Absolute humidity indicates how much water vapor is in the air. Relative humidity is the percentage of the amount of steam in the air to the maximum possible at a given temperature, while dew point refers to the temperature at which steam will condense into dew. Humidity affects health and household property, determines which plants and animals can exist in a particular environment, and also determines whether it is rain, snow, or fog. Without special equipment, it is quite difficult to measure and calculate air humidity yourself. However, there are a number of ways in which you can measure the relative humidity of the air, for example by assembling a simple hygrometer from household items.
Steps
Part 1
Measuring humidity with a hygrometer- Will it work in extreme temperatures?
- Will it run on battery power or stand next to a power outlet?
- Should it signal when the humidity in the environment rises above or falls below a certain percentage?
- Is it easy to calibrate?
- Do you have enough money for an expensive hygrometer? And does it need frequent maintenance?
- How easy is it to use?
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Select a location for measurements. Having decided on the choice of a hygrometer, you need to choose a good place to install it. Humidity measurements are temperature dependent, so select a location that does not fluctuate constantly. Install the hygrometer in a place with a constant temperature that is consistent with the rest of the room.
- Do not place the hygrometer near doors, heaters, humidifiers or air conditioners.
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Let the hygrometer adapt to the room conditions. For the most accurate readings, it is best to leave the hygrometer in the selected location for a few hours so that it can reach room temperature... If you take readings immediately after installation, chances are you will get inaccurate readings.
Take regular moisture measurements. If you are trying to determine if there is a fluctuation in humidity in your home, take a reading every few hours or days. This will allow you to indicate moisture levels over a period of time.
- Please note that as the temperature rises, the air is able to hold all large quantity moisture. The higher the temperature, the higher the relative humidity will be.
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Calibrate the hygrometer if necessary. Typically, the hygrometer needs to be recalibrated about once a year. Calibration consists of comparing the readings of your instrument with the readings of an already calibrated reference sample and then correcting it. Calibration is of great importance for scientific or research work... In this case, the hygrometer must be sent to a special center for calibration.
- If you are using a homemade hygrometer, leave it outside and then compare it with the readings of the hydrometeorological center for that day.
Part 2
Experimentally measuring dew point-
Fill an iron can with water. The surface of the jar must be shiny to reflect light and heat. Iron is considered the best material for this experiment. Fill the jar about 2/3 full, leaving enough room for the ice cubes.
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Add ice cubes, stirring continuously, until condensation forms on the surface of the jar. Add the cubes gradually while stirring the water with a thermometer. Thus, the surface of the can will be at the same temperature as the water.
- Continue adding ice a few cubes at a time. Stir the water until the cubes melt. Continue adding ice until you see condensation forming on the surface of the jar.
Buy or build a hygrometer. The type of hygrometer you need will depend on the purpose for which you intend to use the humidity reading. If you just want to determine the humidity level in your home, you can assemble a regular hygrometer according to the wet / dry bulb method. If you need an accurate moisture estimate environment for conservation or other scientific purposes, then it is better to buy a real hygrometer. Before purchasing a hygrometer, you should consider the following points:
The air we breathe is one of the main factors affecting our health. In this article, we will talk about how to measure the humidity in a room so that you can always remain in good health and feel cheerful, comfortable and full of energy.
Optimal air humidity in the apartment
Air that is comfortable for the whole body should have a humidity within 45%. But for each room, this parameter can fluctuate within acceptable rates:
- Cabinet and library - 40-45%.
- Dining room, bathroom, kitchen and living room - 40-60%.
- Adult bedroom - 40-50%.
- Children's room - 45-60%.
- change of seasons;
- change of weather;
- Job heating appliances and air conditioner;
- features of materials used for interior and facade decoration.
Therefore, you need to know how to measure the humidity in the room in order to maintain the optimal mode.
Important! These factors can reduce the level of humidity by at least 20%.
High humidity harm
A visible sign of a violation of the humidity level in the greater direction in the room is fogged up “crying” windows. Things get excessive dampness, an unpleasant musty smell appears, and mold begins to develop in the corners.
