Controlling Humidity in Your Facility: A Year

Updated: Feb 15, 2023

While some might think humidity is only a problem in the summer, the wrong amount of humidity in a facility can be an issue year-round. Facilities professionals should therefore ensure their facilities have the correct amount of humidity not just for the comfort of their occupants but also to avoid damage to the building and the materials in it, such as electronics that cannot be in extremely high or extremely low humidity settings due to their internal components. Doing so can save on both aggravation and costs.

Humidity is usually measured using “relative humidity,” which looks at the percentage of water vapor at a specific temperature. According to the National Weather Service, hotter air can hold more water vapor, while colder air can hold less.

Facilities professionals often deal with problems of high humidity during the warmer months. According to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, some of the damage the moisture from high humidity can cause in buildings can include:

Facility occupants exposed to damp conditions due to high humidity can experience:

Low humidity is often a problem during colder months. According to a report by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), aspects of buildings both inside and out that can be damaged by low humidity can include:

Specifically, damages could include cracking, dry rot, warping, gluing failures, and curling of stock.

Facility occupants exposed to dry conditions with low humidity can experience:

According to the AHRI, the optical humidity level is between 30% and 60%. The organization recommends that facilities professionals consider several solutions to bring humidity to the correct amount, including:

Increasing humidity through steam technologies. Water is heated in a reservoir, and the water is converted to steam. These technologies do not greatly impact a building’s temperature, and examples include:

Increasing humidity through diabatic technologies. The AHRI says these reduce heat through a change in air pressure and have a cooling effect on temperature. Examples include:

According to the Mayo Clinic, humidity can be decreased through:

Having the appropriate humidity levels is important for the health of your facility, its resources, and its occupants. Facilities professionals who do not have HVAC experience should reach out to HVAC professionals about what solution is best for them and their facilities.