Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Relative Humidity

For maximum comfort, the humidity level in your home should be between 30 and 50 percent. For Christmas, we were given a digital thermometer/hygrometer. We found out that the humidity on the main floor of our house measures 20 percent.

I didn't think that number was too awful bad. Until I read in the manual that the lowest number the hygrometer can show is 20. The actual humidity could very well be 19 percent. Or 3 percent.

Appropriately, we were also given a humidifier for Christmas. It now sits in the bedroom. We have it cranked up to combat the dryness.

At the same time, our basement is cold and, well, very basement-like. There is a dehumidifier down there. We have it cranked up to combat the dampness.

Yes, you heard correctly. We are now using electricity to add moisture into the air upstairs while we remove it from the air downstairs.

Sometimes I take the water from the dehumidifier tank and put it directly into the humidifier tank. It's like we have our own ecosystem going on. Guided by a hygrometer. Measured in kilowatt-hours.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"For my birthday I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. I put them in the same room and let them fight it out." -- Steven Wright

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