What is the optimal humidity in a residential area?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:42

Human he alth and well-being depend on many environmental factors. It is especially important what is the atmosphere in the room where people are most of the time. Many people think that the main thing is to maintain the temperature regime in the apartment. But to ensure a comfortable stay, the level of humidity is also very important. If it is higher or lower than normal, this greatly affects the well-being of people, the condition of indoor plants and the safety of interior items. Therefore, it is very important to maintain optimal humidity in the room. Since this indicator depends on the season and on many other conditions, sometimes it is necessary to artificially humidify or dehumidify the air.

What is air humidity

This indicator takes into account the content of moisture vapor in the air of the dwelling. They are constantly present there, as the liquid comes from the street, evaporates from the surface of the skin of people, from the leaves of plants. A lot of moisture enters the air during cooking or washing. In winter, the windows in the room are closed, and the heatersgreatly dry the air. Therefore, the humidity in the rooms is usually lower at this time.

The level of water vapor in the room depends on the he alth and well-being of people. In addition, changes in humidity adversely affect the condition of household appliances, furniture, indoor plants.

What does it depend on

Indoor humidity depends on the time of year, for example, it is usually higher in summer. But in the heat, it can drop, so weather conditions also greatly affect this indicator. The air conditioner also dries out the air, especially if you do not open the windows. In winter, indoor humidity decreases due to the lack of air exchange with the street, as well as under the influence of heating devices.

High humidity can occur in heavy rainy weather, especially if the temperature is low. This often happens in the kitchen or bathroom, where the hood does not work well. Leaking faucets, frequent water activities, or a long-boiling kettle will also increase moisture levels. Because of this, mold and an unpleasant smell appear in the room.

How to determine air humidity

There are special devices for measuring air humidity - hygrometers. But in an ordinary apartment they usually use simple folk methods. The most common is to measure humidity with a glass of water. You need to fill a glass of cold water and put it in the refrigerator to cool it to a temperature of 3-5 °. After that, you need to put the glass in the room, but away from the heating appliances, and watch it inwithin 5 minutes. The surface of the glass will fog up, but what happens to it next indicates the state of humidity in the room:

• if after 5 minutes the walls of the glass are already dry, then the humidity is very low;
• if nothing has changed in 5 minutes, then the room has optimal humidity;
• when the humidity is too high, rivulets of water form on the surface of the glass after 5 minutes.

You can also put a fir cone in the room. It must be kept away from radiators. If the air in the room is dry, the scales of the cone will open, if the humidity is high, they will close. Many also know that static electricity is felt when the air is low in humidity. Things and hair are highly electrified.

A more complicated way is the Assman table. To use it, you need to measure the temperature in the room with an ordinary thermometer, and then wrap its tip, where mercury is located, with a wet cloth. After 10 minutes, you need to fix the temperature and compare both indicators. At the intersection of the columns with these values in the Assman table will be the humidity level in the room.

What is the optimal air humidity should be

Norms of water vapor content in the premises depend on the time of year and on the purpose of the room. Not always in the apartment is the atmosphere that is needed for he alth. But you need to strive to maintain optimal humidity, especially if small children or the elderly live in the house. These norms were introduced by SanPiN and GOSTafter numerous studies. With optimal air humidity, people can stay indoors for a long time without experiencing discomfort, it is also favorable for interior items and indoor plants. Typically, in residential premises, the norms are 40-65% moisture. There are also acceptable standards, they can only be maintained for a while, it is uncomfortable and even harmful to stay in such humidity for a long time.

In summer, the optimum humidity for humans is between 30 and 60%. But sometimes in rainy weather it can be more. A level of up to 70% is considered the norm, if it is higher, this already negatively affects the well-being of a person. In winter, the humidity drops, usually it is 30-45%. But the norm at which to be comfortable is the level of 40-65%. Some fluctuations are permissible in different living quarters. But in order to preserve the he alth and well-being of a person, one must strive for optimal standards.

