Effective ways to remove high humidity in an apartment

High air humidity in the room is the main reason for the development of mold.

Molds spoil things and the environment, and also pose a danger to humans, as they increase the risk of allergies and respiratory pathologies.

A set of measures will help remove dampness, and preventive measures will help maintain the humidity level at normal levels.

For more information on how to remove humidity in an apartment, room or house, read the article.

Causes of the problem

Constantly high humidity in the room must have a specific reason. In some cases, the source of moisture can be determined quickly.

This may be an external defect during the construction of the facility or arising during operation as a result of wear of structural elements:

• leaking roof;
• violation of the integrity of the outer wall, the tightness of the slabs;
• flooding;
• ventilation system defect.

Internal causes of high humidity include: violation of operating rules:

• the location of several aquariums or other open containers with water in a room that is not designed for this;
• growing tropical or other plants that require abundant watering in large quantities;
• frequent drying of large amounts of laundry;
• cooking food in open pans;
• lack of sealing of windows;
• leaks in pipes (sewage, water supply, heating).

If a source of high humidity is identified, it should be eliminated.

Determining the level of dampness in a room without instruments

A normal humidity level is considered to be between 40 and 60%. A hygrometer can be used to determine the exact level of air humidity. But even without it it is possible to draw conclusions about the humidity in the room. The easiest way is to use a glass of water.

Procedure for conducting the experiment:

1. Pour water into a regular glass glass with transparent walls.
2. Place the glass in the refrigerator, bringing the temperature of the liquid to +5°C. Water at room temperature can reach this value in a few hours.
3. Take the glass out of the refrigerator and place it in the room. At the same time, it is necessary to control that it is not directly affected by heat from radiators, stoves with food being prepared and other appliances.
4. If, after fogging, the walls of the glass dry out in just a quarter of an hour, this indicates low humidity. If after fogging the walls do not dry out, but drops begin to form and flow down, the humidity is high. In the case when the condensate that appears does not quickly evaporate, but does not drain, the humidity in the room is normal.

High humidity can be indicated by:

• fogging of windows in the house;
• clothes that take a long time to dry after washing;
• slow drying of floors after washing.

Such tests have low accuracy and do not provide specific numbers.

Remedies

There are several ways to quickly remove high humidity. You need to take into account the specifics of the room, its area and the ability to implement one or another method of air drying.

Ventilation

Ventilation does not remove the smell of dampness and neutralize high humidity in all cases. This method will help if the weather outside is dry.

It will also be useful:

1. Ventilate the bathroom after bathing and heavy laundry.
2. Organize good air exchange in the room in which food is prepared.
3. Ventilate the room after wet cleaning and other work using large amounts of water.

Heating

Warming up the room during the cold season, when the air temperature inside the building increases significantly, also helps to reduce humidity levels. The result can be achieved by installing additional heating devices - heaters.

When using heaters, there is a danger of drying out the room, and then you will have to deal with another problem - increased dryness. Therefore, it is important to maintain a middle ground.

Special tablets

One solution to the problem of increased dampness is to purchase special tablets that contain absorbent components. They are used with desiccants - containers for collecting the solution that is formed from absorbed moisture.

Products from such well-known manufacturers have good reviews:

• "Stop humidity" from Henkel;
• “Stop moisture” from Ceresit and others.

Folk remedies

Absorbents, such as improvised means can be used:

• sugar;
• coffee beans;
• salt;
• rice.

These products have the ability to absorb increased moisture. To normalize humidity, these products can be placed in containers - several per room.

In addition to removing moisture from the air, The following products can remove unpleasant odors.

For non-residential utility premises, the following containers placed in containers will help remove excess moisture from the air: quicklime, coal, calcium chloride. This method is suitable for damp basements, garages, workshops, etc.

Dehumidifiers

Special devices are used to force dry the air in the room. They allow you to achieve results even in cases where other methods of combating moisture have not helped.

Operating principle of the devices:

1. Air absorption through the evaporator.
2. Liquid conditioning occurs in the device due to temperature differences. The water flows into a separate container.
3. The flow of dried air is returned back into the room.