As you know, mold fungus is not safe for human health microorganism. It can provoke serious illnesses:
- Allergies that turn into asthma.
- Decreased immunity.
- Diathesis in infants.
- Frequent headaches.
- Rapid development of cancer cells.
- Otitis.
- Bronchitis.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
And this is just the beginning of the list of those terrible health problems that high humidity can cause. Therefore, one must be able to determine the humidity of the air at home in order to exclude such problems.
Important! The healing process with air humidity above 60% takes a long time and is defective.
Danger of dry air
The problem of dry air is especially relevant during the hot season, when the ambient temperature rises significantly. This leads to the fact that dust, pollen, animal dander and other allergens easily move around rooms and do not settle on furniture. Thus, it is easier for them to get into human body through the respiratory tract and cause a serious reaction. This is especially dangerous for young children.
Important! When you stay for a long time in a room with dry air, moisture evaporates from the skin. This leads to a cooling of the body.
In addition, dry air causes the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to dry out, which makes the organs vulnerable to the action of microbes. It is difficult to work in a room with dry air, even for a very efficient person, as the body gets tired quickly. A person constantly experiences a feeling of drowsiness. Increased static electricity is also common in these areas.
Important! Pediatricians claim that dry air is the cause of changes in the normal functioning of the kidneys and the development of dysbiosis, even in healthy children..
How to determine the humidity in the apartment?
If the air in your apartment is too humid or, on the contrary, dry, then you need to take some measures to establish its optimal level. But first, you should familiarize yourself with how to determine the humidity at home. There are several ways to do this.
Hygrometer
Using this device is the simplest and most reliable option. When choosing a hygrometer, you should pay attention to its accuracy. Measurement deviation should be no more than 1%.
Important! Similar devices on modern market are multifunctional devices. Besides measuring humidity, they can show temperature, pressure, clock and other data.
Glass beaker
This method is not accurate, but if necessary, it will help you understand the moisture values. The necessary items for the implementation of such a task are probably in the arsenal of every housewife.
Procedure:
- Fill glass vessel cold water.
- Chill the contents of the glass to 3-5 degrees.
- Place the vessel in the room away from heating appliances and analyze the result.
Result evaluation:
- The walls of the vessel were fogged up, but after about 10 minutes they became dry. This result indicates an extremely low humidity level.
- The misted walls of the glass did not dry out even after 5-10 minutes and the drops flow into the glass. Such indicators indicate high humidity air.
- Condensation on the walls glass containers, has not evaporated, but also does not run off in large drops. This effect indicates that the moisture in the air is within normal limits.
Thermometer
The measurement of air humidity with a thermometer is carried out according to the principle of operation of a psychrometer.
Procedure:
- First, you need to measure the air temperature with a standard mercury thermometer. Record your readings.
- Wrap the head of the device with wet wet cotton wool or gauze and, after 10 minutes, evaluate the thermometer readings.
- Subtract the wet bulb reading from the dry bulb temperature.
- Find the resulting difference by the values of a special Assman psychometric table, determining the level of humidity in the room you need.
How to increase air humidity?
Knowing how to check the humidity in the apartment, you will see, albeit not an accurate, but an approximate picture of the real situation. Thanks to this, you can take the following steps to saturate it with moisture.
Humidifier
As a rule, such devices are designed to work in rooms with an area of up to 150 square meters... The principle of its operation is as follows: water is poured into a special tank to a certain level. When the humidifier is in operation, the water evaporates and saturates the air with its molecules.
There are three types of humidifiers.
Traditional type
A mechanical humidifier fulfills its mission with a built-in fan. It drives air through a special container with water, as a result of which the air is cleaned of dust and saturated with moisture.
Important! A significant drawback of such a device is high level noise during operation and limited humidification. A traditional humidifier can only raise the humidity up to 60%.
Steam type
A similar appliance works in the same way as a kettle. The water boils and comes out in the form of steam. Some models have special nozzles for inhalation. Thus, the device can be used not only to increase air humidity, but also to treat the respiratory tract.