Optimal humidity in different areas of the house

Doctors recommend maintaining the level of moisture in the house at the normal level. But it can vary depending on the purpose of the room. In this case, the lower limits of the norm can be 30%, and the upper - 70%. Exceeding these values can adversely affect the well-being of people. In addition, the optimal humidity in a living space depends on the purpose for which it is used.

• It is especially important to maintain a comfortable level of humidity in the bedroom. The optimum humidity in this room should bebe from 40 to 55%. To maintain this level, it is recommended to ventilate the room frequently and keep appliances to a minimum.
• It is important for parents to know what humidity is optimal for a child's room. After all, children are more susceptible to infections, they overheat and freeze faster. With a lack of moisture in the air, the development of skin and allergic diseases is possible. Therefore, in the children's room, you need to maintain humidity at the level of 50-60%.
• The largest room in an apartment is usually filled with appliances, books and houseplants. Therefore, the humidity level should be optimal for everyone. 40 to 50% is recommended. More humid air can adversely affect the condition of the equipment.
• In the kitchen and bathroom, the humidity is usually high, as it evaporates strongly during cooking and water procedures. But you still need to try to maintain a level of 40-50%, otherwise mold may form. To do this, you need to use a good hood and ventilate the premises more often.

What is the danger of dry air

The human body is 80% water, so the humidity of the air greatly affects his well-being. The smaller it is, the more moisture evaporates from the surface of the skin, the body cools. Dry air also increases the risk of colds and viral diseases. Overdried mucous membranes are prone to disease, as their defenses are reduced. Especially often this is reflected in the eyes. They blush, itch, tear. That is why it is so important to supportoptimal air humidity in a room where a person spends a lot of time.

Strongly dry air also worsens the condition of the skin, its defenses also decrease. Therefore, the risk of skin diseases and allergic reactions increases. Hair and nails become brittle and dry. In addition, there is a lot of dust in dry air, which can enter the respiratory tract, causing broncho-pulmonary diseases or allergies. Dust mites and other microbes breed in dust.

How to increase humidity

Being in dry air is not only uncomfortable, but also harmful. Therefore, the humidity must be increased. There are several ways to do this.

• You can buy a humidifier. There are mechanical, steam and ultrasonic models. What they have in common is that under the influence of various factors, water poured into a special container evaporates. Humidifiers can also clean the air of dust and disinfect it.
• If you don't have a humidifier, you can increase the moisture level in the room in winter by placing water containers near heaters.
• You can also put wet towels on batteries. Under the action of heat, they will dry out, and the liquid, evaporating, will increase the humidity in the room.
• At other times of the year, indoor plants will help increase humidity. regular watering and spraying them contribute to the evaporation of moisture. It also stands out from the surface of the leaves.
• You can also purchase a decorative water fountain or a fish tank.

Danger of high humidity

But exceeding the norms of optimal humidity in a room is also harmful for people living in it. The amount of moisture in the air affects the body's heat transfer. High humidity at high air temperature can lead to overheating of the body. High humidity is especially difficult to tolerate during physical work or in old age. High levels of indoor humidity increase the risk of bacterial, fungal and mold growth.

Because of this, an unpleasant smell appears in the room, things are constantly wet. Appliances, books, wallpaper and furniture can deteriorate. This condition has a negative impact on human he alth. In stuffy air, fatigue develops faster, a person sleeps worse, he may often have a headache. Respiratory infections and other respiratory diseases occur more often and are more severe.

How to lower humidity

Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to lower the high humidity in the room. For this, too, there are special devices. They let air through. One type of such devices absorbs moisture from it, condensing it. The other has adsorption properties. Such devices are mainly used in the cold season in unheated rooms. In ordinary apartments, it is better to use air conditioning, which dries the air, cools and purifies it, or heating radiators.

In addition, to reduce the humidity in the room, you need to try to ventilate it more often, and also keep the curtains open all the time so as not to block access to the sunrays. And in rooms with a high level of moisture, for example, in a bathroom or kitchen, it is necessary to use an extractor fan, preferably with ventilation.