Healthy Home Humidity

[Guest guest]

Here is another reference proposing humidity not be lower than 40%.

I have a feeling I may be only one interested in this topic-??

However it is important one. It seems to be a 'catch-22'. 40%

might be good for the body but if house sweats in the coldest months

of winter, mold growth could be bigger problem. It seems like one

of those issues where there is no good solution to this. I probably

will keep house as humid as I can in winter, without going above 40%

and without windows sweating. That's my conclusion.

http://www.healthyairusa.com/kb_humidity.html

They also sell what sounds like a very sophisticated whole house or

building ventilation/dehumidification system but price is a teensy

$4k.

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Your Health

Humidity must be controlled and kept within a range of 40% and 50%.

There are health related issues when the humidity is below 40% and

health related issues when the humidity rises above 50%.

Environments with humidity levels below 40% allow bacteria and

viruses to thrive.

The tissue in our body is composed mostly of water. When humidity

levels are low, moisture is pulled out of our tissues and released

into the environment. This is a normal process of evaporation. If

the body loses too much water, the tissues dry up. The skin's

elasticity goes, and with it, function declines. Besides dry skin,

the symptoms of dehydration include chronic joint and muscle pain,

raspy throat, sore eyes and lack of mental concentration. Low

humidity levels can also cause or aggravate respiratory ailments.

Environments with humidity levels above 50% allow mold, dust mites,

bacteria and viruses to thrive. High humidity also increases the

rate at which VOC's are released into the air.

Mold is considered the " greatest threat to the indoor environment "

according to the EPA. Humidity levels above 50% promotes the growth

of molds. To see the health issues caused by mold, click here.

Dust mites are the most common allergen-producing organism found in

the home. They are members of the arachnid (spider) family. In order

to get water, dust mites must absorb moisture from the air. With

humidity levels controlled between 40% and 50%, dust mites can not

absorb enough water and die.