In the last few weeks, winter has once again made us feel what ‘really cold’ means. Many people at home have turned the heating knobs all the way to the left – and are now suffering from the consequences of dry heating air. It dries out our mucous membranes, reduces their cleansing function and creates an ideal habitat for viruses. It also causes undesirable effects such dry nose and irritated eyes, as well as coughs, colds and sore throats. Because low humidity also increases the lifetime of infectious corona aerosols in the room air, there is virtually every reason to humidify the air as much as possible in the future.
Doctors and biologists tell us time and again how crucially the immune defence of the mucous membranes depends on the humidity of the room air. This is because as air humidity decreases, the removal of microorganisms and viruses in the mucous membranes decreases given the drying out of the cilia, meaning they can no longer perform their cleansing function. Experts therefore recommend a relative humidity of between 50 and 60 percent as a comfort zone for living rooms and offices. You should measure the humidity in the room at the first sign of excessively dry indoor air. The measuring instrument used for this is a so-called room thermohygrometer, such as the one Trotec offers with the precise and inexpensive BZ05. At the latest when the thermohygrometer permanently indicates an air humidity value below 40 percent, you should act to achieve normal air humidity in the room again.
Air Humidity of 50% reduces the risk of corona infection
Did you know that adequate room humidity helps prevent corona aerosol infection? Scientific studies show that when the relative humidity of indoor air is below 40 percent, corona aerosols emitted by infected individuals absorb less water. This means that these particles remain lighter and can continue to fly through the room air. But the wider the radius of the emitted infectious aerosols, the greater the risk of infection for healthy people in the room. Conversely: if the air humidity is right, the aerosols quickly absorb moisture, become heavier and therefore fall to the ground more quickly.
What is the best way to humidify dry air?
From house plants to small water bowls or even automatic air humidifiers, which, depending on the model, evaporate, mist or vaporise, there are numerous options for restoring the optimal room humidity level of 50 to 60 percent. But you should also make sure not to spread harmful germs in your living or working spaces with the humid air.
- The simple solution – water bowls
Place water bowls near the heater or hang humidifiers filled with water on the radiator. However, the evaporation capacity is not particularly high with these small containers and the effect is correspondingly low. Additionally, you need to make sure the respective containers are regularly cleaned because warm water is an ideal breeding ground for germs. They usually don’t end up in the air we breathe, but are unhygienic.
- Die natural solution– houseplants
Go for the right houseplants: by just adding three larger plants, you can increase the humidity in a 30 m2 room to the ideal level. Papyrus is particularly suitable for this: up to two litres of water evaporate from a 1.5 m plant every day. Green lilies, indoor limes, or Cyprus grass are also the perfect plants to increase humidity. - The convenient solution – humidifiers
Do you prefer the convenient solution using electric humidifiers? You can choose between nebulisers, vaporisers, evaporators and air washers. You should choose the device carefully and pay attention to energy consumption and the device’s susceptibility to microbes in particular. We will explain the main differences between each type of device: Ultrasonic humidifiers create an ultra-fine mist directly from water, which is why they are often called nebulisers. (Incidentally, in contrast to this technology, cold evaporators or rotary humidifiers, in which dry room air is blown through a filter fleece enriched with water for humidification.) Nebulisers such as the B 1 E, B 5 E or B 6 E atomise the water into very small droplets. Their disadvantage: they often distribute respirable bacteria in the room at the same time. Steam humidifiers heat the water either according to the immersion heater principle or via electrodes until it evaporates. Therefore, they consume a comparatively large amount of energy and there is the risk of making the room overly humid at the same time. In addition, with evaporators you have to be careful not to scald yourself from the hot steam that is emitted. Evaporators, such as the B 400, B 24 E and the B 25 E humidifiers from Trotec for example, release moisture into the ambient air via filter mats or plates, on which water is evaporated over a large area. Microbes remain in the device. One advantage is that the devices consume comparatively less energy and there is no risk of the room becoming overly humid. Air washers, such as the AW 10 S and the AW 20 S with HEPA filters from Trotec, humidify the air using the cold evaporation method. Both devices wash the air thoroughly and therefore filter out animal hair, house dust and pollen as well as unpleasant odours.
With Trotec-branded devices you can control the air humidity at any time
The hygrostat-controlled Trotec humidifiers from the B series and the air washers from the AW-S series ensure optimally regulated humidity and purified room air. These devices fit into any living and office environment thanks to their timeless design. They require minimal maintenance and inexpensive to purchase. The most important criteria when selecting the appropriate device are the room size in conjunction with the humidification performance.
- The B400 humidifier combines high evaporation capacity with economical continuous operation. Its hygrostat-controlled humidity regulation is supplemented by a rotating evaporisation fleece, which also cleans the air. Pleasantly low levels of operating noise and energy consumption make the device even more impressive.
- The structurally identical B 24 E and B 25 E humidifiers are the right choice if you want to highlight small rooms of up to 24 m² with a special design. Both devices work with a honeycomb filter. The dry air is drawn through this filter, enriched with moisture and then released back into the room as humid air at one of four selectable fan levels.
- The AW 10 S air washer is the easy to maintain 3-in-1 comfort device for humidification and purification. The air washer cleans and humidifies the room air without filter mats. Furthermore, the air washer binds, among other things, pollen, animal hair, house dust and even unpleasant odours thanks to the integrated plasma feature. The low-maintenance device is child’s play to open for filling and cleaning.
- The AW 20 S air washer offers optimum humid room air quality at all times as a 3-in-1 comfort device with combination sensor and HEPA filter. Moreover, the device is perfectly suited for allergy sufferers: thanks to the optional HEPA filter, not only is house dust, pollen and animal hair removed from the air – but even the smallest of dirt particles such as fine dust, allergens or mould spores can be reliably removed by this air washer as well.
Better indoor climate – thanks to innovative solutions from Trotec
Get comprehensive information on all of the ways our air quality management can benefit you. And on top of that you benefit from our current special offer prices because you get Trotec brand quality:
- the room thermohygrometer BZ05 reduced from £19.68 to only £12.44,
- the ultrasonic humidifier B 1 E reduced from £59.14 to only £38.40,
- the ultrasonic humidifier B 5 E reduced from £88.72 to just £48.01,
- the ultrasonic humidifier B 6 E reduced from £88.72 to just £52.85,
- the humidifier B 400 for £295.87,
- the humidifier B 24 E reduced from £88.72 to only £57.62,
- the humidifier B 25 E reduced from £88.72 to only £57.62,
- the AW 10 S air washer reduced from £295.87 to only £211.49,
- the AW 20 S air washer for £493.12,
incl. VAT – now in the Trotec shop!
Trotec practical knowledge ‘Tips for a better room climate’
1/7 Simply ban viruses, allergens and fine dust from your home
2/7 How to ventilate your room correctly and sustainably
3/7 How to avoid dry indoor air and reduce the risk of corona infection
4/7 How to prevent excessive indoor humidity
5/7 How to prevent health-threatening mould growth
6/7 How to banish bad odours and stench from indoor air
7/7 How to improve your well-being with indoor plants
