Modern residential houses and apartments are furnished with furniture, various household and office equipment, carpets, and other household items in airtight rooms. Such an environment provides comfortable but not always safe living conditions. In such spaces, the air relatively quickly becomes humid and absorbs a large amount of volatile organic compounds from various sources. Moreover, the people present in the rooms actively fill the air with carbon dioxide due to breathing, which, along with other factors, significantly deteriorates indoor air quality and poses a serious long-term health risk. Modern ventilation systems solutions address this problem by ensuring proper ventilation. Such systems are controlled by air quality sensors and operate using the appropriate mode. In this blog series, we will discuss these sensors in more detail.
What does „home comfort” and „homeliness” mean to us? Well, first of all, it probably means a warm atmosphere, which is especially important during the cold season of the year. This is why modern thermal insulated glazing is so popular among people, which is used in almost every building to protect our homes from the cold outside air and harsh weather. However, this great advantage also has a downside: thermal insulated glazing makes our homes airtight. While this is certainly beneficial for heat retention, it is unfavorable from a ventilation perspective. Insufficient ventilation and the constant presence of people in a room quickly make the air unsuitable, as the oxygen content decreases and carbon dioxide increases, it becomes more humid, and various odors and unwanted pollutants appear.
Naturally, such air cannot provide adequate comfort and homeliness for the residents, even in the warmest building. But how can we solve a problem that cannot be seen or felt? After all, a person senses when the temperature is outside the comfortable range and can do something about it, but when it comes to air quality, things become a bit more complicated. In most cases, a person does not recognize poor air quality until headaches occur and general well-being deteriorates. How do we recognize the level of air pollution and the moment when we need to take action? Well, this is the task of sensors designed to monitor air parameters such as humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, volatile organic compounds, etc., but let's look at them one by one.
Did you know?
Thermal insulated windows and perfect insulation indeed make our homes warmer and more energy-efficient – however, they also almost completely block the natural flow of air. As a result, indoor air can quickly become oxygen-poor, carbon dioxide levels rise, unpleasant odors appear, and humidity levels increase – while we believe everything is fine.
Since poor air quality is not directly perceivable – unlike temperature – people often only realize there is a problem when they experience physical symptoms (headaches, fatigue). This is where modern air quality sensors come into play, which continuously monitor parameters such as humidity, CO₂, and VOC levels – thus alerting to the need for intervention even before symptoms appear.
Humidity and moisture sensors
This is one of the main parameters of the room's microclimate. Relative humidity increases due to moisture generated during cooking, bathing, or showering, as well as when the room temperature decreases (this often happens in autumn, before the heating season begins, or in spring, at its end). The human body is also a source of humidity, produced through breathing and the evaporation of fluids from the body, which in turn contributes to the increase in air moisture concentration. In inadequately ventilated rooms, humidity levels continuously rise, which can lead to serious problems for the people present.
Among such problems, we must highlight the appearance and spread of mold (fungi). Relative humidity exceeding normal values (more than 60%) and moderately warm temperatures (between +18 and +25°C) create ideal conditions for the proliferation of these harmful microorganisms. Tiny and almost imperceptible mold spots in areas with increased humidity can lead to serious health problems. Mold releases a large number of spores, 2-8 µm in size, into the air, which can trigger allergic reactions when inhaled into the lungs and lead to various diseases such as colds, throat infections, bronchitis, asthma attacks, etc. The metabolic products of molds arrive as strong toxins, which can cause poisoning, liver and lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and damage to the central nervous system. Additionally, fungi can cause various skin diseases, manifesting as dermatitis and other inflammatory processes. Continuous exposure to mold gradually weakens the human immune system.
The increased humidity in the air is also harmful to furniture, as the furniture becomes saturated with excessive moisture, which can lead to a deterioration in their quality and aesthetic defects.
Why is high humidity dangerous?
In closed, poorly ventilated rooms, the humidity level continuously rises – cooking, showering, and even breathing generates significant amounts of moisture. If the relative humidity persistently rises above 60%, and the temperature is moderately warm (18–25°C), it creates ideal conditions for the proliferation of mold.
Mold appears invisibly, but its spores are constantly released into the air – these particles, sized 2–8 µm, can cause allergies, colds, coughing, bronchitis, and even asthma attacks when inhaled. In the long term, more serious organ damage can occur, affecting the liver, lungs, nervous system, and immune system.
