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Re: Hygrometers

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2021-02-25 18:12

Paul Aviles wrote:

> When I was using cane I just had s simple $10
> thermometer/hygrometer from the hardware store and noted what
> was happening in a central room of the house at good reed times
> vs bad reed times. 20% was really bad and not uncommon during
> winter and home heating months. 60% and above was good and not
> uncommon in Summer.
>

I take it as axiomatic that 20% is too low either for reed health or my nasal and skin comfort. And I can only get a hygrometer to budge beyond 40% if I open the windows and let the outdoor moisture in during a rain storm or, right now, when the foot or so of snow we had over the course of last week is melting furiously in our current daytime highs of 40°-50°. In summer the AC dries the inside air out. In winter, it's the forced air furnace. There are maybe a few weeks during the fall and spring when neither is turned on and we have the windows open.

I know what relative humidity levels I want to shoot for, but I'm becoming increasingly frustrated trying to find an accurate way of measuring it. I can tell if it's really low - static shocks whenever I touch anything made of metal and the skin develops cracks around my finger knuckles. I can tell if it's higher than really low - the shocks stop and my skin stops cracking around my knuckles. And of course, my reeds reflect the difference to a similar level of accuracy. So I can read two levels - "way too low" and "not way too low" without mechanical or electronic help. I just feel driven to a more reliable, accurate way to refine that higher level a little. The goal is to be able to apply a little prevention instead of having to react after bad effects begin to appear. I guess I can just take the two readings that are only a couple of percentage points apart and assume they're right by majority vote.

One funny thing is that I'm starting to notice the weather apps on my phone have begun reporting "Indoor relative humidity" levels. I can't figure out how they know or whose home they're measuring it in.

Karl

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