What Is Considered Low Humidity and Why Is It a Problem?
Key takeaways:
- Low indoor humidity levels are generally under 30%.
- Low humidity in a house can cause or exacerbate health issues, cause discomfort, and even damage your home.
- A Trane whole-house humidifier can increase comfort and combat problems caused by dry air.
By Anne Fonda
Humidity, or relative humidity (RH), is the amount of moisture in the air. It can naturally increase or decrease with the weather. In much of the country, outdoor humidity rises substantially in the summer and can fall dramatically in the winter. High humidity can make you feel warmer than the actual temperature, while low humidity can make you feel colder.
While you can’t control the outdoor humidity, you can control your home’s humidity levels to optimize comfort and improve indoor air quality (IAQ). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ideal indoor humidity range is between 30% and 50%. Too low or too high, and problems can result. In this article, we’ll talk about low humidity.
What are some signs of low humidity?
You can see and feel the effects of low humidity, especially prolonged low humidity.
- Your smart thermostat, air quality monitor, or other device shows the humidity level in your home is below 30%.
- There’s a lot of static electricity after walking on carpet or touching a light switch.
- You and your family have chapped lips and dry, itchy skin.
- At least one person has dry mucous membranes in the nose.
- Someone may be suffering from nosebleeds.
- Exacerbation of eczema or allergies.
- Wood floors, wood window frames, or wood baseboards and crown molding are contracting and cracking.
- Drywall cracks develop, especially in corners.
- House feels cold, even with the temperature set at a reasonable level.
The Cleveland Clinic lists even more health effects of low indoor humidity.
How can a whole-house humidifier help?
By adding moisture to the air, a whole-house humidifier can help eliminate the problems listed above. A higher humidity level will increase your comfort and may also allow you to set the temperature on your thermostat lower. That’s because the higher humidity level will make the air feel warmer.
While portable humidifiers are certainly an option, if your whole house has low humidity, we would recommend a whole-house solution. Trane humidifier options include:
Which type is right for you will depend on the size of your home, whether you need it to run only when your HVAC system is running, and other factors.
“Whole-house humidifiers connect directly to your home’s plumbing system, so you never need to fill a reservoir or clean a humidifier tank. With routine maintenance, such as replacing the humidifier pad on an evaporative humidifier or scheduling professional maintenance for a steam humidifier, you can help maintain comfortable humidity levels in your home year-round.”
- Tim Kovacs, Product Manager, Coils and Indoor Air Quality
What is the best humidity level for my home in winter?
If you live in an arid climate but the winters don’t get too cold, 30-45% should be a comfortable humidity level in winter.
However, if you live in an area of the country with extremely cold winters, that 30% humidity level cutoff may actually be too high. When the temperature drops below 0°F, the indoor humidity level set on your whole-house humidifier should be adjusted downwards to avoid excessive condensation. This would most likely show up as fogging or frost on the inside of your windows.
See the following table for recommendations.
| Outdoor Temperature | Recommended Indoor RH |
|---|---|
| +40°F | 45% |
| +30°F | 40% |
| +20°F | 35% |
| +10°F | 30% |
| 0°F | 25% |
| -10°F | 20% |
| -20°F | 15% |
Depending on your setup, you may change humidity levels at your smart thermostat, at the humidifier controls, or even on the Trane Home App.
Interested in a Trane whole-house humidifier?
If you’re tired of static electricity, dry skin, and warping or cracking wood, a whole-house humidifier could be a great solution. Contact your local Trane HVAC pro today to set up a consultation.
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Anne Fonda, Content Writer
A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.
She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.
When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.
Expert review by Tim Kovacs, Product Manager, Coils and Indoor Air Quality