- Why is fungus on the walls so dangerous to health?
- What other consequences of high humidity are?
- What devices can measure the humidity level
- What is the cause of high humidity and how to deal with it
- Choosing a dehumidifier: what types are there?
- What to look for when buying
- Rating of the most popular brands
Probably, it's not a secret for anyone that the fungus that appears on the walls due to high humidity is extremely dangerous to health! And, if you notice a black spot of mold in your home, then you need to not just get rid of it, but take care of creating a normal microclimate in the room. It is for these purposes that an air dehumidifier serves for a house and apartment.
If you do not purchase this device, then the cleaned off mold will still return, and quite quickly. But, not only the fungus is a factor undermining health. Let's figure it out in more detail, what's what, since excessive humidity is not a joke.
Why is fungus on the walls so dangerous to health?
If you see a stain on the wall, it means that there is already too much fungus. And the air is literally teeming with active spores.
Fungal spores are present in almost every room, but under unfavorable conditions for them, which means, with normal humidity, they are in a state of dormancy. The norm is 50-60%, but as soon as the pendulum swings up to 70%, the mushrooms begin to enter the active phase and multiply at an incredible speed, while releasing enzymes that destroy everything in their path.
Not only do they spoil the appearance of things, they also enter the body with a sigh, destroying the DNA of the cell! They weaken the immune system and sores begin to fall on a person, as if from a cornucopia, while every day the body accumulates toxic waste from their life, and this is a real poison that can even provoke oncology. Children, the elderly and people with congenital or acquired respiratory tract diseases, such as:
- Asthma
- Allergic rhinitis
- Chronic bronchitis
Therefore, as you can imagine, removing a mold stain is just an attempt to hide the consequences. And you need to overcome the root cause, namely, to adjust healthy humidity. But, you must also understand that not only a fungal infection threatens your well-being. The matter is much more global.
See also - Choosing an air ionizer for an apartment
What other consequences of high humidity are?
The most elementary: a constant chilly sensation and cold. Even if the temperature on the thermometer shows that in all respects the apartment should be warm, but you are still cold, then most likely the matter is in humidity. You can, of course, wear a warm sweater, but what about the bed, which seems to be dry, but at the same time too cold?
But that's not all! The most insidious thing about high humidity is that it disrupts the natural metabolism of a person, forcing organs to work for wear and tear. How? And like this: a normal body should receive 2-3 liters of moisture per day, and remove about 1 liter.But, if a person is constantly in a room with excessive humidity, then he unwittingly absorbs much more, and the body is simply not able to remove so much. Therefore, the remnants of moisture are deposited in the tissues, which complicates the work of the cardiac system, excretory and circulatory!
So much for the increased risk of heart attacks, kidney disease, liver disease and other life-shortening delights.
Food products, which in a normal environment are able to lie for two or three days (the same bread, for example), spoil too quickly in a wet environment. Literally in a matter of days, a green plaque forms on the bakery product and has to be thrown away, since it is impossible to use a product on which at least one small speck has appeared: it is already soaked through with spores that are simply invisible to the eye. And if you cut off the damaged area, nothing will change. The bread will still have fungi inside.
And, of course, a humid environment can spoil furniture, paintings, wooden floors ... But, compared to the harm inflicted to health every second, these material losses are sheer trifles.
See also - Making a humidifier with your own hands
What devices can measure the humidity level
The scary thing is that the high humidity is not particularly felt. If the air is dry, it becomes difficult to breathe, the skin begins to peel off, the hair breaks, the mucous membranes of the eyes dry out. But you don't feel moisture for the time being and you write off such effects as chilliness - on completely extraneous things.
If your home is located near the sea or a reservoir, or on the ground floor, or the ventilation system is not perfect, then you should purchase a special device and make sure what kind of microclimate is in the house at the moment. The device is called a hygrometer and has many modifications:
- Wall mounted
- Tabletop
- Mechanical
- Digital
Their prices are different. The more modern and more accurate the device is, the more expensive it is. By and large, the humidity in the apartment does not need to be measured every day, this is not a production room, where the slightest deviation can become critical. Therefore, you can use the old and proven method, for which you only need to have a regular glass and a refrigerator.
Fill a glass with water, not topping up to the top 2-3 cm and place it in the refrigerator. After about 5 hours, when the water temperature drops to 5 degrees, take it out and put it in a place far from heat sources (say, away from the battery). And now just watch what happens to your glass.
If the air in the room is dry: the edge fogs up at first, but dries up completely within 7-10 minutes.