Important! A steam humidifier can increase the air humidity to over 60%.
Flaws:
- Hot steam, the temperature of which reaches 60 degrees, can lead, if safety rules are not followed, damage to human skin and the surface of nearby objects.
- High noise level during operation.
- Power consumption is quite high.
Ultrasonic type
Such a device, thanks to a built-in special membrane, turns water into steam. It is less noisy than mechanical and steam humidifiers. The presence of the water heating function contributes to effective fight with germs in the air.
Works only with distilled water or with special purification cartridges to purify and soften liquids. The latter should be changed regularly.
Important! When choosing a humidifier, be sure to consider the size of the room. Otherwise, its use may result in excessive moisture.
Folk ways to increase humidity
In the absence of a humidifier, you can use simple folk methods not only to determine the humidity in the room at home, but also to correct the situation.
In this case, the following measures are suitable:
- The easiest way is to place a wet towel or sheet on top of the radiator. When the fabric heats up, water will evaporate from the fabric. After the towel has dried, it should be wetted again.
- An analogue of the first method is placing containers with water on heating devices. It will be necessary to add water to the inside of the container every few days.
- You can place a container of water on pieces of furniture, such as a closet. With this method, the water does not evaporate as quickly as on the battery, but still, the humidity rises.
Important! An aquarium with fish also has a beneficial effect on air humidity, like any other container with water.
- For the next method, you will need a bowl of water and a bandage. Having put a cup of water near the battery, one end of the bandage should be placed in the water, and the other should be fixed on the heating element. The water will constantly rise along the threads of the bandage and evaporate into the air with the help of the heat emanating from the battery.
- If the air is too dry, drying the washed laundry in the room can humidify it.
- Availability of large quantities indoor plants has a beneficial effect on the normalization of the level of air humidity.
- After shower, leave open door in the bathroom. Thus, you get rid of excess moisture in the bathroom and saturate the air of other rooms with it.
How to lower humidity?
If in the rooms elevated level humidity, then you should do the dehumidification of the air.
Air Dryer
A special device will effectively and quickly remove excess moisture from the air. It drives air through the “evaporator”, where, due to the temperature difference, the moisture is converted into condensation. Water droplets run down inside a specially designed container. The air warms up again and returns to the room.
Important! When buying such a unit, you should pay attention to its performance, which is measured by the number of liters per day.
A dehumidifier for domestic needs can absorb from 12 to 300 liters of water per day and is of two types: portable and stationary:
- The first version of the device can be transferred from one room to another.
- The second, however, cannot be moved to another room, since it is mounted on the wall.
Important! Dehumidifiers can even be used in cold rooms. The frost formed during operation is automatically removed. If the water tank is completely filled and untimely emptying, the dehumidifier automatically turns off.
Moisture absorber
Such a device is very convenient to use in small rooms. A special tablet, which is included in the device, adsorbs water from the air. It is designed mainly for an area of up to 20 square meters.
Important! The main disadvantage of the absorber is the need for frequent tablet changes.
As a rule, such a device is used when high humidity occurs during a certain season.
Important! The absorber is very convenient to use, does not make noise during operation, has a compact size and a favorable cost.
Traditional methods of lowering humidity
In order not to spend money on the purchase of special devices, and if the issue of high humidity is not critical, then you can use one of simple ways available to everyone:
- Regular ventilation, even in rainy weather, helps to reduce the amount of moisture in the room air. The more often the airing is carried out, the more the air dries.
- Sun exposure through unscreened windows helps dry out the room.
- In rooms where ventilation is impossible, for example, in a toilet or bathroom, it is necessary to get rid of increased moisture with an extractor hood. However, they often do not cope with a heavy load. The installation of an exhaust fan comes to the rescue.
In addition, they can help Appliances that are used for other purposes as well.
- An oil radiator with a built-in fan is able to remove excess moisture from the air of a small room.
- Modern air conditioners regulate not only the air temperature in the room, but also the humidity level.
