Semi-OT: Humidity

[Tim Clarke]

So, I have a new de-humidifier. Works fine, but I wonder what level of humidity I should aim for. Anybody have any experience?

Thanks in advance, Tim

[aostling]

Set it to zero, if you're planning on gluing anything which will subsequently be sent to Arizona. Here is a nice box my father made in Seattle, after I brought it down to this desert climate.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u183/aostling/warpedbox.jpg

[HSS]

40% is generally acceptable for indoor comfort.

[Duffy]

On the assumption that your house is modern and fairly airtight, then about 40% RH would be nice. In a climate like ours, we have to adjust for weather. When it is -25 F you will be lucky to get the RH UP to 25%, since the giant dehumidifiers that we call windows would be icing big time. Ah, the joys of a winter climate!

[bobw53]

Set it to zero, if you're planning on gluing anything which will subsequently be sent to Arizona.

Aostling, being one state over, I'm guessing that happened this spring when it was so godawful dry I could take a pair of jeans out of the washer and throw them over a chair inside and they were bone dry in under 1/2 hour. When you are getting a 37 degree drop on the swamp cooler, its DRY. When the dew point is 100 degrees off the actual temp, its dry, really dry.

I'd shoot for zero also, 100+ degrees is pretty comfy at 2-3% humidity.

[Al Messer]

Mine only goes down to 35%, but I keep it set on 40% and I still keep the spray can of WD-40 handy during damp weather. I rigged mine so that it is piped to the HVAC condensate drain pump so I do not have to daily empty the bucket.

[Your Old Dog]

Shoot for whatever will put the slightest steam on your windows, not enough to ruin the window casings but just enough to be visible.

30-40 percent is considered normal. You will find that you will feel warmer as the humidity increases so you actually save heating bill money. When the air is dry, you end up turning up the heat to feel comfortable.

They caution about too much moisture as you can cause as many problems as you solve.

As for the furniture, most made from well seasoned stock will be fine unless put near a window with raw sunshine slamming down on it. The honey toned oak pieces that we cherish get that way from years of light, not direct sunlight for a few days (assuming you aren't fuming it). The direct sunlight pieces are the ones you can get at garage sales and flea markets for a song and a dance ! :D

We have a built in humidifier on the furnace and it says, set at 15% for outside temps of -20, set at 25% for outside temp of 0, set at 25% for outside temp of +20 degrees.