If the air is excessively humid: condensation forms on the edge and literally begins to drain in drops after the same 7-10 minutes.
But if the climate is normal, then the edge will be just wet, without any large drops and will dry out no earlier than 25-30 minutes.
See also - The benefits and harms of household air humidifiers
What is the cause of high humidity and how to deal with it
In addition to purchasing a special dehumidifier, additional measures will need to be taken to prevent the accumulation of excess moisture. So what are the factors that lead to excess room humidity?
- Insufficient ventilation of the room, which may be the result of improper installation of plastic windows and roof
- Low plinth and thin outer walls that are not additionally insulated
- Small kitchen with a small window and no hood
- Lack of hood in the bathroom and toilet
- Too frequent cooking in the kitchen, which is accompanied by huge steam generation, but at the same time the windows are closed. Then moisture gradually begins to accumulate in the walls, which eventually leads to fungus.
It is imperative to deal with this and the first step is to buy a special dehumidifier. But, do not forget that the dehumidifier fights only with the consequences, and at the same time draws electricity. Therefore, you should definitely try to eliminate the root cause, at least a little.
Naturally, you cannot move your home from a wet lowland. But it is quite possible to insulate the basement, make a good blind area and a waterproof fur coat. Then the dehumidifier does not have to be turned on too often.
How the dehumidifier works and how it works
His principle is very simple. The device captures air that enters the condenser, the temperature of which is lower than in the room. And from this, the water in the gaseous state turns into condensate and flows into the tank, and the air returns back to the room, passing through the heating radiator. That is, the room is also additionally warmed up, which is necessary, since a humid room is always cooler than with a normal balance of dryness.
See also - DIY air humidifier care and cleaning
Choosing a dehumidifier: what types are there?
Dehumidifiers can be industrial, pool and household. The first two options are not of interest to us, since these are huge and very expensive colossus and for living quarters we only need a household dehumidifier, the price of which is quite acceptable and the range of coverage is not very large. For a day, such a device is able to remove 12-25 liters of excess moisture, and this, you see, is a pretty impressive figure.
But they differ in their characteristics and designs, therefore, before deciding on a purchase, you need to find out everything for sure. Moreover, if increased moisture is an eternal companion of your home, and you cannot lower it by any means, then you will have to buy two types of dehumidifiers.
Let's say the best option is a condensation dryer, which works on the principle of an air conditioner. As described above, it absorbs humid air and produces dry air. But its trouble is that it cannot be used in any way at subzero temperatures! This means that in countries with harsh climates and long winters, this option is a seasonal thing.
We used it in the summer and in the off-season, and for the winter it will be necessary to use another desiccant - sorbent type. Air, getting into it, passes through a special composition that retains this moisture, that is, it is a kind of desiccant. But, sorbents need to be changed regularly, which is why they are unprofitable for year-round use.
There is another type of dehumidifier that works on the principle of air exchange, and otherwise - assimilation. They take out the humid air right outside, and drive it in constantly fresh air. But this is a very expensive pleasure, since such a device must work constantly. For an apartment, this is a bad option, since it turns out too expensive in terms of energy consumption.
What to look for when buying
Noise level: The lower it is, the more comfortable you will feel. Remember that the optimal range is 40-50 decibels. If it is larger, it will begin to affect the nervous system with the belt. That is, you heal one thing and cripple the other. It is better to overpay a little right away, but buy a model that is safe in this regard.
Power: the more powerful the device, the faster it will drain the area. And although it consumes more energy, in the end, the savings will still be greater, since it copes with its task much faster than low-power models. And the service life of such dehumidifiers is longer.
Air exchange range: it is specified in the device parameters. But, in order to understand which one is optimal for you, you will need to calculate the volume of the room. To do this, you need to multiply the area of the room by the height of the ceilings. And already based on this figure, look at the technical characteristics. The number of the level of air exchange should be 3-4 times greater than the volume of the room. Do not need more, as this is fraught with the fact that you dry out the air. Do not take less either, since there will not be much sense in it.
See also - How to choose the perfect air conditioner for your home and apartment
Rating of the most popular brands
We offer you a list of the most popular brands that are popular with us:
These are all firms that specialize in HVAC equipment and have many options and models for every taste and budget. Of course, there are household dehumidifiers from lesser-known manufacturers, but we would recommend that you look closely at these four.
We have told you the most important thing to understand when choosing a dehumidifier for your home and apartment. We really hope that the information will be useful for you!