Important! It is interesting that air temperature and humidity are important not only for humans:
- indoor plants also need a certain moisture content - from 40 to 70%;
Take the problem of dry or too humid air seriously. If there are problems with this, then you need to quickly solve them, because they can result, at least, in poor health.
The reason for the relapse of allergic and respiratory diseases can be the microclimate in the room: temperature, absolute and relative humidity. Normal values these parameters create favorable conditions for a person to live in an apartment or a private house. But how is air humidity measured? The answer is simple: a hygrometer or a psychrometer.
Before purchasing a device, you should find out about its advantages and disadvantages.
One of the undoubted advantages of the device for determining the moisture content in the air space is its ease of use.
Optimal values
Humidity in the apartment - the degree of air saturation with vapors. It is measured as a percentage of the actual amount of moisture to the maximum possible value at the same temperature. Its increased parameters are easy to determine: appears mold in the corners of the room, the person aggravates chronic diseases, immunity decreases. With low humidity in the room, wooden furniture quickly deteriorates, and family members experience unpleasant sensations of dryness of the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes. If there is no moisture in the surrounding space, then the dust does not settle on surfaces for a long time, but remains in the air, penetrates the bronchi and lungs.
The target location of the room determines the optimum humidity parameters. The norm is expressed in percentage:
- living room - 50-60%;
- bedroom - 45-50%;
- children - 50-60%;
- cabinet - 40-45%;
- kitchen and bathroom - up to 60%.
The values obtained in the measurement process are influenced by many factors - the season, the power of the heating radiators, the region of residence.
Experts operate with two types of humidity:
- relative;
- absolute.
The last value shows how much moisture is in a cubic meter (how the air in the room is measured). In everyday life, the absolute indicator is practically not used.
Moisture parameters can be determined using indoor plants. If the leaves curl and turn yellow, harmful insects often settle on them, then the air in the room is very dry. When flowers appear brown spots, and the roots begin to rot, which means that there is an excess of water in the surrounding space.
The relative humidity of the air is measured using devices that are convenient for a person without special skills in working with complex devices... This parameter is quite sufficient for determining the moisture content in the surrounding space.
Types of devices
At home, measure the humidity different ways, but the most objective values are obtained using special devices: a hygrometer and a psychrometer.
Air humidity is measured using a hygrometer, the principle of which is based on fixing variables with an increase or decrease in the concentration of water molecules in the surrounding space. Under such conditions, the physical parameters (density, mass, length) of the structure of the material used in the measurement process and actively absorbing moisture change. The results obtained will characterize the degree of water vapor saturation of the surrounding space. Before measuring the humidity with a hygrometer, it should be taken into account that the values will be approximate.
In specialized stores, hygrometers are presented in a wide range. They are:
- hairy;
- by weight;
- condensing;
- electrolytic;
- ceramic.
For domestic use of the device, special accuracy is not required. It is easy to determine the relative humidity with a hygrometer, but there are performance characteristics device.
Before measuring the humidity of the air, you need to take into account the features of using a hygrometer:
- always make sure that the material to be moistened is wet and clean;
- do not place the device near air conditioners or radiators.
The principle of operation of a hygrometer is based on comparing the readings of a thermometer in contact with wet material and a thermometer that records values in a real environment. The results are determined using the usual graduated scale. The difference in parameters is checked against the data of the psychometric table, regardless of which device the values were obtained from.
To measure air humidity using a psychrometer, you need to understand the principle of its operation. When the liquid evaporates, the ambient temperature drops. The more intense the evaporation, the cooler the air becomes, which is what the device determines. This process is influenced by a complex of factors:
- concentration of water vapor;
- the speed of air flows in the room.
Considering the temperature difference wet material and air, the rate of evaporation can be determined. If the device is located near a window or fan, then the obtained values will not be accurate due to the circulation of streams.
Relative air humidity is measured using the following types of psychrometers:
- stationary;
- remote;
- aspiration.
The latter are considered the most accurate and reliable devices. It is very easy to measure air humidity using an Assman psychrometer - the device is equipped with a protective case. Therefore, the values obtained are not affected by the air flow velocity.
