How Do You Calculate Indoor Relative Humidity? [Benefits Of Maintaining Ideal Humidity Levels In Your House] 

If you want to calculate relative humidity, knowing the relative humidity of indoor and outdoor temperatures isn’t enough. There is more needed, whereby you should find the temperature of the indoor dew point. Dew point is the condensing of the water vapor into a liquid form. So how do you find the dew point? There is a specific way to calculate the dew point as outlined in this article. Once you find the dew point, you can now use the measurements in addition to the ones you already have to find your indoor relative humidity.

This article will take you through how to find the temperature of the indoor dew point, how to calculate your relative humidity if you know the outside relative humidity and indoor and outdoor temperatures, and the benefits of having your indoor relative humidity at an ideal point.

How Do You Calculate The Dew Point Of The Indoor Temperature?

Calculate The Dew Point Of The Indoor Temperature

The best part is that you may not need any equipment to find the dew point. Calculating the dew point is the first step before searching for the Indoor Relative Humidity.

Here are steps you can follow to get your numbers right. 

Materials needs are:

A large glass tumbler, ice cubes, tap water, and thermometer

You can use any other container if you have no glass jar nearby.

Steps to follow:

1. Fill your glass tumbler with the ice cubes.

2. Also, fill the container with room temperature tap water and stir well to form a harmonious mixture.

3. After mixing, now insert your thermometer to check the temperature of the water.

4. It would be fantastic if you also were observing the sides of the glass tumbler.

5. Immediately record the temperature when the glass begins to sweat.

The dew point of your ambient indoor temperature is the temperature at which the glass begins to sweat.

The next part is ciphering part;

RH = saturation vapor pressure (e) / vapor pressure (e) (de-saturated)

The dew point (Td) is a variable in the equation because vapor pressure (e) is connected to the amount of water vapor in a unit air volume.

To solve for e, use the dew point of the indoor ambient temperature (in °C): e = 6.11 multiplied by 10 (7.5×Td / 237.7 + Td).

If the air is saturated, the amount of water vapor in a unit volume of air is proportional to the saturation vapor pressure (de-saturated), so the air temperature (T) is a variable in the equation.

e-saturated = 6.11 × 10 ((7.5 × T) / (237.7 + T) 

RH (percentage) = (e / e-saturated) × 100 

The above method is one of the ways to calculate indoor relative humidity.

An Alternative Way To Measure Your Indoor Relative Humidity

There is also another easy way to measure your home’s humidity levels. You can buy a small affordable hygrometer that will tell you the humidity levels in your house.

Also, if you sense that the humidity level in your home is too much; you can use a dehumidifier and always watch out for the weather forecast. 

The problem with dehumidifiers is that they use a huge amount of energy, and they don’t circulate fresh air after removing the moisture from your environment. To avoid these problems, you should call an expert to help you bring the humidity levels to a stable level in your house.

Health Benefits Of Living In A House With Ideal Relative Humidity

Health Benefits Of Living In A House With Ideal Relative Humidity

There are many health benefits of the right humidity level in your house. They include:

1. Controls Viral Infections

The low relative humidity is the perfect environment for diseases like Measles and Influenza to thrive. If the relative humidity is at an ideal percentage, then it remains unstable for the survival of viruses in the atmosphere.

2. Prevents Respiratory Infections

The ideal relative humidity in your house will protect you from respiratory infections brought about by high relative humidity levels. When there is too much moisture in the environment, our noses and respiratory organs are overwhelmed. 

If the situation continues for a while, especially during winter, difficulty breathing or pneumonia might come in. You can always prevent this by maintaining the right humidity levels.

3. Allergens

The best thing about ensuring that your house is at the perfect level of relative humidity is that it inhibits the development of allergens. Fungi and mites mainly cause these allergens that result in discomfort in your throat or nose. The solution is treating the present allergens in the environment. 

4. Airborne Disease

The last thing in your mind is getting airborne diseases. So the ideal relative humidity cancels out any airborne chemicals that result in irritation and diseases. 

Humans are susceptible to danger if we don’t make our homes stable enough to survive in. The best thing to do is make our home environments have the right humidity level to keep us safe from harmful parasites.

5. General Comfort

The ideal relative humidity keeps you comfortable. With the sweating and general discomfort of low humidity levels, you are safe with fantastic humidity levels.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What Is The Appropriate Indoor Humidity Level?

The ideal relative humidity level in your house should be kept between 30% to 50% in the summer. Also, it should be 30-40% in the winter seasons.

What are the indicators of an excessively high or low humidity level?

If your home’s humidity level is very high, there is certain discomfort and sweatiness that you will feel when in the house. Also, you will see some condensation on your windows and walls and ceiling stains. 

If the humidity level remains high, there will be mold growth and mildew, which escalates respiratory issues and allergies and can even lead to lung diseases! 

Suppose the humidity level is low at your house, you might get some problems including a stuffed nose, dry skin, and your lips can get chapped. Also, if you rub your feet on your carpet, there might be sparks or static outcomes. Always ensure that your indoor humidity is right to avoid repercussions.

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