The advantages of dehumidifiers are the ability to dry even very humid air in a short time.

There are two types of devices:

1. Stationary.
2. Portable.

The choice depends on the intended use of the device and whether it will need to be moved. It should be borne in mind that stationary models are more powerful, larger, and are not intended to be moved from place to place. For apartments, preference is most often given to dehumidifiers that can be moved from place to place.

NeoClima ND-10AH

Floor installation is intended for rooms with an area of ​​16 m?. The weight of the device is 11.5 kg. The productivity of the device is 10 liters per day.The model has a filtration system to remove dust particles and wheels to move the device.

The NeoClima dehumidifier is equipped with a timer and display, which makes operation easier. Operating modes – 2, power – 0.23 kW. The volume of the container for collecting condensate is 1.5 l.

Additional functions:

• when the container is filled with condensate - automatic shutdown;
• automatic defrosting.

Price – up to 12,000 rubles.

Electrolux EDH-12L

The device is designed for floor or tabletop use in a small room with an area of ​​15 m2, and has a carrying handle. The power declared by the manufacturer is 0.245 kW. The weight of the device itself is 10 kg.

Electrolux has 4 operating modes, productivity – 12 liters per day. The volume of the condensate container is 2.2 liters. The device is completely ready for use and does not require additional installation. The model has indicators and a display.

Additional functions:

• ability to set shutdown time;
• the presence of a clothes drying mode.

The cost is on average about 13,000 rubles, at some points of sale – up to 17,000 rubles.

Ballu BDM-30L

The Ballu dehumidifier is a floor-standing unit that has electronic controls for quickly setting settings, a built-in timer, indicators and display. The device allows you to dehumidify the air in a room of 50 m². Capacity – 30 liters per day.

The volume of the condensate container is 5 liters. Maximum power – 0.54 kW. The weight of the entire device is 14.6 kg.

Additional functions:

1. Air ionization.
2. Automatic shutdown when the container is full of condensate.
3. Possibility to adjust fan speed.
4. Set off and on times.
5. Clothes drying mode.

Cost – about 22,500 rubles.

Features of eliminating high humidity in summer, winter, and off-season

In the warm season, simple ventilation with good air exchange will help reduce the humidity in the room. To do this, just open the windows.

But in the off-season and winter, this option is not suitable due to inefficiency. When there is high humidity outside to eliminate moisture in the house It's better to use other methods:

• heating;
• dampness tablets;
• dehumidifiers.

Prevention measures

To preventive measures to prevent high humidity in the house The following points can be mentioned:

1. Carrying out waterproofing work to prevent moisture from entering rooms - eliminating leaks, ensuring the tightness of windows, sealing floors, insulating walls, etc.
2. Cooking food must be covered. This will prevent the formation of steam and, as a result, an increase in humidity.
3. The premises should not be used for other purposes.
4. It is necessary to regulate the permissible number of water containers in one room.
5. Installing a hood in the kitchen will reduce moisture levels in the air.
6. Checking the functionality of the ventilation system and repairing it, if necessary.
7. If the room is damp, it is not advisable to place aquariums in it.
8. Choosing reliable plastic windows is one way to prevent excess humidity.
9. It is best to move drying clothes outside or to the balcony, avoiding hanging wet things indoors.

Recommendations

In the fight against high indoor humidity These tips will help:

1. Without eliminating the root cause of high humidity in the house, any measures taken will only have a temporary effect and will not radically solve the problem.
2. If the moisture problem has been ongoing, the area should be inspected for mold growth. If fungus is detected, the apartment (house) should be treated with special means.
3. If, after eliminating high humidity in the room, the smell of dampness continues to persist, you can use purchased or natural flavors - coffee beans, vinegar, essential oils, etc.

Conclusion

In some cases, you can remove humidity in an apartment or house on your own. In case of complex violations in the building structure and other defects, the help of professionals may be needed.

It is necessary to solve the problem of high humidity in a house or apartment without delay, as this can adversely affect the health of residents and damage things.