Do I need a humidifier in the apartment? Good Pros and Cons

There is no dust in the air saturated with moisture. It is bound by microscopic drops of water and settles on the surface of the earth. Water mist acts as a moisturizing mask on the skin of the face and body, eliminates dryness and peeling. Wet and clean air has a positive effect on the bronchi and helps to clean them.

Ideal for living and working, the microclimate will help create a device that enriches the air with microscopic drops of water. It will bring the atmosphere of the required SES parameters. The purpose of this article: to answer the question - is an air humidifier needed in the apartment, consider all the pros and cons.

The trading network offers many devices for humidifying the air in a house or apartment. They may have a different principle of action, but one purpose. They are required to bring the level of humidity in the house to the optimal levels established by scientific research.

Absolute and relative humidity

First of all, we need to recall some definitions from the school physics course. Humidity is a physical quantity that determines the content of water in the air.

To assess atmospheric humidity, two main indicators are used. The amount of water vapor in one cubic meter of air is called the absolute humidity or density of water vapor in the air.

After walking in the drizzling rain, you involuntarily think about whether it is possible to artificially create the same useful air environment in your apartment

This parameter still does not determine how humid or dry the air is. It must be compared with the maximum possible air humidity at a given temperature.The result of this comparison will show how far the air is from full saturation with water vapor, or, conversely, how close it is to maximum humidity.

If the air is far from saturated, it is considered dry and humidity is low. If the air is close to full saturation with water, it is considered humid, and humidity is high

Relative humidity tells you what proportion of the density of water vapor at a given temperature is from the maximum density of saturated water vapor and is expressed as a percentage.

Humidity standards in residential premises

GOST 30494-2011 prescribes to maintain optimal microclimate indicators in residential premises. The GOST tables show the optimal and permissible norms of relative humidity for residential premises, kindergartens and public buildings.

From table 1 it can be seen that in the cold season in comfortable rooms comfortable humidity is in the range from 30 to 45%, permissible not more than 60% at an air temperature of 20-22^about C. For the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, these values ​​are not standardized. In the warm season, the norm of optimum humidity is 30-60%, permissible not more than 65%.

In winter, air in rooms with central heating is comparable to the desert atmosphere. The optimum moisture zone in the diagram is free of bacteria, viruses, dust mites, mold

Relative humidity is measured in the central part of the room at a height of 1.1 meters from the floor surface.

Decision on choosing and buying a humidifier it is worth taking after measuring the relative humidity in the apartment and comparing the obtained values ​​with standard indicators.

Humidity measuring instruments

To measure the relative moisture content in the air of a living room, various devices are used, which are commonly referred to as hygrometers.

The hair hygrometer is a classic instrument and does not differ in high accuracy of readings. The active part of the apparatus is human hair, which changes its length depending on the amount of moisture in the environment.

In a film hygrometer, hair is replaced with an organic film. The principle of operation is the same as in the previous version.

A condensation hygrometer measures the dew point — the temperature at which air is saturated with water vapor and forms condensate.

Using this value, the density of saturated water vapor is found from special tables. In other words, the amount of water per unit volume of the maximum air saturated with water. It should be noted that the warmer the air mass, the more water it can contain, and the colder the air, the less moisture it can contain.

An electronic weather station provides accurate data on air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity at the current time, not only in the apartment, but also outside the window

A psychrometer is a more accurate and convenient instrument for determining relative humidity. It consists of two thermometers installed on a common scale of indicators. One thermometer in contact with a wet cloth is cooled by evaporation of water.

His testimony is declining. The device on the front panel has a psychrometric table. With its help, you can determine the relative humidity according to the readings of a dry device and the difference between the values ​​of dry and wet thermometers.

The closer the readings of the two thermometers to each other, the higher the humidity. With a large difference in readings, ambient humidity is low.

Arguments of the need for a humidifier

In the fall, when the air temperature drops below 8 degrees in houses, heating with centralized heat supply is turned on. Heat suppliers are not interested in adjusting the temperature of the coolant in accordance with the outdoor temperature.

Often, throughout the fall and winter, heat is supplied to the maximum.As a result, the air in the apartments becomes completely dry, relative humidity decreases to 10 -15% percent. Ask a question why in the apartment is needed humidifier during this period, it becomes completely redundant. The facts are in favor of its acquisition and installation.

Dry throat and skin

Periodic ventilation through window openings is not enough to maintain standard humidity. After waking up in the morning, this is especially noticeable. The mucous membranes of the larynx, which are responsible for supplying moistened air to the lungs, work for wear and require constant replenishment of moisture.

