People have a general sense that high humidity is “bad,” but often don’t consider the consequences of low humidity, which can be just as extreme. The ideal humidity level is balanced between the two. For example, when it comes to comfort, the ideal relative humidity level is 45%. Above 60% is too humid, and below 30% is too dry.
However, we’re specifically addressing the needs of commercial buildings when it comes to humidification. These can be complicated, and we strongly recommend any commercial facility have a commercial humidification system to balance indoor relative humidity. We offer commercial humidification and air cleaning systems in Chicago, IL that can solve your troubles with imbalanced moisture levels in your facility.
There are many benefits to commercial humidification control. Some will affect your business more than others, but almost any business will find humidification control advantageous.
Comfort and Productivity
We’ll start with the most immediate effect of balanced humidity: it improves comfort for the people in your facility. When humidity is too high, it makes it harder for the human body to release heat through perspiration, making the air feel hotter. When humidity is too low, the opposite happens: heat escapes the body too quickly and makes the air feel colder. With that right 45% relative humidity, you’ll make your employees more comfortable and productive. You’ll also make any customers, clients, or tenants happier as well.
Better Energy Efficiency
As part of improving comfort conditions in a facility, humidification control boosts energy efficiency from the HVAC system. A heater won’t need to run for as long during the winter, and an air conditioning system won’t need to work overtime in summer. Not only does this lower HVAC costs, it reduces stress on the equipment so they have longer service lives.
Improved health conditions
Balanced humidity helps create a healthier workplace. High humidity encourages the growth of dangerous molds that release toxic spores into the air. On the other hand, dry air affects people’s sinuses, allowing for the rapid spread of illness from one person to another. Proper humidity levels place enough moisture in the air to cause harmful airborne particles to drop out of the air, which removes both mold spores and dust, as well as bacteria and other harmful contaminants.
Prevent Static Electricity
Getting a shock from touching a doorknob at home is a nuisance. In a workplace, static electricity can be much worse if the facility uses sensitive electrical equipment or has special environmental needs. Workplace areas with a large amount of sensitive data equipment need to have humidity in a slightly higher range (40–60%) to prevent damage from static electricity. The right humidity balance can save a facility from data loss and expensive damage to equipment.
Increased Building Life
An environment with balanced humidity will last for longer than one that has fluctuations between high and low. Both humidity extremes affect furnishings, paint, varnishing, wood surfaces, furnishings, and more. Expect just about everything in your facility—including the facility itself—to last longer thanks to humidification control.
Althoff Industries, Inc. has served Chicagoland since 1962. Contact us today to learn more about our humidification control services—Challenges Accepted!