Does Humidifier Affect Air Quality?

It’s that time of the year when heating systems finally start going dormant. People start looking for their lotions and lip balm. The buildings start to creak and pop.

Why does indoor air get so dry in winter?

This phenomenon is caused by the infiltration of warm, dry air coming into a home. Usually, it comes from the leaking air ducts under the house. Having a good ventilation system can help prevent this.

In 2013, I wrote about how to get a humidifier working properly. Then, a few months later, a manufacturer called and left me a voicemail that was threatening.

Related: Can Humidifier Use Essential Oils?

The ideal range for relative humidity

A chart like this one shows the various problems that can occur when the relative humidity gets too high or low. It also emphasizes the importance of the humidity levels in a room.

The question of how much humidity should be inside a home is one that most people have a hard time answering. There are various recommendations on how much humidity should be inside a home.

The ideal humidity for winter

According to experts, if the primary humidity level is greater than 25%, then it is not a good idea to use a humidifier. However, this is true in cold areas.

In a previous article, I discussed the ideal range for winter humidity. Generally, it should be between 60% and 70% for summer and between 40% and 50% for winter.

related: Are Humidifiers Good for Asthma?

Humidity and indoor air quality in winter

Some parts of a building enclosure will be cold when it gets cold. This is because the water vapor coming into the room through the insulation is going to evaporate.

In winter, the temperature in some areas can reach up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In Canada, it can reach up to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that the FC is equal to the Fahrenheit temperature.

When the temperature drops below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the water vapor from the air begins to cling to the cold surfaces. This phenomenon, which can manifest itself in various forms such as mold, can usually be seen in a house located in Georgia.

In this house, the mold appeared on the ceiling. However, it can also hide in other parts of the house. If the humidity is high, it can create conditions that allow the fungus to grow in various locations.

If your central heating system is attached to a humidifier, then its moist air can travel through the ducts. This is the reason why it’s important to keep your ducts in good conditions. If they are, then moist air can find their cold surfaces.

It’s time to dust off that humidifier. Not only will it keep the humidity down, it will also help prevent the common signs of dry skin.

It's not uncommon for users of the Laser Egg to be worried about the effects of their humidifiers on their air quality. Many of them are concerned with the high PM2.5 and AQI readings that they often see.

It’s time to dust off that humidifier. Not only will it keep the humidity down, it will also help prevent the common signs of dry skin.

It's not uncommon for users of the Laser Egg to be worried about the effects of their humidifiers on their air quality. Many of them are concerned with the high PM2.5 and AQI readings that they often see.

In this article, we'll go over how particle detectors work and why they do their job, informing users that their air quality is not affected by humidity.

How Do Air Quality Monitors Work?

So, what does a humidifier do? When it comes to determining why the readings are high, one of the most important questions to ask is why does the humidity boost the PM readings?

particle detectors use beams of light to sense tiny particles in the air. By measuring how the light hits each particle, the sensor can determine its number.

When your monitor shows an increase in PM2.5 readings, it's because the particle detector is detecting airborne particles.

Ultrasonic humidifiers vs. evaporative humidifiers

Evaporative humidifiers use a cooling device to push the air around the wick, which then absorbs the water.

A good example of an ultrasonic humidifier is when a metal plate is vibrating at a sufficiently high frequency to dislodge the water droplets. The waves then create a vacuum between the plate and the water, which allows the water to evaporate.

The key difference between an ultrasonic and an evaporative humidifier is that the former's water vapor is a liquid form of water, while the latter's is vaporized. Also, the water droplets in the reservoir of an evaporative humidifier have the same minerals.

As the water evaporates, the mineral precipitates from the droplets fall out. Your air quality monitor will then look for these particles and the water droplets as it counts them.

You might have also noticed that the fine dust and scaling particles that are created by humidifiers accumulate on furniture and appliances near them.