hot weather, the body produces sweat, which cools the body as it evaporates. As the humidity or the moisture content in the air increases, sweat does not evaporate as readily. Sweat evaporation stops entirely when the relative humidity reaches about 90 percent. Under these circumstances, the body temperature rises and may cause illness.
Below is a table to help you see some other effects outside of the optimal comfort zone.
The red triangles show how likely it is to find each allergen at a particular relative humidity level.
For example, house dust mite needs moisture and warmth to survive. Humidity below 45% discourages them.
Aprilaire humidity chart
How to measure the amount of moisture in the air of your home
A humidity meter (hygrometer) is a small inexpensive electronic device.
We recommend that you use one to check the humidity in your home at different times of the day to determine which humidity zone/s you have. This will assist you to determine the areas in your home to humidify.
Low Humidity – less than 30%
- Bacteria and viruses are more prevalent
- Dry nose, sore throat
- Chapped lips, dry skin
- Allergy and asthma symptoms can worsen
- Dust blows around more easily
- Infections spread more rapidly
- Wooden items become dry and can shrink. As a result, some wooden products, including flooring and furniture, could be damaged.
- Excess static electricity, electrical equipment, and computers (sparking when getting out of your car or touching someone else)
- Increased ozone can reduce lung function
Comfort – between 30% to 60% humidity
- Fewer extremes of humidity are comfortable for humans
High humidity – more than 60%
- Increased allergens
- Low energy and lethargy
- It becomes difficult for your body to regulate its temperature with high humidity and heat
- Potential heat exhaustion
- Excess sweating
- Frizzy hair
- Bacteria and viruses thrive
- Allergy symptoms worsen
- Mold – white or grey patches on surfaces (uncontrolled it can destroy the things it lives on)
- mildew – black or dark green (penetrates building materials)
- Dust mites
- Harmful chemical contaminants in air (VOCs) from carpets, paint, and wood products could become more concentrated. Increasing allergens in your home.
- Flaky paint or peeling wallpaper
- Wood may buckle or crack, including wooden floors, window frames, and furniture. Wooden musical instruments such as guitars, pianos, harps, and violins can also be affected.
- Increased moisture in plaster or studs, swelling could occur; then subsequent contraction causes cracking.
- Rot
- More insects
What is Humidity?
The amount of water vapor present in the air at a particular time. Water vapor is water in a gas state and is usually invisible.
Humidity is one of the main factors of weather and climate and is the most variable. As a result, the hygrometer readings are constantly changing.
As summarized in Wikipedia, there are three main ways to measure moisture in the air:
Absolute
Mass of water vapor per volume of moist air (grams per cubic meter). Water vapor mass per mass of dry air (grams/kilogram).
Relative
Displayed as a percentage. (used for hygrometer readings)
The maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold; is in its current state.
Specific
The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the total mass of parcels of moist air.
How does temperature affect humidity?
Warm air holds more moisture than cool air.
Cool Weather
As the temperature drops, there is less water vapor in the air. In dry weather, the body cools down faster. You can feel colder than the actual temperature.
Warm Weather
When the weather is hot, moisture can make the air feel warmer.
When our body tries to sweat, evaporation is not efficient due to the high humidity. The result is a hot sticky sensation!
Dry Climates
Humidity is lower in dry climates, so the sun is more direct. The result is high temperatures when the sun shines and very cold after sunset.
Some places with low moisture in the air
Cities can be more humid as concrete doesn’t allow much evaporation.
Wikipedia has an external link to an interesting map of global relative humidity.
The areas with a high amount of moisture in the air have presences of water, so it makes sense that areas with lower humidity in the air would be drier with less water around.
U.S. states with lower air moisture:
Least humid states in the USA (from World Population Review) – lowest average relative humidity first)
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Utah
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- Montana
- California
- Idaho
- Oklahoma
Cities with low average air moisture
- Las Vegas, NV
- Phoenix, AZ
- Denver, CO
- Salt Lake City, UT
- New York, New York
- Washington, DC
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Dallas, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Hartford, CT
Least humid cities in Europe
- Madrid, Spain
- Athens, Greece
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Rome, Italy
- Oslo, Norway
- Vienna, Austria
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Milan, Italy
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Prague, Czech Republic
Least Humid areas in Canada
- Aulavik National Park
- Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley
- Alberta
- Edmonton
Least humid areas in Australia
- Adelaide
- Western Australia
Summary
As with most things, moderation seems to be the answer.
Anticipate the variances; try to be within the optimum zone range to keep you, your family, property, and possessions as comfortable as possible.
Please note – that this is basic information as we think it relates to humidifiers. If you are interested in moisture science, there is a lot of information available, so feel free to investigate further to support your humidifier purchase decision.
