Humidity level in the house

[Dell]

I heard about torrential rains and flooding in parts of the country. The good news is that I guess this means the drought is over or at least has put a serious dent in it.

I bought a dehumidifer a while ago (used DeLonghi- Trademe - $120). I googled to find out what is a healthy humidity inside a house and found this:

"Humidity levels below 30 percent are considered dangerous for people and other household contents. Humidity above 75 percent can encourage the growth of mold and bacteria. The ideal range for indoor humidity is 40 to 60 percent".

Posting it here in case other members have the same question.

[Georgebulldog]

Thanks for that, how accurate I wonder is my Tesa weather station at telling me the humidity inside, it's sat next to my bed & reading 69% indoors

[Dell]

I have a little digital thermometer that reads humidity - and I wondered the same thing - but I did a bit more googling and got the impression that the digital ones are accurate.

[Georgebulldog]

Can I ask how much you Googled? Just to save me some time :-) I'm interested in this as I just Googled "runny nose at night" something I'm suffering from, about to clean my room thoroughly by washing all the walls etc but I just read "According to experts, the ideal level of humidity in one's home should be between 30 and 50 percent. Using a hygrometer can help you maintain an appropriate level of moisture in your home"

So now I'm wondering what sort of range is quoted & I suppose by who as I'd trust allergy sites more than a general site.

Wonder if I need to get a hygrometer or if my weather station is accurate enough

[bob_the_engineer]

I'd advise against buying a used dehumidifier, unless you can take it apart and take a look inside..
My advice is you check inside the dehumidifier for mold before you run it in your house... check around the element housing, and drain lines..

if you go for a new one the best I've found at drying air, although very loud, is this..
http://sukidehumidifier.com.au/asp/ they sell them in mitre10..

you can rent them too, but again may be full of mold.

bob

[Dell]

I'd advise against buying a used dehumidifier, unless you can take it apart and take a look inside..
My advice is you check inside the dehumidifier for mold before you run it in your house... check around the element housing, and drain lines..

if you go for a new one the best I've found at drying air, although very loud, is this..
http://sukidehumidifier.com.au/asp/ they sell them in mitre10..

you can rent them too, but again may be full of mold.

bob

Thanks Bob. I didn't see any evidence of mold on the dehumidifier but before I used it I gave it a good clean - washing all areas I could reach with a mild bleach solution then rinsed it off with water/vinegar. The dehumidifier is DeLonghi CFO5M which has an excellent rating on consumer.org.

George, I looked at the first page of google links.

Mayo Clinic says 30-50%.

An article in the U.K. Telegraph says: The ideal relative humidity in a British home is around 50 to 55 per cent. Wiki: Ideal humidity level for comfort and health is between 40-50%.

Dr. Sears says: " Okay, I had to re-research this a little bit: A humidity range between 40-60% is healthy for the body, mainly because bacteria have a hard time growing in this range. The EPA's recommendation of 30-50% is mainly for preventing mold growth in the house. Our local children's hospital keeps their air at 55%. The problem is that a higher humidity will promote mold growth. How a room is built and insulated is also a factor for promoting mold growth. If the walls are getting cold at night, then mold is more likely to grow."

The U.S. EPA.gov says: The ideal levels of humidity for your living space will be less than 60% in the summer
and between 25 — 40% in the winter.

Ehow.com says: Optimum humidity is between 40 and 50 percent, with anywhere between 30 and 60 percent acceptable.

I found my original info at: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4571615...umidifier.html

I'm comfortable up to about 58% but prefer to keep it lower. When I moved in, I looked for mold or mildew inside the house and didn't find a trace....but the house is only 8 years old and is warm/insulated.

[Sun777]

We bought new one, OH was quite concerned about 2nd hand ones mainly due to hygienic reasons.

[JulieWM]

Just on side: My daughter's hair is my humidity level monitor. When the air is dry (e.g. inside an airplane), its straight. When its very humid, its suddenly very curly.

[Dell]

Just on side: My daughter's hair is my humidity level monitor. When the air is dry (e.g. inside an airplane), its straight. When its very humid, its suddenly very curly.

Funny - I've got naturally curly hair too, so I can relate! http://www.ehow.com/how_4443876_make...ity-meter.html

[Georgebulldog]

I've just bought a cheap $8 Thermometer Hygrometer from Trade me just to have an extra one in the house, I'll be able to see how cold my bedroom is this winter whilst still being able to see what the temp & humidity levels are downstairs