The throat after a night's sleep often dries up so that you need to drink a decent amount of water to bring the mucous membrane to normal

The same can be said about human skin tissues. Dry air draws moisture from the skin, it becomes dry, wrinkled, begins to peel off and exfoliate.

Dry skin is evidence of a lack of moisture in the epidermis, metabolic disturbances in the body. A sufficient amount of moisture restores one of the main functions of the skin - protection against the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms

Summer heat, dust, air conditioning

A decrease in air humidity in apartments is observed not only in autumn and winter, but also in summer. Air conditioners drive air back and forth, while taking away a certain percentage of moisture from it.

In recent years, global warming has been observed. Often in the summer for a long time there is a debilitating heat, accompanied by low levels of humidity.

Particles of moisture in the air moisten the dust, it settles down. Residents of the apartment as a result breathe clean air. Dust particles in dry air are in a state of free floating, which is clearly visible when exposed to sunlight. Inhaling such a mixture does not contribute to well-being and health.

Household dust may contain dust mites. The products of their vital activity cause allergies in people, are the cause of asthma

Many apartments are decorated with indoor plants and flowers, which in nature live only in tropical, humid and warm climates. In indoor conditions, they require constant irrigation, but even it cannot create the necessary constant humidity.

Eventually, ornamental plants die. A caring and thrifty owner must take care of creating for his pets an optimal environment for normal life.

Furniture and wooden structures

Not only living organisms, but also inanimate objects in homes and apartments require life-giving moisture. Window racks in rainy weather absorb moisture and swell, and the dry environment dries them, moreover, unevenly. Windows cease to normally close and open, require repair and fitting. The same goes for door panels made of wood.

Expensive parquet is designed for operation in certain climatic conditions to maintain its beauty and integrity. With a lack of moisture, the parquet boards will dry out, the parquet will begin to lag behind the base and creak. Wooden furniture, flooring made of linoleum also negatively react to a decrease in standard air humidity.

Comfortable humidity is vital for a person to maintain his working capacity, well-being and health, good sleep and rest.

Humidifier for children

Doctors recommend that children maintain a humidity level of 50-60%, all systems of the child's body will work in normal mode, providing stable immunity.

Dry air can provoke a lack of water in a child, the body will work in difficult conditions. The child will begin to feel bad, the defenses will weaken, and the diseases will not take long.

The humidifier free from dust not only hard surfaces of furniture, but also soft fabrics of curtains, bedspreads, carpets, bedding

With excess moisture and heat, the baby will have difficulty breathing. The optimum temperature in the children's room is 24 degrees Celsius. Creating optimal wet conditions for children with humidifier, you should not forget about the regular ventilation and cleaning of the premises in which children are located.

Main characteristics of humidifiers

Humidifiers will help maintain the necessary humidity level in the apartment. Their design depends on the method of creating water vapor.

All devices are divided into two classes:

• forced-vapor ultrasonic and steam humidifiers;
• traditional (cold) and air purification with natural evaporation.

Let's work together to find out which of the options will be the most suitable for you personally.

Ultrasonic devices - sales leaders

Particular gratitude from customers deserved ultrasonic humidifiers. They use the inverse effect of piezoceramics: the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy. These devices can be distinguished by a characteristic foggy cloud blown by built-in fans.

Ultrasonic humidifiers are equipped with water purification filters, hygrometers for measuring moisture, hygrostats for controlling vaporization. An individual steam generator is required for each room.

The efficiency of such devices is 7-12 liters / day with a power of 40-50 watts. Ultrasonic humidifiers consume far less electrical energy than steam devices.

An ultrasonic frequency voltage is applied to a piezoceramic plate immersed in water. It is converted into mechanical vibration of the plate. Alternating zones of high and low pressure appear in the water. In areas of low pressure, water boils at room temperature and begins to throw out a finely divided water mixture

Devices have water level indicators. At a critical volume of liquid, they signal light or sound signals. If there is no water in the tank, the device automatically turns off.

 Pluses of ultrasonic humidifiers:

1. The main advantage of devices of this group is the affordable price in the range from 3 to 20 thousand rubles. Among the inexpensive models, there are a lot of those that, by their characteristics, are not much different from expensive devices.
2. Only in this segment there is a huge selection of moisturizers for every taste.
3. Devices are small in size. Dimensions depend on the capacity of the water tank.
4. Ultrasonic humidifiers are safe, have a built-in hygrostat, which sets and maintains the desired humidity level.
5. In devices with a built-in filter, finely dispersed water dust purified from foreign impurities is supplied to the air.
6. The installations are very quiet.

