Ideal Indoor Humidity Levels as the Temperatures Fall

The dry air is not something we've had to deal with too much this season, but dew point temperatures are going to be dropping by quite a bit Thursday night and Friday morning.


As the temperature outside drops many of us begin to turn on the heat, causing the air inside our home to dry out even further.  Too much dry air could cause some issues for folks who have respiratory problems, or those who suffer from frequent bloody noses.


When we turn the heat on the air from the outside is brought indoors and heated.  As the air heats, moisture is taken out causing humidity levels inside the home to drop.  That's why it's important to monitor the humidity levels inside your home.  Too much humidity can cause condensation on windows and potential mold issues, but too little humidity can cause problems as well, not only for you, but for your home.


Ideally, you want to keep the humidity inside your home anywhere from 25/30 percent to 40/50 percent.  Anything more than 50 percent may be too high, and anything less than 25 percent will most likely be too dry.  Those numbers also depend on the temperature outside.  When the temperature is above 50 degrees, the relative humidity inside your home shouldn't be more than 45 or 50 percent.  If the outside temperature is anywhere from zero degrees to 20 degrees, relative humidity inside the home should be roughly between 25 percent and 35 percent.  The best way to monitor your indoor humidity is by using a hygrometer.  A hygrometer is an instrument used for measuring water vapor in the atmosphere.  Another way to monitor the humidity is with a whole house humidifier and dehumidifier.  They work with your homes heating and cooling systems, but could be more costly.