How to Increase Home Humidity Levels this Winter - Efficient Heat and Cooling (2024)

FAQs

How can I increase humidity in my house quickly? ›

Low humidity causes static electricity, dry skin and hair, increased susceptibility to colds and respiratory illness and can allow viruses and germs to thrive. Wood floors, furniture, and millwork will split and crack, the paint will chip, and electronics can be damaged because of low humidity levels.

Low humidity causes static electricity, dry skin, lips and hair, scratchy throats and noses, and itching and chapping. Mucous membranes in nose and throat dry out, increasing your discomfort and susceptibility to colds and respiratory illness.

Install a Humidifier

When you constantly deal with dry air indoors, a whole-home humidifier is usually the most effective option. A humidifier works with your home's HVAC system to keep moisture levels comfortable and healthy year-round.

In the winter months, the humidity level should be a little less to avoid condensation—around 30-40%. Since cold air doesn't hold as much moisture as warm air, it's important to find ways to improve the comfort level inside.

When the weather outside is cold, the air is usually dry. Opening the window during dry, cold weather will reduce humidity levels inside the home or office and would be counter-productive. Keep the windows closed during cold weather and use a humidifier to keep humidity levels optimal.

Low humidity can cause dry skin, irritate your nasal passages and throat, and make your eyes itchy. High humidity can make your home feel stuffy and can cause condensation on walls, floors and other surfaces. Condensation can trigger the growth of harmful bacteria, dust mites and molds.

A humidifier starts to humidify a room in 10 to 15 minutes and takes between three and 24 hours to increase humidity to a comfortable level. The timescale taken also depends on the room size, and the air dryness.

Why is my house so dry even with a humidifier? ›

During the summer, the warmer air holds moisture but during the winter months cold dry outside air infiltrates the house and couple that with the fact that we heat our homes causing hot air to rise and the dry colder air to settle into the lower areas of your house. This is what causes the house to feel so dry.

Without having to spend a dime, you can increase your home's humidity by placing a metal or ceramic bowl of water on top of your floor registers or radiant heating unit. The water will evaporate into humid air. On a sunny day, place a bowl or vase filled with water on your windowsills.

Dry air is a natural byproduct of cold weather. As temperatures decrease, the outdoor air drastically loses its ability to hold onto water. When it becomes colder, you're also more likely to turn on your home's heating system. These two conditions together contribute to why your home's air is too dry.

What are Normal Humidity Levels? Humidity is the measure of the level of moisture vapor suspended in the air around you. Although you can't see it, it's still there. The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort is somewhere between 30-50% humidity, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Determining Ideal Indoor Humidity Levels

In general, indoor humidity levels between 35 and 45 percent are considered acceptable, but when asking the question “What should the humidity be in my house?,” it's important to take into account the season.

Your home should sit somewhere between 30 and 50 percent humidity. If it's measuring below 30 percent, you may need to invest in a humidifier to remedy the dry air symptoms.

Best Humidity for Sleeping

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the best indoor relative humidity falls between 30% and 50%, and it should never exceed 60%. Other studies suggest 40% to 60% is a better range.

Because warmer air has the capacity to hold more water vapor, yet your home is experiencing no increase in humidity levels, then the relative humidity does decrease – but without altering the amount of water in your air. Ideally, this should not have any ill effects on your home or your health.

Will the humidity rise if the heat is turned up? Contrary to popular belief, heating the air actually lowers the relative humidity. This is because, as the temperature of the air increases, the air can hold more molecules, and its relative humidity goes down. The warmer the air, the greater its capacity to hold water.

How do you increase high humidity? ›

Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners, especially in hot, humid climates, to reduce moisture in the air, but be sure that the appliances themselves don't become sources of biological pollutants. Raise the temperature of cold surfaces where moisture condenses. Use insulation or storm windows.

The system's fan brings air into the indoor unit, where it passes over the cool evaporator coil. Heat and humidity are removed as the conditioned air is pushed back into your home by the same fan.

