Benefits of Having a Humidifier Installed in Your Building

As temperatures fall this winter, you’ll likely feel more physical effects than just the cold. In the winter, both indoor and outdoor air becomes drier. Cold temperatures make it more difficult for the air to hold moisture, and as a result humidity drops and the effects of low humidity set in. To keep the humidity at acceptable levels in your commercial building, in can be helpful to have a humidifier installed that is powerful enough to provide extra moisture throughout the structure.

Understanding Relative Humidity

Relative humidity is defined as the amount of moisture in the air compared to how much moisture the same volume of air can hold before becoming saturated. In more general terms, relative humidity describes how much water vapor is in either indoor or outdoor air. The amount of moisture in the air affects individual comfort, respiratory health, the operation of equipment, and even the condition of your indoor environment.

In general, an indoor relative humidity level of 30 to 50 percent is sufficient to maintain personal comfort and stop other issues associated with dry air and low humidity. If you have a humidifier installed in your building, it will be relatively easy to maintain this optimal humidity level throughout the winter.

What Are the Effects of Low Humidity?

When the humidity in your commercial facility is low, there can be several different effects, such as:

• Physical discomfort: Employees and customers can experience significant physical discomfort in low-humidity environments. If the indoor air is too dry, it can aggravate asthma and allergies. It can also cause coughing, irritated eyes and noses, breathing issues, cracked lips, and itchy skin. You may feel cooler than the actual temperature of the room, since dry air absorbs moisture from your skin, producing a cooling effect similar to that you feel when your perspire. Dry indoor spaces also increase the possibility of static shocks, which can cause those startling and painful zaps of electricity you sometimes feel after walking across a carpet and touching a metal object such as doorknob.
• Damage to equipment: Static electricity buildup can also cause damage to electronics and related equipment. In a dry environment, the wooden structures of your building can be damaged by cracking, shrinking, and warping. This can affect wooden building frames, flooring, paneling, and furniture.

Having a Humidifier Installed in Your Building

A whole-building humidifier is the best solution to dry air and low humidity in your commercial facility. Whether an office building, a warehouse, a manufacturing line, or other commercial space, a humidifier that can increase the moisture levels in the air can improve comfort, prevent damage, and increase employee productivity and morale.

Large-scale humidifiers can add moisture directly to the air inside your building. They are usually installed alongside your furnace or other heating system. The warm air that is produced by your HVAC equipment is routed into the humidifier before it is distributed throughout your building. Inside the humidifier, the unit adds water vapor to the air, which increases humidity levels.

When the humidified warm air enters your building, it boosts humidity in the entire facility and provides the benefits of a more consistent level of humidity. Remember that whole-building humidifiers will require a connection to your plumbing system for a steady supply of water.

Smaller portable humidifiers are also available, but they are not powerful enough to provide humidity increases for spaces much larger than a single room. Ask your local trusted HVAC contractor for recommendations on humidifiers and indoor humidification. He can help you find a whole-building with enough functional capacity to provide enough humidification for your entire facility.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection, and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial, and Residential settings. For more information on the benefits of having a humidifier installed in your commercial building, or to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!