After the long, tiring, and dry winter, summer brings a welcoming and fresh air. Also, it comes with improved humidity and moisture in the air. Therefore, many people think they don’t need to use a humidifier in the summer. They think so because, during the warmer time, indoor air already has added moisture.
Thus, we often face a question, “Should you use a humidifier in summer?” People also ask, “Is it necessary to continue running the humidifier in the summertime?”
The answer to both questions is identical. Yes, you should use the humidifier even in the summertime when the weather is balmy and has a high humidity level. The device will help you keep the humidity level higher than usual. It will give you relief from nosebleeds, sinusitis, skin irritation and help in better sleep at night.
What’s more, in many regions, the humidity level remains low even at the peak of the summer season. It happens mostly in drier regions. Thus, you need to run the humidifier throughout the year in these regions to get better comfort and a relaxed lifestyle.
Why Should You Use A Humidifier in The Summer?
You may think that most regions will already have their relative humidity level well above the wintertime during summer. So, there’s no need to run the device in the summer. But that’s not true for most cities in the US.
In fact, according to Current Results, many US cities will still have relative humidity levels around 40% only for most of the summer days. Thus, the indoor air remains drier, and so, you might still face drier skin and irritation due to the lack of proper humidity in the air. Also, due to heavy traffic on the outside, you would want a pleasant and comfy interior when you enter your home. A humidifier goes a long way in providing you with the same. Also, it removes nosebleed and dryness from the nasal passage to improve your breathing comfort.
It means using a humidifier in the summertime will bring several health benefits to your home and office. But, before discussing the benefits of using a humidifier in summer, let’s see the relative humidity level in different US cities. It will help you decide why you should run a humidifier, even in summer and all year-round.
| City Name | Humidity Level In Summer (Lowest to Highest) |
| Denver, Colorado | 34% to 65% |
| Dallas, Texas | 40% to 80% |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | 30% to 60% |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 35% to 60% |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 43% to 75% |
As these five cities from different American states show, the humidity level in these locations will remain relatively low even at the peak of the summer season. Also, it is for the outside and open air. At room temperature, the humidity level will shrink even more. Thus, in many cities, the air inside the home and office with closed windows and doors have moisture level well below 50% during the scorching days. It means you are still prone to drier air at home and offices.
Therefore, you must run the humidifier even during the summertime. It will improve your comfort and better living. Nonetheless, you can reduce the workload of the humidifier during this time of the year.
Usually, you should run the humidifying device for 24 hours in your room to maintain the moisture level in optimal amount. During the summer, indoor air will already have increased moisture. Thus, you don’t need to run the humidifier throughout the day during the balmy weather. You may run the device for several hours before sleeping and in the evening and shut it off to switch it on the next day. Thankfully, many humidifiers allow you to set the schedule. Thus, you can set the schedule and humidity level you want with the attached sensors of the device.
Humidifiers with the thermostat will check the humidity level in the room and regulate the device accordingly. When it finds that the relative humidity in the indoor air has reached your preferred level, it will automatically shut down the humidifying device.
What’s more, in the summertime, indoor air often becomes drier than the outdoor environment. So, you will face irritation and dryness inside the room. When you use a humidifier during the summer, you get rid of this rather unusual problem.
Indoor Air Becomes Dry In Summer: The Reason Explained
Generally, we expect indoor air to become more humid in the summer. But that doesn’t happen always. As we have mentioned a few times already, indoor air in your home and office can still be drier than the usual range.
But why does indoor air remains dry in summer?
The answer lies in our lifestyle and our devices in indoor spaces. For instance, we will close the door and windows to stop outside pollutants entire the room. Also, every home has air conditioners (ACs) and even air purifiers for healthy and comfy living.
Most people don’t know that air purifier releases slightly drier indoor air. Thus, it reduces the humidity level inside the room. Running the air purifier continuously will serve the indoor air with great purification and lower the moisture. Thus, you will have direr indoor air.
Next, there is our addiction to the home air coolers. Boy, aren’t we addicted to enjoying lower temperatures indoors with the ACs? Yes, it is part and parcel of most homes in the US. As the outdoor temperature increases rapidly during the summer, ACs will work faster to lower the indoor temperature. As a result, it also dries up the air.
It happens due to the working process of the air cooler. These devices have a condenser inside them. The coil of the condenser will have a lower temperature. Thus, it becomes cooler when the hotter air enters the device and passes through the condenser. Consequently, the moisture of the air gets removed. You will see that ACs come with hose pipes and ducts that drain the water outside.
This water is nothing but the moisture the device removes from the warmer air in cooling it. So, the released cooler air becomes drier. Henceforth, you will live in a dry environment during the summertime, although ACs will offer a nice cold environment for your comfort.
