Norm of air humidity in the apartment: measurement methods + tips for normalization

The health of its inhabitants largely depends on how much water vapor is contained in the air of a home. For well-being, it is important that the humidity level in the apartment meets standard standards. However, if enough attention is paid to the temperature regime, then they often forget about the saturation of the atmosphere with moisture, right?

We offer to understand what is the norm of air humidity in an apartment, what is its significance for different rooms, and how to correctly measure this indicator. Having determined the degree of moisture, measures should be taken to reduce or increase the water content in the atmosphere of the room. Effective methods of normalizing the microclimate are described in the article.

What is the humidity rate?

Water vapor is always present in the atmosphere of our planet. To measure them, the concept of absolute humidity is used. It denotes the mass fraction of the water content in one cubic meter of gas mixture. At an ambient temperature of 0ºС this value corresponds to 5 g / m³.

As the air temperature rises, water will volatilize faster, which increases the percentage of moisture that passes into the atmosphere.

Various factors influence the degree of air humidity. This time of year, regional climate, weather conditions, location of the apartment, used building and finishing materials

The term relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air at a certain temperature compared to the maximum amount of water vapor that could saturate the atmosphere at the same temperature.

Speaking about the norm of humidity of a dwelling, we have in mind precisely this relative value, expressed as a percentage.

The effect of humidity on well-being

It has long been observed that people are extremely sensitive to the water vapor content in their homes.With a reduced or increased moisture content in the air, the inhabitants of the apartments do not feel comfortable. The most pronounced symptoms are weakness, fatigue, headache, decreased immunity.

At low humidity, dust accumulates in the air. It creates the conditions for the reproduction of the smallest dust mites, contributing to the development of allergies

Dry microclimate contributes to the accumulation of static electricity, which is why the smallest dust particles accumulate in the air. This is an excellent environment for the prosperity of bacteria and microscopic organisms that cause various diseases.

In such rooms, people often have dry skin, which leads to dermatitis, brittle hair, the appearance of early wrinkles. Mucosal drainage contributes to the development of frequent colds, as well as eye diseases.

Due to the slowdown in blood circulation, the load on the heart increases, which can lead to increased pressure, ailments of the cardiovascular system.

Humid microclimate the house is no less dangerous. In this case, favorable conditions are formed for the prosperity of bacteria, the appearance of black mold, fungi that organize on the wet walls of the colony.

Harmful substances secreted by these single-celled creatures can lead not only to the development of allergies, but also to acute poisoning. Its first symptoms are weakness and dizziness.

High humidity negatively affects people's health, as well as the condition of furniture and household appliances that quickly fail

A prolonged stay in a damp room threatens the development of all kinds of diseases - from banal ARI to rheumatism and tuberculosis. With increased humidity in living spaces there is a lack of oxygen, which increases the load on the heart and leads to diseases of this important organ.

It is especially dangerous if an increased rate of water vapor is combined with high air temperature, which can trigger a heat stroke or even a heart attack.

Recommended rates for the apartment

Since air humidity is an extremely important criterion for a comfortable living environment, there are special regulatory documents that regulate its importance.

GOST 30494-96 indicates indicators of seasonal moisture content in the housing stock: for summer, the boundaries of optimal air humidity are determined in the range of 30-60%, for winter - 30-45%.

The table below shows the recommended ratio of the level of moisture and air temperature in a variety of residential and office premises

There is also a corresponding SNiP, according to which the norm of 40-60% applies for any season. For humid areas, an indicator of 65% is allowed, and for very humid areas - 75%.

It should be noted that the standards are designed for construction organizations, most people define air with 30 percent humidity as dry.

We give specific recommendations on the content of water vapor:

• in the bedroom;
• in the nursery;
• in the living room;
• in the office;
• in the kitchen and bathroom.

Bedroom It is of great importance, since a healthy sleep largely determines the state of a person and helps maintain immunity. The ideal degree of humidity for this room is 40-55%.

Experts recommend keeping the window in the bedroom always half open, which contributes to the natural regulation of humidity and hardening. Alternative option - installation window vent.

In the case of colds, it is advisable to increase the moisture level in the children's room to 70%, which will contribute to the hydration of the mucous membranes and faster recovery

Children's room. Here, a normal indicator of water vapor content is of paramount importance, as a fragile organism is more sensitive to heat and cold, and also more susceptible to infections. The optimal indicator is 50-60%.

