What humidity levels are people gonna maintain this winter?

[regency]

I am currently at 38% inside here in michigan but I know it will drop in the coming months. I have a humidifier on my furnace but I don't let that run. :cheese: I have a TSC kettle on top of my stove but don't think that puts any real moisture in the air. Whats your plan?

 

[Flatbedford]

We use a Sears whole house humidifier. I set it at 50%. I think it is this one.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...01&sid=I0084400010000100600&aff=Y&origin=prod
I also keep a steamer on the stove.

 

[LLigetfa]

I set the humidistat on my furnace to 30% for this time of year. As it gets colder, I reduce it if/when I see condensation/frost on my windows. The lowest I will set it is 10% when it gets down to -40. My furnace runs a little every day to the tune of about $2 per day. The humidifier is programmed to run when the blower does and is not dependent on heat and I will manually run the blower for short times if the furnace won't run because of the woodstove.

 

[Gator eye]

I set mine on 40, in cold weather in almost never shuts off.

 

[ROBERT F]

I keep the house around 35-40, just enough to keep the sinuses moist, and the wood planked ceiling from cracking to bits

 

[thewoodlands]

I am currently at 38% inside here in michigan but I know it will drop in the coming months. I have a humidifier on my furnace but I don't let that run. :cheese: I have a TSC kettle on top of my stove but don't think that puts any real moisture in the air. Whats your plan?

We set ours so we are between 35 to 40 percent.

Zap

 

[Highbeam]

We don't use a humidifier but monitor humidity in the stove room, outside, and in the bedroom. Dust mites need more than 50% to be happy so I like it drier than 50.

We start to notice when the gauge in the stove room bottoms out at 16%.

 

[savageactor7]

We never burn wood without a pot of water on the stove. As far as targeting a magic number...I dunno if that can be done cause this is an old drafty farm house. Hang laundry inside to. If you burn wood it a good idea to add moisture to the air not only for personal comfort but wood floors and furniture too. I can't scientifically explain why but most will regret it if they don't.

 

[szmaine]

We never burn wood without a pot of water on the stove. As far as targeting a magic number...I dunno if that can be done cause this is an old drafty farm house. Hang laundry inside to. If you burn wood it a good idea to add moisture to the air not only for personal comfort but wood floors and furniture too. I can't scientifically explain why but most will regret it if they don't.

Yeah, drafty old house here too. Always have a kettle of water on the stove when the humidity starts to drop, stays between 35-40%. Lower than this is nose bleed territory, much higher than this is asking for condensation problems.

Got some beadboard wainscotting that opens and closes with the seasons.

 

[pen]

About 45% until it gets really cold then about 40%. Even at 40% the windows will get a bit of condensation on the bottoms but any less and the wife gets nosebleeds.

I keep water on the stove and use a free standing humidifier by Hunter that works well for us and our floor plan.

pen

 

[gzecc]

A healthy respiratory system likes humidity around 40-45%. <30 you will dry up and cause problems. >50 inside mold could grow in the right conditions.

 

[Wet1]

We also use the large pot of water on the stove trick, but it's not enough to keep the house from becoming too dry. We dry our cloths in the stove room and that makes a noticeable improvement, but it only lasts for a few hours at best. I might buy a cheap humidifier this winter...

 

[pen]

I've got the predecessor of this from lowes. This one runs about 75 bux. I've been happy with mine for 3 years now. Mine had digital controls and a 3 speed fan though. The floor of my house that this is on is about 1000 sq ft (the upstairs) and it does a fine job keeping up. It is also quite quiet.

 

[jharkin]

We also use a small freestanding mist humidifier and plan to keep it set at 40%. Thats just enough to be comfortable, I wouldn't want to go higher than that and risk moisture problems in the walls. (The oldest part of the house is only partially insulated and no vapor barriers or anything)

-Jeremy

 

[tutu_sue]

I used to keep the house at 45% but would get condensation on bedroom windows. Then I found out that I needed to lower humidity as it gets colder. I found a website with good info on humidity: (broken link removed to http://www.blueflame.org/datasheets/humidity.html). There is a chart there with the settings for temperature
Outside temperature (0°F) Recommended relative humidity
+20° and above 35% to 40%
+10° 30%
0° 25%
-10° 20%
-20° 15%

 

[Danno77]

i don't know what % it is, but we take showers with the doors open and the fans off in the winter.

Even then the lights seem to surge brighter when i walk by wearing a wool sweater. My wife stopped wearing hairspray after the arc from a "lip-shock" caught her whole head on fire.

 

[Hurricane]

Does anyone know why the inside humidity recommendation changes based on outdoor temp when the inside temp stays constant ?

I always have a kettle on the stove and when burning 7X24 I use a sears floor humidifier to keep it somewhere around 40%

 

[tutu_sue]

As the outside of the house gets colder, the walls, attic, windows, etc. get colder. On surfaces where the cold meets the warmth from the inside of the house condensation forms. The higher the humidity inside the more water you get. The moisture from the condensation collects on windows, doors, inside of walls, ceilings, insulation, wood, fasteners and can cause damage like rot, rust, mold, stains and wet insulation reduces r-value but permanently.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm like Savage and others . . . I don't worry about any special number of use any humidifiers . . . but I always a steamer filled . . . usually have to fill it morning and night.

 

[Highbeam]

Even then the lights seem to surge brighter when i walk by wearing a wool sweater. My wife stopped wearing hairspray after the arc from a "lip-shock" caught her whole head on fire.

This is an unfortunate accident if true, but if you are kidding then.... that's freaking hilarious. I have young girls that love it when I rub a fleece jacket on their head to energize their bodies and then they can zap each other.

 

[jfournier]

I think I need to check my hygrometer...last winter with the stove going full time it never got much below 50%, and the last month or so burning at night and in the morning we've been around 70%, and that's felt dry...I guess I should get another one and see if they agree...

 

[laynes69]

We put in a whole house floor model humifier. Its set at 45 right now, and it runs quite a bit. Our house drys out pretty quick from the wood furnace.

 

[Hurricane]

As the outside of the house gets colder, the walls, attic, windows, etc. get colder. On surfaces where the cold meets the warmth from the inside of the house condensation forms. The higher the humidity inside the more water you get. The moisture from the condensation collects on windows, doors, inside of walls, ceilings, insulation, wood, fasteners and can cause damage like rot, rust, mold, stains and wet insulation reduces r-value but permanently.

I thought that also. Is it not said that low humidity will destroy your furniture and hardwood floors, doors and woodwork, making them crack. I guess it is a catch 22 balancing act then.
Thanks

 

[tutu_sue]

I keep mine at 35% in my area we are usually in the 20's most of the time. You're right about low humidity and wood though. I have some acoustic guitars and they are very prone to cracking when dry so I'm very diligent about humidity.

 

[LLigetfa]

...when the inside temp stays constant ?

That's just it, it doesn't stay constant. The colder it is outside, the colder the inside surface of my windows. I raise the temperature in the house and I lower the humidity to prevent condensation on the cold glass.