Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

wfx_4 t1_j1cghng wrote

Reply to comment by perpetualwalnut in Old house, walls are cold by AliveConversation387

It’s my understanding that heating becomes less efficient when you exceed humidity levels of ~60%. In those conditions you are also likely to encounter black mould due to the moisture condensing on the coldest surfaces which would likely be the walls or ceiling since the windows have been shrink wrapped.

8

ShinyBlueThing t1_j1cjyno wrote

True, but with forced air or electric heat, you're also drying the air. Running a small humidifier on a low setting can make a huge difference in perceived warmth while the relative humidity is still quite low.

2

perpetualwalnut t1_j1dzx0q wrote

You aren't drying the air, but rather increasing the amount of moisture the air can hold by increasing it's temperature. By increasing the moisture contents after heating the air you decrease the rate of evaporation of moisture off your skin and thus making it feel warmer.

1

ShinyBlueThing t1_j1e2xr2 wrote

I think that the humidity level in my house would indicate otherwise. We have a dehumidifier that runs if the humidity goes over 60 percent and it doesn't run at all when the heat is on in winter, even with 2 small humidifiers running on low to prevent dangerous levels of dryness (without humidifiers we get nosebleeds, cracked lips and severely dry, chapped skin).

1

perpetualwalnut t1_j1e4v0u wrote

I think you explained it quite well; it goes in line with what I said.

When you heat the air, you increase the amount of moisture the air can hold and thus lowering it's % of moisture saturation.

1

perpetualwalnut t1_j1dptb6 wrote

In situations where humidity is less than 20% like at my house it helps a lot.

1