Seasonal Changes in Indoor Air Humidity

The article considered the change in the absolute and relative humidity of outdoor and indoor air in the room during the annual cycle. In summer, the absolute and relative humidity of the indoor air is close to that of the outdoor air. In winter, humidity gradually decreases. However, due to turning on the heating nd the release of moisture from people, furniture and building structures, the change in the humidity of the indoor air goes more smoothly than the change in the humidity of the outdoor air. So at a temperature of -30^oС, the absolute humidity of the outdoor air is reduced by 34 times compared to the summer, and indoors by only2 times. As a result, the difference between the absolute humidity of the air outside and inside the room in winter can reach up to 20 times with a relative humidity of 30% in the room. In winter, a person breathes air outside, the humidity of which is much lower than indoors. A further increase in the relative humidity of the air in winter to 40–50% leads to an increase in the difference in the absolute humidity of the air inside and outside, which is unfavorable both for enclosing building structures and for humans. Based on these considerations, the optimal indoor humidity during the heating period should be no higher than 30% and no lower than 20–25%. It is also not advisable to perform an assessment of the provision of thermal protection requirements on the internal surfaces of the enclosing structures of residential premises for winter operating conditions at calculated values of the relative humidity of the internal air over 30%.

A.A. PLOTNIKOV, Candidate of Sciences (Engineering) (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering (26, Yaroslavskoye Highway, Moscow, 129337, Russian Federation)

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