Cons of ultrasonic devices:

The main disadvantage is the need to fill purified water from impurities. If the humidifier is filled with ordinary tap water, then together with the steam in the air will be all salts contained in tap water. They will ensure the appearance of white plaque on household items.

To combat whitish deposits, only purified water is poured into the device or filters are used to reduce water hardness. The period of operation of the cleaning cartridge depends on the degree of contamination and water hardness.

The disadvantages of the ultrasonic device are compensated by high performance, long life, the creation of comfortable living conditions.

Steam humidifiers

Evaporation of water in a steam humidifier occurs due to boiling water. The liquid is heated by electric current passing through water between two electrodes. Steam rises from the water boiling in the evaporation chamber and exits through the outlet.

To control the humidification process, steam humidifiers are equipped with sensors (hygrostats) that turn off the device when the desired humidity level is reached

The power of steam devices is significantly higher than that of cold ones, ranging from 350 to 600 watts. Throughput in the range of 6 - 15 liters / day. Due to the high intensity of vaporization, the humidity level can easily go beyond the comfort indicators.

Benefits of Steam Gadgets

The main advantage is sterile steam leaving the device. All infectious elements die at the boiling point of water.

Steam entering the air has a temperature of about 55^aboutC, tends to be evenly distributed in a space with a lower temperature. In terms of speed of coverage of the entire room, it is ahead of other models.

A steam humidifier can be used as an inhaler. It is enough to place the device next to you and breathe already slightly cooled moist air, which has a healing effect on diseased bronchi. To enhance the healing effect, couples with the addition of therapeutic drugs will help

Devices do not take up much space, it is better to place them away from materials that can damage hot steam.

Disadvantages of steam devices and their elimination

Negative qualities:

• hot steam, which can burn during careless handling, the device must be installed in places inaccessible to small children;
• there is no variety in models;
• more expensive than ultrasound devices;
• when filled with hard water, heating scale deposits on heating parts, which must be removed from time to time.

You can solve the problem of scaling using distilled or purified water, installing anti-lime discs.

Traditional (cold) humidifiers

In cold appliances, a fan drives air through a humidifying cartridge. At the same time, air temperature decreases due to heat loss to water and its humidity increases.

With natural evaporation of water, air humidity will increase only to a certain limit set by the existing temperature. Replaceable filters are designed for 2-3 months of operation.

It is possible to increase the humidification index in cold installations by placing them near heat sources. The efficiency of such humidifiers depends on the humidity level of the air entering the device. The higher the humidity, the less water will evaporate from the cartridge. There is a natural adjustment of the amount of moisture in the air in the room and maintaining it at a constant comfortable level.

The advantage of this device is a natural way of evaporation.

Disadvantages of a traditional humidifier:

• low productivity, in its effectiveness approaches the folk methods of increasing humidity;
• short life of the humidifying filter, it is quickly clogged with lime impurities, it is quite expensive;
• small selection, lack of variety of models.

The productivity of this type of humidifier is from 3 to 8 dm³ water in 24 hours. The declared power of 10 - 50 watts. Humidification can be accompanied by ionization and purification.

Air washers - multifunctional devices

A modification of the classic humidifier is air washing. She does not have a replaceable cartridge. As a filter element, water is used, into which rotating multi-disc drums are half immersed. The built-in fan drives the air over the disks and evaporates water from them, thereby humidifying the air in the room.

Philips NanoProtect Airwash with innovative NanoCloud technology works on the basis of cold evaporation. Dry air is purified, saturated with water molecules and fed into the room, evenly distributed throughout the volume without the formation of steam. It guarantees the absence of pathogenic microorganisms in the air and the salt component

Positive points humidifier cleaners:

• lack of replaceable parts;
• use of water of any quality;
• water impurities remain on the parts of the device and do not enter the indoor air;
• air purification from dust and dirt when passing through water;
• natural variant of water evaporation, autonomy of the system;
• simplicity of the device, reliability of the design.

Negative sides: high cost, much more expensive than other humidifiers. The price is due to the complex design of the device. The sink differs in volumetric dimensions, the performance depends on the size of the moisturizing disc drums.

The washing service consists in monitoring the water level and cleaning the tray and discs at least once a month

When buying a humidifier, you need to assess the degree of noise when the device is on. For different devices, it ranges from 5 to 70 dB. The remote control function or the presence of a timer that sets the operating time of the device will not interfere.