Insufficiently moist air overdries the nasopharynx, opening the way for colds, and is also harmful to the skin, causing peeling and even dermatitis. It should be borne in mind that the temperature in the nursery should not exceed 24ºС.

Living room. Under this room, as a rule, the most spacious apartment is allocated, where the family spends several hours daily. The most comfortable level of humidity here can be considered 40-50%.

This standard ensures the well-being of people, while guaranteeing the excellent condition of electronic devices and expensive furniture, which is often installed in the living room.

Study / Library. Here, a lower moisture level of 30-40% is acceptable. This is due to the fact that books and documents are usually stored in these rooms, and office equipment is also installed, which can be damaged by an excessive proportion of water vapor in the atmosphere.

Current humidity standards are only for residential use. Their effect does not apply to kitchens, corridors, bathrooms and other office spaces

Kitchen and bath. The rooms are characterized by an increased temperature and humidity regime, which negatively affects people's health, the state of equipment and furniture. It is important not to forget about these zones - in order to bring the degree of water vapor content to 45-50% they use exhaust fans.

Signs of “failure” of humidity conditions

Having been observant, it is easy to conclude which microclimate is characteristic of the room.

The following features testify to dry air:

• the earth in pots with potted flowers dries quickly, becoming covered with cracks;
• things and objects in the room are quickly electrified with static electricity;
• wet linen dries in a couple of hours, while it is difficult to iron;
• even during continuous cleaning, the smell of dust is felt in the air.

One of the first signs of dry air is the drying of the edges of leaves of indoor flowers and their wilting.

Many factors indicate an increased proportion of water vapor in the room. In such rooms it smells musty, and clothes and bedding are constantly moist.

Water in flower pallets usually stagnates, the soil in pots is covered with moldy white bloom.

One of the first signs of increased moisture is water droplets protruding on windows, mirrors, and metal.

It is worth paying attention to the quickly wetting salt in an open salt shaker, swollen and poorly closing doors.

Wallpaper, mold and mildew stains that appear on horizontal and vertical surfaces can cause a lot of trouble.

Moisture Determination Methods

In order to determine the microclimate of the room, you can use special devices or improvised means. Consider some common methods

Method number 1 - natural materials

A regular spruce cone can become a faithful assistant. It should be brought into the room and put away from heat sources.

If the flakes open, the room has a dry microclimate. If in the air the content of water vapor is increased, the cone will remain tightly compressed.

All moisture measuring devices should be placed away from heat sources and drafts. Only in this case will the readings be correct

A more complicated method is a home-made device made of spruce branches, which allows you to track the dynamics of the content of water vapor in the room.

A peeled spruce stick 21-30 cm long is attached to the board from the side of the slice, while the second end remains free. When the moisture level rises, it will fall down, which can be checked by fixing the readings with a pencil.

Method number 2 - a glass of water

It is enough to do an elementary experiment: cool a glass cup with water in a refrigerator to a temperature of 3-5ºС.

Taking the container out of the refrigerator, you should observe it for 5-10 minutes:

• if condensation drains in large droplets - excessive humidity in the room;
• glass walls dry instantly - there is a lack of water vapor in the air;
• the capacity remains foggy - humidity is close to ideal.

As in the previous case, this method is quite approximate. However, it allows you to determine not only the increased and decreased levels of water vapor content, but also comfortable humidity.

The easiest way to determine moisture without appliances is a glass of water. It is enough to put it in the refrigerator for a while, and then determine the result

Method number 3 - Assman psychrometer

This method requires a special device consisting of two alcohol thermometers: one ordinary and the other moistened with a wet cambric tape.

The readings should be taken from two devices, which will differ due to the influence of the environment, primarily the moisture content in the atmosphere.

Using a table compiled by the German meteorologist Assman, it is possible to accurately determine the degree of air humidity, after conducting simple manipulations

Subtract the second from the first value, after which in the Assman table in the vertical column find the indicator of the dry device, and in the horizontal - the temperature difference. The number at the intersection of lines indicates the desired moisture level in the room.

At home, you can do with one room thermometer. To do this, first you need to fix the temperature in normal mode, and then wrap the head of the device with a damp cloth or swab.

