A humidifier increases the humidity of the room air to an optimal level so that we and our children can feel comfortable and sleep better. When the heating is switched on in autumn and winter, the relative humidity indoors often drops below 30%. Doctors and specialists recommend a value of 40 – 60% as the optimal room humidity for the apartment, be it in the bedroom, children’s room or living room. With this value we feel most comfortable, sleep best, our defenses are strengthened against colds and we can concentrate better. We recommend checking the humidity with a hygrometer to constantly check and to operate a humidifier at 40% relative humidity or less. You can find out why dry air is a threat to health and wellbeing in another post.
Where to Place Your Humidifier
Naturally, the humidity in the kitchen and bathroom is slightly higher and therefore does not have to be increased as the humidity increases when cooking or showering. In addition, you spend significantly less time in these rooms than in the living room and bedroom, for example. It is best to leave the bathroom door open after showering so that the water vapor can escape into the neighboring room. So the moisture does not get stuck in the bathroom and the other rooms become less dry. Humidifiers that work with steam should be kept away from small children and pets for safety reasons, because the extremely hot steam that escapes can scald the skin. This is where preferring the humidifier with night light is the best option.
Humidifier with Integrated Hygrostat
Many humidifiers have an integrated hygrostat that measures the humidity in the room to be humidified and switches itself on or off accordingly. The best humidity values are displayed when the humidifier is positioned in the middle of the room and the room air can flow as freely as possible to the sensor. If this is not possible, it is recommended that you position the device on the wall with a distance of at least 30 cm.
Under no conditions should the humidifier be concealed in a corner of the living room or behind a sofa or other piece of furniture, as this will impair humidity measurement and humidification performance.
Different Hygrometer Readings
It is possible for your external hygrometer and humidifier to read different readings due to their various positions (heights) in the room. The humidity level is determined by the air movement and temperature. A tolerance of +/- 5% is considered typical, depending on the device type.
Additionally, it is conceivable that your external hygrometer is not reading correctly. The gadget must be recalibrated in this instance. Calibration of analogue hygrometers is a breeze: Wrap the entire gadget in a warm, moist towel for approximately 30 minutes and then set the pointer to a humidity level of 100 percent.
3 Reasons to Buy a Humidifier
Improved health: The mucous membranes require a specific quantity of moisture to avoid becoming irritated throughout the winter. If the air is excessively dry, it causes a long-term burden on our entire immune system. Benefits include fewer colds, no dry eyes, no nosebleeds, and fewer allergies.
Peaceful sleep: Dry air can be the cause of restless sleep, as the whole body is more stressed than when the humidity is optimal (45 – 55%). Babies and toddlers in particular are very sensitive to this.
Healthy skin: Our skin needs good basic moisture, which is essential for firm and healthy skin.
Infographic Provided by American Residential Services
