Most people, if they think about it all, realize that air contains moisture. Far fewer understand how it affects them personally and even more important, why or how they can control it and the benefits they can receive from such control.

     The common name for moisture in the air is humidity. It is often accompanied by the word “relative”…the term that expresses the amount of moisture in a given space, at a specific temperature. For example, a cubic ft of air, that had a moisture content of 100%, would contain all the moisture it could hold at that temperature.

     People’s bodies are very sensitive to humidity. A normal, healthy human must maintain a constant body temperature of approximately 98.6º F regardless of the temperature of the environment. To do this in the summer, the body cools itself by perspiration which disperses heat from the body by evaporation, and cools the skin as it relies on the surrounding air to get rid of the moisture.

     This process of sweating is your body's attempt to keep cool and maintain its correct temperature. If the surrounding air is at 60+% relative humidity or more, moisture from your body will not evaporate into the air as freely and the result is that we feel much hotter than the actual temperature when the relative humidity is in a more desirable range.

     Conversely in the winter, this drier air so desirable in summer, has now become the culprit. As our heating systems heat the air to keep us warm, a well know “law of physics” takes over as the expanding warm can now hold more moisture, so unless some provision has been made to add moisture to the air, the relative humidity is usually very low.

     This warm dry air in your home, is always trying to reach its saturation point. Imagine the interior of your house as a huge sponge.  It will absorb water wherever it’s found. If the moisture content of the air within your house is insufficient, it will suck moisture from whatever is available. It will dry out the wood in your home, shrinking the wood framing around doors and windows. Gaps then occur, allowing cold air in, making your home less energy efficient. Dry air also causes wood floors and trim to separate, walls and ceilings to crack; it can harm expensive musical instruments, electronic equipment, computers, furniture, carpet and drapes. Dryness even weakens the joints of expensive furnishings, causes annoying static electricity, dries and cracks furniture and wood trim, even wilting houseplants.

     But dry air affects far more than just our house and furnishings. It affects our physical bodies also. Dry air is usually the leading culprit as one of the causes for nose, throat and skin discomfort. Skin and lips becomes dry and scratchy and we become more susceptible to infection as the mucus membranes of our throats and nasal passages lack the moisture which enables the tiny hairs (cilia) in both to work at expelling foreign objects such as mold, pet dander and bacteria. By giving up moisture to the air, your skin, throat and nasal passages dry out and crack, leading to various other physical discomforts. That's why many doctors recommend humidifiers for allergy and asthma sufferers.

     Proper humidified air can help you save energy too! Just as warm, humid summer air feels hotter than it actually is because of the moisture it contains, that same principle applies to your home in the winter. By keeping the relative humidity inside your home at an ideal level, you can turn your thermostat down a few degrees and still feel comfortable. Dialing down your thermostat just three degrees in the winter can reduce your heating bill by as much as 5%.

     Don’t miss the next installment of “Climatemakers’ Circle of Comfort”. In the meantime, if you need more information on humidifiers or any other questions pertaining to HVAC systems or service, visit our 250+ page website (www.climatemakers.com) or call (757.468.5800) or email (comfort@climatemakers.com) to contact one of our very knowledgeable design representatives. There is no obligation, of course.

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