After 5-10 minutes, you can take the result, and then calculate the difference between the readings and substitute the data in the table.

Method number 3 - accurate hygrometer readings

It is most convenient to determine the atmospheric humidity with a hygrometer - a special device designed for this purpose.

There are many varieties of such devices operating on different principles: weight, film, hair, condensation, electrolytic, ceramic.

In everyday life, combined devices are often used that can simultaneously measure both air humidity, its temperature, and sometimes atmospheric pressure

Electronic hygrometers are especially common, the functioning of which can be based on different methods of taking readings.

Among them, we note the following categories of devices:

• optoelectronic - with measurement using a chilled mirror;
• resistive using the effect of changing the conductivity of certain types of salts / polymers;
• capacitive, where the change in capacitor capacitance is taken into account;
• devices based on the determination of air conductivity.

Hygrometer models can be stationary or mobile. Devices from the last category can be moved from one room to another.

For more information on various moisture meters and tips for using them, see this article.

Climate normalization tips

To maintain the proper microclimate of the apartment, you can use the recommendations of specialists.

So, to combat too dry air are used:

• folk methods;
• special appliances.

A decorative fountain, a spacious aquarium with bright fish or flowerpots with home flowers are not only spectacular interior decorations, but also an effective way to maintain normal humidity in the atmosphere of a living room, for example, a living room.

An elementary effective way to increase the water vapor content is regular wet cleaning and airing the room. They guarantee an optimal indoor climate.

A simple but quite effective means is to place water containers near radiators or on radiators. The liquid in the vessels must be added as it evaporates.

Alternatively, wet towels, napkins, or other pieces of cloth are thrown onto the batteries.You can also hang laundry in the room for drying.

An alternative to a complex device can be an elementary device made of a plastic bottle and bandage (+)

Dramatically solve the problem with the humidity level will help special humidifierswhose work is based on various methods:

• mechanical humidifier with a fan, quite noisy, but not too effective - 50-61%;
• steam humidifierfunctioning similarly to an electric kettle. It is able to increase the vapor content rate by 60%;
• ultrasonic humidifier, the method of operation of which is based on spraying water droplets using a piezoelectric emitter. The device, which quickly increases humidity to 100%, is characterized by silent and safe operation.

The first two options differ in affordable cost and the possibility of using tap water, while for more expensive work ultrasound device distilled liquid is needed.

To reduce the degree of humidity, you can also use either traditional methods, or resort to using modern appliances.

In a humid room, you should take care to let in as much sunlight as possible. The windows do not need to be shaded with curtains, because the rays of the sun perfectly dry the air. Housing should be regularly ventilated to let in fresh air.

There are various models of dehumidifiers. These household appliances are capable of removing daily from 12 to 50 liters of moisture

All rooms can be installed forced exhaust ventilation, and in the kitchen it’s better to cook by turning on a powerful hood. If the apartment has air conditioning, it is important to choose the optimal mode of operation.

With insufficient air temperature, it is worth considering the use of additional heating devices. When performing construction and finishing works, it is advisable to prefer natural materials that absorb moisture well.

The best results can be achieved using special devices.

Most often, two categories of devices are used:

• plastic containersfilled with adsorbents - substances that actively absorb water vapor; It is important not to forget to change the filler as it is moistened;
• household dehumidifiers air, the basis of which is usually based on the principle of condensation of atmospheric water vapor on a plate whose temperature is below the dew point.

To normalize the microclimate in the room, it is important to pay attention to windows and window techniques. It is best to insert modern double-glazed windows made using new technologies that guarantee air circulation.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

A video with a specialist's story about what troubles can be expected from excessively dry air in residential spaces:

The following video will help you get information about the different types of instruments designed to measure humidity.

The video clearly shows 5 easy ways to increase humidify indoor air:

The human health and ability to work largely depends on maintaining the recommended humidity standards in the premises. It is important to steadily monitor this indicator using folk methods, and preferably special devices.

At the first deviations, you need to think about what to do to normalize the microclimate in the apartment. In some cases, you can do it by home methods, but devices designed for this purpose will provide more effective help.

Share with your readers your methods of maintaining normal humidity in the apartment. Please leave comments, ask questions about the topic of the article and participate in discussions - the feedback form is located below.