Humidity % Question (In House)

[FDUTTON]

Hey guys, What is the % of humidity in your house during the winter season? I have not used a humidifier for 5 years and I am starting to notice alot of drywall tape lifting and the house just feels dry, I do put water on the stove every day. Today I bought a humidifier that claims it will handle up to 2900sqft, my house is a little over 2000sqft.

I read the manual and it says the ideal humidity should be around 35-40%. I turned the unit on and the display read that my house is at 42%, I was thinking I was going to be around 20%. The manual says you dont want to be over 50%, so I set it to 50% humidity. My stove was burning very low today, just because it was 35* outside and my house was about 75*. I installed the humidifier around 3:00 when it read 42%.

Could the reason I have 42% humidity be because my stove was just about burned out or does it take days for the % to go up after you stop burning? Like I said I thought my humidity % was going to be very low, but it was decent. I will leave it on 50% and see what happens. Any input would be great, Thank you

Frank

 

[EatenByLimestone]

At 50% mildew can start to form.

Matt

 

[SteveT]

I'd question the accuracy of your humidity reading.... if you had that much humidity the house wouldn't feel dry. And with cold outside air I don't see how it could be that high without a humidifier. EDIT -- maybe your unit was near the hot water on the stove and reading very localized humidity?

I run a humidifier full time in the winter, putting about 3 to 5 gallons a day into the air. House is about the same size as yours and pretty well insulated (no major leaks). We typically get humidity readings between 32 and 38 % RH or so.

 

[stop drop & roll]

I set mine for 50% with fan speed on low and it usually stays running around 45%. As soon as I open the sliding door to get some more wood, the % drops way down but comes back up fairly quickly. I also have a remote humidity sensor at the far end of the room and it reads around 40% with that setup. So I guess humidity levels can change very quickly with changing air conditions.

 

[LLigetfa]

What was the temperature inside at the time? Relative humidity is ...well, relative to temperature so if you let the house cool down, the RH goes up.

 

[burntime]

I agree, we have a 2 gallon humidifier (warm) and a 2 quart half kettle on the stove. It barely ever runs at 25 degrees or higher, the lower the outdoor temp the more we run the humidifier. I like to keep it 28-38 and a little lower in the extreme cold...like maybe 24-30% when it is below 0

 

[Todd]

I'm wondering where all my humidity is coming from? I have lots of condensation on windows and my humidity scale reads 45-50. I've never seen it under 40.

 

[LLigetfa]

I'm wondering where all my humidity is coming from?

Heated crawlspace?
Dislodged dryer vent?
Wood storage in basement?

 

[DWW68]

My house is usualy around 32% RH. That is with a cast tea pot and occasional two gallon bucket on the stove. The stove is in the basement. When RH gets up to about 42% I start to get condensation forming on my windows. I try to keep RH between 35% & 40%.

 

[burntime]

Is the condensation in the outlying rooms? I get that because those rooms are colder. 40% in a 75 degree room is probably like 65% in a 62 degree room!

 

[FDUTTON]

Thanks for all the info guys. The humidifier is about 20' from my stove, it is on a inside wall where my living room ends and my hallway begins. I did notice a change when I went out on the porch to get more wood, the door was only open for 10 seconds.

It was and still is a little warmer outside then I thought, it is 38* right now and it did get damp out, so maybe thats why my original reading on start up was 42%. I can hear the water bottles on the unit burping, so it must be using some water.

Not that it is cold out but my kids noticed that there rooms in the back of the house seem warmer, they are normally about 5* cooler then the living room. I checked the room temps and they are all the same 77.9*. I will have to wait for it to get cold out for a more accurate test.

I think my drywall tape issue is a combonation of woodstove and the two rooms I'm adding upstairs. I guess adding floor joist upstairs (8" oc) and the 3/4 decking probably moved some of the drywall, but I have several area's where the tape just bunched up and its all on the ceiling not on the walls. Thanks again guys

Frank

 

[searay220]

I am starting to see my hardwood floors develop a few gaps between the boards in front of the wood insert. I'm guessing I need to add humidity to the room. So I need a humidifier and something that measures humidity right? What percent humidity should the house be kept at? It seams like 30-40 percent is standard?
Thanks for your help.

 

[d.n.f.]

I hit 18% about two weeks ago.
Hovering in the low 20% now. Like a jungle in here.

 

[FDUTTON]

Update, I have been running my new humidifier for a few weeks now and every room just seems warmer. I keep it set at 45% and up to a week ago I still had my stone steamer on the stove. My wife took the steamer off and I have noticed a few times this week that I was getting shocked by my kids and my daughters hair was standing straight out tonight. It does not feel dry in hear and the humidifier still hangs around 45% using about 14 gallons every 4-5 days, this past week has not been very cold, go figure. Thanks

Frank

 

[Highbeam]

My RH gauge is bottomed out at 16% when the temp is 70 or higher. Below 70 it creeps up to 20%. I have one bedroom where the hardwood planks have become seperated. I wish we could keep it below 50% year round but a dehumidifier is an energy hog.

 

[Jimbob]

Humidity in here is generally ~ 40% no humidifier.