Handy ways
One of the informative methods by which you can determine the humidity in the apartment is to observe a burning candle. In a room with a normal microclimate, its flame is strong, even. With an excessive moisture content in the surrounding space, the candle flame fluctuates from side to side, and scarlet blotches appear on its edge. Do not forget that air humidity is measured in this way when closed windows and doors.
You can determine the water vapor content using a regular glass of water. After placing it in the refrigerator, you should wait about an hour. During this time, the temperature of the liquid will drop to 3-4 ° C. The relative humidity of the air is detected after removing the glass and observing the ongoing evaporation processes:
- the walls of the vessel remain fogged up - the moisture content is within normal limits;
- dry walls - low air humidity;
- condensate flows down - there is a lot of water vapor in the surrounding area.
If the laundry dries quickly in the room, you should think about purchasing a humidifier. And the dampness of objects from fabrics indicates the content excess amount moisture in the room.
What device to use is up to the owner of the premises. People who care about their health and strive to maintain all microclimate parameters within the normal range equip their apartment with a real home weather station. Manufacturers have established the production of devices equipped with a barometer, hygrometer and thermometer. Of course, such a device cannot be cheap. But all the costs are quickly paid off - the owners of the premises save on medicines for family members, they do not have to change the wallpaper and upholstered furniture damaged by the fungus.
IT IS FASHIONABLE TO LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TODAY. WE MONITOR YOUR DIET, EXERCISE, AND OUR AIR QUALITY. MICROCLIMATE TODAY IN TREND. BUT IF ABOUT THE PERSONAL ATMOSPHERE CLEANLINESS IS ALREADY KNOWN ENOUGH, THEN OTHER, NOT LESS IMPORTANT PARAMETERS RISE QUESTIONS - WHY DO THEY NEED AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM. AND HERE A PERSON COMMONLY RUNS TO VERY STRANGE METHODS, I WILL TELL ABOUT THEM BELOW.
Air humidity in an apartment, in fact, is the sum of the amount of water vapor in the microclimate of each room. It would seem that we ourselves are mostly composed of water, is its presence in the air so important? In fact, the amount of water in the air affects your well-being. The normal amount of water in the air according to international standards is 40 to 60%. This level contributes to well-being, deep sleep, the same "sparkle" in the eyes and radiance of the skin. Moreover, the level of humidity affects the condition of all mucous membranes, which means it makes breathing easier, which is especially important for asthmatics and allergy sufferers.
When the humidity drops to a level of less than 40%, we feel the first signs of a lack of moisture: fatigue increases, drowsiness appears, and a headache is possible. If the air humidity in the apartment becomes even less, the human body begins to give off moisture itself, which leads to dry skin and mucous membranes, which, in turn, leads to even less pleasant consequences - a decrease in immunity, increased susceptibility to infections carried by airborne droplets ...
The air humidity in the apartment affects not only us, but also the quality of our home. Wooden furniture and parquet flooring is very difficult to tolerate both the lack of humidity and its drops. Normal humidity the apartment is also required for books and documents, especially old editions, appliances and houseplants. Freshly pasted wallpaper, dropped ceilings and other lovingly chosen and made interior details are also affected by humidity. For example, if you made repairs before heating season, then after starting the batteries with improper ventilation and too much high humidity wallpaper may peel or ripple.
The rate of air humidity in an apartment depends on several factors: the general humidity of the region, the season, temperature, and the level of carbon dioxide. Together, these data form an overall picture of the microclimate of a particular region and even each house. Thus, even easy installation A humidifier in an apartment may not only fail to solve the problem, but even aggravate it and bring undesirable consequences if there is no humidity monitoring tool in the house.
What air humidity should be in the apartment and how to measure the humidity in the apartment? Sooner or later, these questions come to everyone who wants to monitor the state of the microclimate of their home. A device for measuring humidity in an apartment is, in fact, necessary. However, if it is not at hand, you can use the "old-fashioned" method: fill a glass with chilled water and leave it in the refrigerator for several hours - until the water cools down to 3-5 degrees Celsius. Then the glass should be placed in the room where you want to measure the humidity, away from batteries and heaters.
