What is the humidity rate in the apartment? Most people will easily answer what should be the temperature in the living room, but the question of humidity will confuse them. And only a few can name the correct numbers. Meanwhile, humidity is one of the main indicators of the microclimate level in the house.
Humidity rate in the apartment
Humidity in the room is measured by a special device - a hygrometer. They vary in design (digital, hair, wireless) and measurement range, but each of them is very simple to use. In any case, no more complicated than a conventional thermometer.
Humidity rate depends on the type of room. For example, in bakeries, in fermentation rooms, in poultry houses, in cold warehouses for storing food, it is 70-80%. In greenhouses for growing tulips, it can reach 95%, and this is considered the norm. But for rooms with computers, telephone nodes and office equipment, indicators should not exceed 50%.
The humidity rate in the apartment also depends on the type of room. On average, numbers range from 40-60%. According to sanitary regulations, in the living rooms and in the interior corridor, the optimum humidity in the cold season should be 30-45%. Permissible indicators for these types of premises are up to 60%.
In the warm season, the optimum humidity in the apartment is 30-60%. Permissible - up to 65%. However, in regions with high air humidity (above 75% on the street), permissible values are increased to 75%.
In the kitchen, toilet, bathroom, combined toilet, in the lobby, on the stairwell and in the pantry, this figure is not standardized.
Various indicators and the need to use special devices - all this may seem too complicated for an ordinary person. Therefore, to find out whether the humidity is high or low in an apartment, you can conduct an experiment with a glass. We take a glass or a stack (any glass vessel), pour water into it, cool to 3-4 ° C in the refrigerator. Then you need to put the vessel in the room and observe:
- the walls of the vessel are fogged up and then dried in 5 minutes - the humidity is lowered, the air is dry;
- after 5 minutes the walls are wet - optimal performance;
- after 5 minutes streams run along the walls of the vessel - high humidity.
This is how you can easily find out the microclimate in the room, but for the purity of the experiment, the glass must be placed away from heating appliances.
Why is excessive humidity harmful?
High humidity means foggy windows, clothes drying for several days, clothes with an unpleasant moldy smell, fungi and mold. Only these factors make the house unsuitable for living. And it’s worth adding that such a microclimate does not very well affect human health: spores of fungi
ingestion of food can cause poisoning and allergies, heat exchange processes are disrupted, the risk of infection increases. A person living in a house with high humidity is sick more often and longer.
How low humidity affects the human body
Low humidity also causes a number of problems. The intensity of evaporation increases from everything that contains water: from human skin, from plants. The latter dry, and the skin loses its elasticity and age. The nasal mucosa dries up, which means there is a risk of a runny nose and acute respiratory infections. Respiratory organs suffer, especially among asthmatics and allergy sufferers.
The humidity rate in an apartment is not an abstract concept. These are real numbers that allow you to understand how safe the indoor climate is. And if the air humidity is greatly reduced or increased, it is necessary to ensure that it corresponds to normal values.
Ways to reduce humidity
There are two main methods of air drainage.
- Find and eliminate the cause of high humidity. This can be a temporary increase in performance due to cooking, taking a shower or drying things, lack of sunlight, lack of normal ventilation, sealed PVC windows, etc. For each reason, you can choose a way to eliminate it: make good ventilation, air the rooms more often build up batteries, etc.
- Forced drainage with special dehumidifiers, moisture-absorbing chemicals and climate control systems.
Ideally, you need to use only the first method, but if it is impossible to do this or involves serious financial costs, then you can use the second.
Methods for increasing humidity
Most often, dry air in the room is formed in the winter, when heating appliances are intensively operated, and the rooms are rarely ventilated criminally. However, this problem can be eliminated. The humidity rate in an apartment with dry air is achieved through the following measures:
- The presence in the room of an aquarium or a decorative fountain.
- The presence of a large number of plants.
- Installation of a household humidifier.
- Reducing the frequency of use of any household appliances, especially heating.
- Frequent airing.
Optimum humidity in the apartment is the key to the safety of your health and ensuring the desired level of comfort in the house. But you should not save on health. Therefore, try to maintain normal moisture levels, even if by forced means.