Indoor humidity

Jackofall1 · 12-17-2010, 05:58 PM

I have read, that an average family of 4 only adds 2-3 gallons of water to the house atmospere per day, which isn't much at all.

gma2rjc · 12-17-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oberkc

I agree. I suspect that this device is sufficiently accurate for this purpose. I believe, also, that the condensation on the window speaks for itself.

One point, however, is that relative humidity will show up MUCH higher simply by cooling the air. Placing the device by the window may be showing humidity readings skewed by the window and lower temperatures. The condensation on the window may also be creating a high humidity microclimate. What are the humidity readings in the middle of the house? Are they more reasonable (say 40% or below?)

I have no idea what my humidity readings are within inches of a window. The readings I am used to seeing are taken more in the interior of the house, away from windows and other sources of heat or cool.

The readings I am used to seeing are taken more in the interior of the house, away from windows and other sources of heat or cool.

Good idea to check there. I set the gadget I'm using on top of my thermostat that controls the furnace. It's in the center of the house. Partly to see if it has the same temperature reading as the thermostat.

The temperature is the same on both, 66°. So it seems like it should be measuring the humidity accurately as well. That is staying steady at 65%.

oberkc · 12-17-2010, 09:48 PM

Quote:

The temperature is the same on both, 66°. So it seems like it should be measuring the humidity accurately as well. That is staying steady at 65%.

Which sounds very high to me, and not inconsistent with the calculations of Jackofall. If it were my house, I would be stuck with the same conclusion: there is a yet unidentified source of humidity that should be dealt with.

You may be able to mitigate some of the associated problems by insulation and moisture barriers and venting and better windows, but the humidity will remain, in my estimation. I would also expect it to get worse in the summer.

Until you can identify that source, I would be running a dehumidifier in the basement. Perhaps you can knock the levels down a bit. This cannot be good for your house and belongings.