So, it is a big tradeoff of using the ACs in interior conditions. Of course, you may use centralized HVACs to humidify and cool the indoor air. But, it is too costly to install a centralized HVAC system in your home.
Instead, you can use a portable humidifier at home to nullify the effect of the ACs. So, you will enjoy cooler, moisture, and better air at home. So, using a humidifier at home during summertime is quite an affordable alternative to centralized HVAC systems.
Long story short, when you use ACs regularly during the balmy weather, you should also run the humidifying device to remove dryness from the environment.
The Changing Building Design in Residential and Office Spaces:
People are incredibly and truly concerned about ecology and environmental conservation these days. So, office and residential spaces’ structural and architectural design follow the changing trend. As a result, these spaces look more eco-friendly and promote “green practice.”
Thus, these spaces often have glasses to let outdoor light enter them so that there’s the least need for artificial lighting and electricity. While it promotes eco-friendly design, it has a few disadvantages. One of the main setbacks of these spaces is their airtight design that stops the outdoor air from flowing indoors. So, you will get clogged in it and might have breathing problems.
What’s more, the airtight building will block the outdoor air from entering inside. So, inside, it remains drier for most of the year. ACs will run continuously throughout office time in most office spaces these days. Thus, the air becomes even drier.
It develops into sick office syndrome. The main causes of the syndrome are:
- Poorly ventilated spaces
- Increased dust level
- Presence of germs
- Increased heat in the room
- Low humidity
As you see, all of these reasons for sick office syndrome are linked with a humidifier. As the room has low humidity, your sickness gets worse. In summer, it might become the worst. Thus, you must use a humidifier even during the summertime in offices, homes, and schools to maintain the humidity level in a good state for a better and healthier lifestyle.
You might watch this video to know more about office sick syndrome.
Benefits of Using Humidifier in Summer
You might want to know about the benefits of a humidifier in the summertime. Also, people might ask, “What is the help of a humidifier in the summertime?”
So, here goes the answer:
Helps Fight with Allergic Symptoms:
When summer advances, it doesn’t only come with the added moisture in the outdoor air. Pollen and dander also increase rapidly, and they will find ways to sneak into dry indoor air. Thus, many people face serious allergic symptoms during the summertime.
When you run the humidifier for a certain period, it will remain moist in the environment. Therefore, the air becomes heavier and stops the spread of pollen and dander. So, you will remain free of those unwanted allergic attacks even in summer.
Also, the added hydration will remove skin irritation and give it a tender and soft feel.
Useful for Sinus and Nosebleed:
Many people suffer from sinus and nosebleeds even during the hotter weather. The use of a humidifier will be helpful for those persons superbly. Thus, we strongly recommend running the hydrating device in the summertime to eliminate sinusitis and nosebleed and enjoy comfy living.
Moreover, there’re sleep-friendly nosebleed humidifiers that can help you sleep peacefully even in the warmest month of the year.
Helps in Cooling the Room Temperature:
Although most people disbelieve, using a humidifier can help you cool down the indoor room temperature. Yes, a cool-mist humidifier will release cooler mist in the air. So, the air gets cooled off even without using the air conditioner.
Also, you can use the humidifier and air conditioner simultaneously. It will lower the energy consumption of the AC. It is indeed a great help since ACs are infamous for their energy-hungry property. You will notice a considerable reduction in your electricity bill with the use of humidifiers in the summer seasons.
What’s more, the humidifier will hydrate the air with cooler mist. Thus, its effect remains longer in the indoor situation than in the AC. Consequently, you will enjoy cooler and hydrated air for an extended period with the device.
What Type of Humidifier Is Good For Summer Use?
Although it is good to run your humidifier in warmer times, you can’t just use any device for it. Some humidifiers will, in fact, increase the room temperature. So, you should avoid those machines.
Firstly, you should avoid steam humidifiers. Although these devices are cheaply available in local drug stores, it releases hot mist. So, it isn’t suitable for use in summer. Also, try to avoid the humidifier with a filtering mechanism. The device has a damp filtering system. As the mist passes through the dampened area, its hydration capacity reduces drastically.
So, which is the best humidifier for summer use?
According to our research, you should install an ultrasonic humidifier in the summer season. It releases ultrasonic vibration to generate the power for the device to transform the water into a cool mist. As the mist gets mixed with the air, you will enjoy better hydration. Also, ultrasonic humidifiers are child and pet safe.
Conclusion
You should now be fully convinced that why should you use a humidifier in summer at home and in offices. It will improve the air quality and hydration and cool off the interior surroundings. Thus, it helps you fight against allergy, sinus, nosebleed, and skin irritations better. When you use a humidifier on warmer days, you will love the hydrated air for healthy living without increasing the electricity bill.