Additionally, high humidity affects not only health but also our home: it can damage furniture, shorten their lifespan, and cause aesthetic defects. Therefore, proper ventilation and humidity control are important – for example, with the help of automated ventilation systems.
In closed, poorly ventilated rooms, the humidity level continuously rises – cooking, showering, and even breathing generates significant amounts of moisture. If the relative humidity persistently rises above 60%, and the temperature is moderately warm (18–25°C), it creates ideal conditions for the proliferation of mold.
Mold appears invisibly, but its spores are constantly released into the air – these particles, sized 2–8 µm, can cause allergies, colds, coughing, bronchitis, and even asthma attacks when inhaled. In the long term, more serious organ damage can occur, affecting the liver, lungs, nervous system, and immune system.
Additionally, high humidity affects not only health but also our home: it can damage furniture, shorten their lifespan, and cause aesthetic defects. Therefore, proper ventilation and humidity control are important – for example, with the help of automated ventilation systems.
At the same time, very dry, low-humidity air is also harmful. Such air is often present during the cold seasons. When the temperature drops, the dew point also decreases, resulting in moisture condensing on various objects, making the air drier. At negative temperatures, moisture crystallizes and precipitates on the ground and various surfaces. As a result, air with reduced humidity enters our home, which requires further humidification. Moreover, when entering a warm room (which is particularly significant during the heating season), it warms up and becomes even drier. The fact is that warm air, unlike cold air, can hold more moisture, so as the temperature rises, the proportion of moisture present decreases compared to the possible maximum amount at that temperature. This ratio expresses the relative humidity of the air, which decreases with rising temperature, creating a feeling of excessive dryness for humans. If the relative humidity is low (below 40%), even healthy individuals may feel discomfort, drowsiness, itching, and skin irritation. Excessively dry air leads to the drying out of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and exacerbates the course of respiratory diseases, particularly affecting children.
What is the solution?
Humidity sensors (hygrometers) and temperature and humidity sensors (thermo-hygrometers) are used to measure the moisture content of the air. These devices are used in private homes and apartments, commercial and educational facilities, healthcare institutions, etc. Many modern household fans are equipped with such sensors at idle, allowing for ventilation systems their activation and mode switching depending on the readings of air humidity and temperature, thus keeping these important microclimate parameters within the normal range.
What is the solution to excessive humidity?
The first step in protecting against excessive humidity is accurate measurement. This is provided by the humidity sensors (hygrometers) and the combined temperature and humidity sensors (thermohygrometers), which are increasingly used in homes, offices, schools, and even healthcare institutions.
Many modern household fans already come with such a sensor as standard – ventilation system thus they can automatically turn on or switch modes based on the air's humidity and temperature. This keeps the microclimate of the living space continuously within the ideal range.
A Vents HR-S electromechanical humidity controllers They fit perfectly into any modern ventilation, heating, or air conditioning system. They not only regulate the humidity level but also provide an alert if the value exceeds or falls below the specified limit. The device can be discreetly placed on the wall and continuously ensures optimal indoor air quality.
A Vents HR-S electromechanical humidity controllers They fit perfectly into any modern ventilation, heating, or air conditioning system. They not only regulate the humidity level but also provide an alert if the value exceeds or falls below the specified limit. The device can be discreetly placed on the wall and continuously ensures optimal indoor air quality.
The DPWC11200 humidity and temperature sensor has a wider range of functionality, designed for regulating temperature and humidity in ventilation, air conditioning, and heating systems. The sensor can also be mounted on the wall and has 2 analog outputs (0-10 V and 4-20 mA), allowing for stepless control of the fan speed (which requires an EC motor fan). With stepless control, the fan speed changes proportionally with the humidity and temperature levels. Thanks to the relay and analog outputs, the sensor is compatible with almost any ventilation system.
Vents' modern ventilation systems 19. effects. Flexible, retrofittable systems provide energy-efficient continuous air exchange, which is crucial for the effects of air pollution effects. Flexible, retrofittable systems provide energy-efficient continuous air exchange, which is crucial for the allergy and the respiratory disease in its prevention.
Take a step towards a healthier lifestyle and choose Vents air exchange systems, to keep your home always filled with clean and fresh air!
