What humidity level inside a home would most folks consider to be optimal? My wife bought a humidifier this year and we're still working on getting the humidity dialed in to the ideal level . . . whatever that may be.
firefighterjake said:What humidity level inside a home would most folks consider to be optimal? My wife bought a humidifier this year and we're still working on getting the humidity dialed in to the ideal level . . . whatever that may be.
TradEddie said:Weird tolkienish figure, do you have that condensation problem in summer or winter? If you have a basement at 75F in winter, you may be adding to the problem by having it so warm. If you have moisture entering the basement, warmer temperatures will hold more of that moisture, creating more work for the de-humidifier.
75F in summer, look at how you can airseal that basement better.
TE
TradEddie said:What is heating the basement to 75? To get condensation on pipes in winter, you must be adding moisture to the air somewhere, deal with that and you will solve your problem. Do you have a humidifier somewhere else in the house (not de-humidifer), propane/kreosene space heater, or leaking dryer vent?
Back to the original question, I've never seen or felt a noticeable effect of indoor humidity in winter. I agree with the suggestion above to use saline spray. It would probably help more, and cost much less.
TE
TradEddie said:Keeping a basement at 75F sounds expensive, that's up to you, but you may get better results without spending nearly so much on electricity by having the basement at 70F and running the dehumidifier less.
This may sound obvious, but are you sure you have a de-humidifier, not a humidifier? Is 35% what you set it at, or what you get when running flat out? 35% at 75F will condense about 48F, but you will not get humidity that high in winter unless you, or the building are adding water to the air (such as leaking washing machine).
TE