If you have a newer thermostat, like the Carrier Cor or Infinity thermostat, you can program them to run your air conditioning or heat pump a degree or two cooler to remove the humidity. These thermostats can help you monitor the humidity in your home and run your air conditioner for its dehumidification properties.

Fill a shallow container half full with cool water. Spread a layer of stones on top of the water. The water will evaporate slowly throughout the day, raising the room's relative humidity.

Different people have different comfort levels. While 30-40% is a good baseline for humidity levels in winter, you'll have to go through a period of adjusting temperatures and your humidifier to find your perfect setting. But once you do, there's no better feeling!

Winter's Low Humidity Explained

Going back to the basics of physics 101, warmth causes things to expand, and air is no exception. As the warm air expands, so do the water molecules; thus, lowering the relative humidity of the surrounding environment.

On cold days try to keep indoor temperatures at least 18°C. Try not to use a portable gas heater. They create high levels of humidity and are expensive to run.

Breathing dry air can irritate respiratory ailments, and in some cases lead to asthma, bronchitis, the common cold, the flu and even nosebleeds. Because the majority of our breathing is done through our nose, cold, dry air can cause the inside of our nose to become dry and irritated.

Respiratory issues.

When you breathe air containing too little moisture, mucus membranes lining the respiratory and nasal passages dry out. This can cause sore throats, nose bleeds, chest congestion and coughing, and worsen conditions like allergies, asthma, COPD and chronic bronchitis.

How do you humidify a room at night? ›

If you're monitoring the humidity levels in your home, it's relatively safe to run your humidifier around the clock. You should take special care not to leave anything running while you're out of the house. However, just because it's safe doesn't mean that it's necessary.

Every home is different, but a level between 30 and 40 per cent humidity is typically ideal for keeping your home warm and comfortable in the winter, without leaving condensation on the windows. In the summer, that level can be higher, between 50 and 60 per cent.

The best way to maintain healthy humidity levels is with a whole-house humidifier, also known as a furnace humidifier. Unlike single-room or personal humidifiers which only add moisture to a small space, furnace humidifiers take care of your whole house and require less maintenance.

Identify which rooms need humidifying. Try adding plants, placing bowls of water by the radiator, spraying water in the air, and even letting clothes dry indoors to add moisture to the air. Monitor results and repeat as necessary.

Wet towels are great ways to add humidity. Soak a towel in water, ring out the excess, then hang the towel near where you sleep. Because a towel has a large surface area the water will more effectively evaporate into the room.

Warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers are equally effective in humidifying the air. By the time the water vapor reaches your child's lower airways, it's the same temperature regardless of whether it started out warm or cool.

Dry air can irritate the airways of people with lung diseases. This can lead to wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. While you can't control the weather, you can reduce the impact it has on your lung disease symptoms.

The research found that even a drop in humidity of just 30 per cent can lead to the formation of fine wrinkles in as little as 30 minutes. Furthermore, low humidity can cause decreased skin elasticity, increased skin roughness and may worsen some skin disorders.

It is unfortunately a common occurrence that a dehumidifier ends up drying out the air in a home so much that it creates a new set of problems, such as the easy spread of illnesses, cracked, dry skin, and problems with static electricity.

What should house humidity be set at in winter? ›

Generally speaking, the ideal comfort level is between 30-50%. Winter levels will be between 30-40% and in the summer it should be around 40-50%, depending on the outside temperature. You want to feel cool in the summer and warm in the winter and humidity plays a crucial part in the level of comfort in your home.

In the winter, indoor humidity drops to be between 25 percent and 35 percent. Keeping humidity levels higher than that will be difficult due to the cold climate. Contrary to popular belief the furnace does not dry out humidity. Cold air is dry, therefore, the air becomes drier as it finds its way into the house.

On the low end, you probably don't want to go lower than 30-35% relative humidity (RH). That's a little dry but not too bad. Again, the colder the climate, the lower you'll probably want that number. In a moderate climate, you might want to aim for a low end of 40%.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Although it is often overlooked, proper indoor humidity is crucial to your health. Too much or too littl humidity can result in serious health consequences. The ideal indoor humidity range is between 40% and 60%.