The purpose of the humidifier in the apartment

Summarizing the above, we can answer the question: why at home you need an air humidifier.

A good appliance should:

• create and maintain the most favorable humidity;
• improve the well-being and vitality of people;
• provide moisture to the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, thereby protecting the body from the penetration of infections and harmful impurities;
• help the skin stay supple and soft;
• to contribute to a good rest, to ensure even, free breathing at night;
• get rid of unpleasant sensations of people reacting to the presence of house dust in the air;
• help in creating a microclimate for the full growth and flowering of indoor plants;
• clean the air from dust and harmful impurities;
• eliminate unpleasant odors;

It is also desirable that the device could exclude conditions for the appearance of pathogenic factors and take care of comfortable air for pets.

General disadvantages and individual disadvantages

For objective conclusions regarding the importance and necessity of humidifiers, the following is a list of their general and particular shortcomings:

• the presence of a hazard element, like any electric device, especially for young children;
• steam humidifiers are dangerous due to the release of hot steam, should not be purchased for families with small children;
• require regular maintenance, cleaning and washing containers;
• the work efficiency is designed for a completely enclosed space, if moistening is combined with ventilation, humidity accumulates more slowly than indicated in the instructions;
• the accumulated result is quickly lost if you open the door or window;
• hot steam heats the air in the room, a specific smell may appear;
• when working at full power, rather noisy devices in sleep mode are not effective enough;
• many models require replaceable cartridges and filters; they are not quite cheap;
• the need to additionally purchase measuring instruments to control humidity standards;
• the need to buy distilled water or purify tap water.

Excess moisture is just as harmful as dry air. The apartment may smell damp, start a mold.

A humidifier is such a device that you should not save on. It is better to invest a large sum once and provide yourself with comfort for many years, than to save and buy a new device in a couple of years.

Climate control manufacturers produce multidisciplinary devices that combine the functions of humidification, purification, ionization, aromatization

Arguments for and against the installation of moisture generators

Opponents of humidifiers often say that when they work it becomes stuffy. Indeed, if the apartment is hot, and even humidity is added, the effect of the tropics comes. Wet heat is tolerated much worse than dry. You can avoid stuffiness when reaching the standard humidity by maintaining the temperature in the house within 20-23 degrees and ventilating the room.

Another argument against the humidifier: humidity is an ideal condition for the reproduction of bacteria and germs, especially at elevated temperatures. In the absence of humidity sensors and indicators in the devices, the corresponding indicators must be constantly monitored. For control, you need to have a hygrometer and, when the desired result is achieved, turn off the humidifier.

The high temperature (more than 23 degrees) in the room can be reduced by closing the heaters with protective screens, ventilating the room.

It is not recommended that when the device is running, ventilate simultaneously with the open door and window. It is better to do this with a window leaf. Having freshened the air, close the window and continue to humidify the air

Lack of control over the operation of moisturizing gadgets can lead to negative consequences:

• creating a "tropical climate";
• reproduction of pathogenic microbes;
• the appearance of mold colonies;
• damage to furniture and other items made from natural and artificial materials;
• indoor plant diseases;
• poor health of the inhabitants of the apartment.

Do not turn on the humidifier for a whole day without a break. Before starting work, open the window for 20 minutes for fresh air to enter the room.

Check relative humidity before switching on. To control a comfortable room temperature of 20 - 23 degrees with a humidity of 50 - 60%.

Growing plants on the windowsill, you can not only get a crop, but also increase the humidity in the room. This requires regular watering and irrigation of greenery

In the absence of a humidifier, the dry air in the room can be moistened with alternative methods: spray water from a container with a fine atomizer. Regularly ventilate the room, place wet towels on heating radiators, decorate the room with an aquarium or a decorative fountain.

These methods are attractive because they are free. But their productivity is very low.

On rainy, foggy, cloudy days, with wet snow, the humidifier can rest, the required humidity is easily obtained by ventilating the room.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video substantiates the need to install humidifiers. An overview of all types of installations, including automated systems, is given. The advantages and disadvantages of moisturizing devices of different models and modifications are noted:

The use of humidifiers is obvious and indisputable, but their work is possible subject to certain rules, compulsory study and the exact implementation of the instructions for the device. With poor health, the presence of diseases such as asthma, allergies, the presence of small children in the apartment, buying a humidifier is not just a whim or a whim, but a vital necessity.

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