International. Soler & Palau shares a series of recommendations to achieve an ideal humidity level, which plays a very important role when it comes to having indoor air quality levels.
The five recommendations are as follows:
1. Indoor Humidity
Ambient humidity refers to the presence of water vapor in the air. This is one of the parameters to be measured to determine the quality of the indoor environment in buildings. To establish optimal conditions of comfort within the house, not only the relative humidity, the dry air temperature, the average radiant temperature of the enclosures of the enclosures and the average air velocity are taken into account, but also the metabolic activity and the degree of clothing of the people who are inside the room are valued.
Consequently, the optimal interior conditions of the buildings vary from winter to summer. According to the parameters established in the RITE, the Regulation of thermal installations in buildings, the interior conditions in winter should be between 21-23 ºC and 40-50% relative humidity. While in summer, the temperature will be between 23-25 ºC and the relative humidity at 45-60%.
2. Comfort and Health
The maintenance of the home environment within the parameters indicated above guarantees a level of comfort for users or residents of buildings, in particular homes, since it is where we spend much of the day.
As humidity is one of the factors that most influence the achievement of this comfort, it is important to take into account the indoor air quality requirements that the RITE establishes on it.
The requirements of the RITE are decisive in the regulation of the ideal humidity of a house and health in general. This is because it not only takes into account the feeling of comfort of the users and inhabitants, but also ensures their health: the maximum relative humidity data mentioned above of 60%, is the maximum that should be reached if we want to avoid condensation that gives rise to the appearance of mold and harmful microorganisms for health.
3. Measure Air Humidity
To measure the humidity of the air, hygrometers are used: equipment that during the last decades has evolved to have a size of a USB and be fully digitized. This fact is a reflection of the increasing relevance that humidity takes on our daily environment.
The most modern hygrometers measure temperature and relative humidity (with date and times of records) and calculate complementary parameters such as dew point. They allow up to 17,000 records, so they store information to continuously track a specific stay for a long period of time.
4. Intelligent ventilation systems and their influence on ideal relative humidity
Ventilation is closely related to the level of humidity inside the house, which affects the energy consumption needed to maintain a comfortable and healthy environment in the different rooms of the home.
Installing an intelligent ventilation system helps to avoid high concentrations of humidity thanks to its extraction from wet areas such as bathrooms or kitchen, thus keeping the indoor air within adequate humidity levels.
Poor ventilation can bring health problems to the inhabitants of that space, since it can lead to high percentages of humidity and favor the concentration of different polluting elements. For example, a high percentage of humidity causes an increase in the presence of mold which considerably increases the risk of respiratory infections.
5. Advantages of installing an intelligent ventilation system
The main benefits of installing an intelligent ventilation system:
- Energy saving
- Reduces home energy demand
- Improved comfort levels
- Monitor indoor air quality
- Helps maintain ideal humidity levels
- Prevents health problems related to the presence of moisture in the house
Controlled Ventilation Demand (DCV) automatically controls the quantity and quality of air inside the home. These systems introduce a variable volume of air into the building which allows maximising the comfort of the house, while making more efficient use of energy. This translates into Controlled Ventilation Demand. This means an average energy saving of 40%.
These systems are the best current technical solution to ensure proper ventilation and avoid many problems related to poor air quality such as the proliferation of bacteria, dust mites, fungi and humidity.
Source: S&P:
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