Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air or atmosphere. Water vapor is just water in a gaseous state and it can be produced by evaporation, transpiration from plants, and the sublimation of ice. In a home, any appliance that produces water or that leaks can contribute to the overall humidity. This includes showers, washing machines, dish washers and sinks. Additionally, poor ventilation and airflow can reduce evaporation in your home and keep it moist.

Humidity Level In Homes Recommended

A good humidity level depends on the temperatures that come with it. Generally, humidity will make you hotter during summer and colder in winter. The reason has a lot to do with our skin’s ability to perspire (sweat). Sweating is the process of water accumulating on the surface of our skin and eventually evaporating away. Sweat absorbs heat and carries it away as it evaporates.

On a hot, humid day sweating can cool us down because evaporation rates are relatively high. When humidity levels are high, sweat evaporates more slowly and the body has difficulty cooling down. On cool days though, your does not sweat to cool itself, but the humidity will still cause moisture to accumulate on your skin and dampen your clothes. And that moisture will still cause cooling as it evaporates away.

What Is the Perfect Humidity Level For A House

Research done by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that the best indoor relative humidity falls between 30% and 50%. To discourage mold growth and spread, humidity should never exceed 60%. The EPA also notes that keeping humidity levels relatively low could also discourage pests like cockroaches and dust mites.

What Is Relative Humidity

Relative humidity refers to the percentage of moisture that can be retained by the atmosphere at a given temperature without the water converting into a liquid (condensation). For example, at a temperature of 70°F, the air can hold approximately .51 grams of moisture per cubic foot maximum. If there are .51 grams of water vapor per cubic foot in the air at 70°F, the relative humidity would be 100%. If the temperature is at 70°F, and there are roughly .25 grams of water vapor in the air per cubic foot, then the relative humidity would be about 50%.

Dry-bulb thermometers can accurately measure air temperature, but do not take humidity into account. In other words, dry-bulb thermometer readings do not provide much information about how temperatures actually feel to people. So-called wet-bulb temperature measurements, however, gauges both air temperature and total humidity. The wet-bulb temperature is measured using a thermometer wrapped in a wet fabric, which more closely represents the human body’s ability to cool down.