The walls of the glass will fog up from the temperature difference, watch them for 10 minutes:
- If during this time the walls of the glass are completely dry, the air in the room is very dry.
- If large drops have formed on the walls and “rain in a glass” has begun, the air humidity is excessive. It is harmless for humans, but books and furniture can be damaged.
- If the surface of the walls is covered with small droplets, the air in the room is of medium humidity.
Of course, the accuracy of this method is far from desired. And others folk remedies they cannot boast of this quality. For example, it is also practiced to measure moisture from a spruce branch or cone. It is recommended to fasten a branch with a length of 20 to 30 centimeters on the board and mark the level of the unsecured part. Every day you need to track the weather forecast and the height of the branch. Under the influence of moisture, the unsecured end begins to sink. After a week or two, you will get an idea of the approximate level of humidity and its fluctuations in your home. A spruce cone works similarly to a glass of water: in dry air, it opens, moist air contributes to the compression of the scales.
The humidity in the apartment can be measured with more accurate instruments. The most common are a hygrometer and a common household thermometer. Hygrometers are based on different principles, however, when buying, it is worth choosing a device whose measurement error will be no more than 1 percent, otherwise the benefit from it will be slightly more than from a glass of water. Mechanical hygrometers are considered more accurate, but much depends on the manufacturer and the method of measurement.
Measurement of humidity in an apartment using a thermometer is carried out using psychrometric table... This can be done as follows: first you need to measure the base temperature of the room and write down this value. Then the part of the thermometer where the mercury head is located must be wrapped with wet cotton wool and after 10 minutes, re-record the value of the thermometer. The difference between the mercury columns will become the source of the moisture indicator, it must be checked using a special table:
| Indications dry thermometer, ° C |
Difference between dry and wet thermometer readings, ° С | ||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Relative humidity,% | |||||||||||
| 12 | 100 | 89 | 78 | 68 | 57 | 48 | 38 | 29 | 20 | 11 | - |
| 13 | 100 | 89 | 79 | 69 | 59 | 49 | 40 | 31 | 23 | 14 | 6 |
| 14 | 100 | 89 | 79 | 70 | 60 | 51 | 42 | 34 | 25 | 17 | 9 |
| 15 | 100 | 90 | 80 | 71 | 61 | 52 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 12 |
| 16 | 100 | 90 | 81 | 71 | 62 | 54 | 46 | 37 | 30 | 22 | 15 |
| 17 | 100 | 90 | 81 | 72 | 64 | 55 | 47 | 39 | 32 | 24 | 17 |
| 18 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 73 | 65 | 56 | 49 | 41 | 34 | 27 | 20 |
| 19 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 74 | 65 | 58 | 50 | 43 | 35 | 29 | 22 |
| 20 | 100 | 91 | 83 | 74 | 66 | 59 | 51 | 44 | 37 | 30 | 24 |
| 21 | 100 | 91 | 83 | 75 | 67 | 60 | 52 | 46 | 39 | 32 | 26 |
| 22 | 100 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 68 | 61 | 54 | 47 | 40 | 34 | 28 |
| 23 | 100 | 92 | 84 | 76 | 69 | 61 | 55 | 48 | 42 | 36 | 30 |
| 24 | 100 | 92 | 84 | 77 | 69 | 62 | 56 | 49 | 43 | 37 | 31 |
| 25 | 100 | 92 | 84 | 77 | 70 | 63 | 57 | 50 | 44 | 38 | 33 |
The humidity in the room, measured in such ways, will give more accurate data on the microclimate of the apartment, but they will still not be accurate, since they are situational, do not take into account the data on the level of carbon dioxide and do not give a complete picture.
Our health and well-being directly depend on the microclimate in the apartment. Allergic and respiratory diseases often occur from excessive dryness of the air. Therefore, if you want to avoid many ailments, make sure that there are always favorable conditions in the room. But to maintain them, you need to know how the air humidity is measured and how to correctly correct it.
