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The Importance of Controlling your Building's Humidity Levels

Published on: August 17, 2018

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When thinking about a building’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system, there’s a tendency to focus on the effects of temperature controls, and the benefits of proper ventilation and humidity controls often fall by the wayside.Although changes in a building’s temperature may be more immediately noticeable, humidity levels also have a significant impact on indoor air quality.

When thinking about a building’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system, there’s a tendency to focus on the effects of temperature controls, and the benefits of proper ventilation and humidity controls often fall by the wayside.

Although changes in a building’s temperature may be more immediately noticeable, humidity levels also have a significant impact on indoor air quality. Humidity affects everything from comfort levels, to health, to electronic devices, to the building itself.

Humidity levels, which represent the amount of moisture in the air, vary depending on many factors such as the time of year, systems in place and nature of the building. When humidity levels are either too low or too high, several problems may occur and although they may not seem urgent, they can become serious over time, costing facility managers and business owners both time and money.

Humidity affects health & comfort

If humidity levels are too high, the product is a damp and stuffy environment. These conditions cause discomfort as sweat is less likely to evaporate, inhibiting the body’s ability to cool itself down.

Excess moisture in the air may also trigger respiratory problems or allergies, as well as cause mold and other microbial growth, which can cause a variety of health problems.

Especially low humidity levels also have a negative effect on health and comfort. A lack of moisture in the air has the opposite effect of excess moisture as it allows heat to escape faster, creating an environment that feels uncomfortably cold, especially in the winter.

Cold and flu bugs also spread more easily in an environment with low humidity levels, and the excessive dryness in the air can cause static.

Poor humidity levels can cause such discomfort that people who spend a significant amount of time in the building, such as office employees, may even think they have caught a cold or flu bug when really it’s just excess moisture or dryness in the air causing their symptoms.

Humidity affects electronic devices

If your building contains multiple electronics, controlling the level of moisture in the air goes beyond comfort and health.

As mentioned above, low humidity levels can cause electrostatic discharge, which means that static electricity travels with greater ease. This can cause issues for electronic devices and machinery.

High humidity has its own set of negative effects on electronics. Just like humans, high levels of moisture in the air can prevent electronics from cooling down properly, causing them to overheat. As well, condensation can form in humid environments which causes short circuiting and corrosion.

Humidity affects building materials

Humidity levels not only affect people and electronics, but the building itself.

Excessive moisture in the air becomes condensation when it comes in contact with colder surfaces. This can damage paint, walls, flooring, furnishings and even cause mould.

Most materials — wood, cloth, carpet, leather, etc. — expand and shrink based on the surrounding humidity. Inconsistent humidity levels put strain on these materials and cause them to warp over time.

If you’ve been struggling with issues in your building that seem like they could be related to air quality, it might be time to have a professional come out to perform an inspection. A complete HVAC system is the best way to control humidity levels and prevent future issues with staff, supplies and your building in general.

If you would like assistance with your HVAC, automation or electrical systems in Kelowna or elsewhere in the Thompson Okanagan, contact Kimco Controls. We would be happy to help!


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