Optimal values
High humidity in the apartment can be determined even without special devices. Her messengers are mold in the corners and a decrease in immunity in residents. Everyone suffers from low humidity: not only people, but also the surrounding objects. It negatively affects wooden furniture, which begins to dry out and crack. People have problems such as irritation of the respiratory system and the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose.
So that the microclimate in living quarters has always been favorable, it is necessary to regularly measure air humidity and correct them depending on the result. The humidity in the apartment is determined as a percentage. Moreover, each living room has its own norm. For example, in the living room and nursery, it should be 50-60%, in the bedroom - 45-50%, in the bathroom and in the kitchen - no more than 60%.
The results are influenced by indicators such as the season, region of residence and the power of heating radiators. It should also be borne in mind that there are 2 types of humidity: relative and absolute. In everyday life, relative indicators are used. To determine them, you should use special devices.
Types of devices
To measure humidity, practice different ways... But with the help of measuring instruments, the indicators are more accurate. Most often, a hygrometer and a psychometer are used in everyday life.
The principle of operation of the hygrometer is based on recording the concentration of water molecules in the ambient air. On sale you can find different types similar devices... They differ in appearance, design and purpose. According to the principle of the device, there are weight, hair, condenser and psychometric hygrometers.
The weight option determines the amount of water vapor (in grams) per 1 cu. m. The principle of operation of the psychometric is to measure the difference between the readings of dry and wet thermometers. The hair hygrometer is based on human hair, which is shortened or lengthened depending on the relative humidity of the air. The condenser type is based on the technology of air cooling to the "dew point" and the formation of water vapor. Typically, apartments use psychometric or hair hygrometers. They are easier to use than others, reliable and accurate.
Hygrometers are psychometric, hair, weight and condenser.
Often, air humidity is measured with a psychometer. This device resembles a thermometer with two scales. The surface always remains dry first. The second part of the thermometer is wrapped in a damp cloth. Due to moisture evaporation, the indicators on this scale are lower than on dry ones. The less moisture in the ambient air, the more intensive the evaporation is. The difference between dry and wet scale will indicate the humidity level in the air. To calculate it, you need to use a special table.
Measuring moisture by folk methods
If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a special device, then you can measure air humidity using folk devices. For these purposes, use a regular glass cup filled with water. Put it in the refrigerator and cool to +3 ... +5 ° С. Then place the chilled glass away from heating appliances and observe it for 5-10 minutes.
If during this time the condensation on the glass is completely dry, it means that the air in the room is very dry. Excessive moisture can be identified by large drops that form on the surface and flow down in streams. If the condensate does not dry out and does not flow after the indicated time, the humidity in the room is within normal limits.
Often, air humidity is measured with an ordinary mercury thermometer. This process is quite laborious and takes place in 2 stages. Measure the room temperature first in the usual way and commit the result. Then wrap the head of the thermometer with wet cotton wool or gauze and leave for 8-10 minutes. Record the temperature readings again. Now, using a special table, determine the difference between the two numbers.
Ways to increase humidity
If you do not want unnecessary health problems, pay attention to the level of humidity in the apartment. If necessary, be sure to take steps to regulate it.
Remember to ventilate the room. However, keep in mind that this method does not always give the desired result. For example, in summer, the air outside is most often dry, so ventilation will not play a significant role in increasing humidity.
Do periodically wet cleaning... Ideally, it should be done 2 times a day: morning and evening.
If possible, install an aquarium in the apartment. Just remember to add evaporating water to it.
Place containers of water throughout the apartment. It is best to place them on windowsills or near heating radiators.
Increase the number of indoor plants. So you can not only regulate the humidity of the air, but you will also track it without unnecessary devices. If you find yellowed and wrinkled leaves in the pots, take immediate steps to increase the moisture level.
Purchase a household humidifier for your home. It will perfectly cope with dryness, will significantly improve the microclimate in the house, will have a beneficial effect on the skin, preventing its aging, and will relieve the occurrence of respiratory diseases.
Now you know different ways to measure the humidity in the apartment. Which one to use is up to you. However, remember that special meters are more accurate and easier to use.