January Newsletter - The sticky facts on humidity meters and using humidity meters in building maintenance

	Humidity…the sticky facts
	Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Relative humidity is a measure of humidity in relation to temperature and it is expressed as a percentage (%rh - percentage relative humidity).

Whereas dew point is the temperature to which a given parcel of air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into water. The condensed water is called dew. The dew point is a saturation point.  When the dew point remains constant and temperature increases, relative humidity will decrease.

Humidity meters can measure a number of different variables related to humidity depending on the type of meter.  All humidity meters measure temperature; some more advanced meters also measure wet bulb temperature (an indication of evaporation rate) and dew point. We are pleased to be able to offer a wide range of humidity meters to suit many applications and price ranges.

Types of Humidity Meters

Ambient Humidity Meters - All of our humidity meters will measure the ambient humidity i.e. the humidity of the air surrounding the meter.

Temperature and Humidity Meter with Probe - A digital humidity and temperature meter with a high accuracy and external humidity/temperature probe (generally made of plastic), these meters react quickly to humidity and temperature changes.

Temperature, Humidity and Dew Point Meters - Temperature and humidity meters which also measure and display dew point.

Digital Psychrometer – Is a specialist meter to measure wet bulb temperature, the meter also measures the humidity, dew point and air temperature.

Dial Hygrometer – These are an alternative to digital hygrometers.  With analogue meters there is an extra degree of error which occurs when having to manually read a dial; this makes them a less desirable option than a digital meter. 

	Building Maintenance & Humidity
	In buildings a high humidity level can cause mold, rot and damage to the building as well as furniture and equipment. The best way to assess the current humidity levels in an area is to use either a humidity meter or a humidity logger.

Humidity meters can be used to test instantaneous humidity levels in an area; you can move the meter to different locations and rooms and also use the meter to measure humidity in different parts of the room you are in.  The popular models we provide are the C316, the HT-305 and the HD100S because they are good quality and accurate portable meters at an affordable price.  A popular unit for monitoring humidity levels long term in different rooms is the IC7312 Jumbo display thermo-hygrometer.

By using a humidity data logger you can easily get more information about the humidity in an area.  Once setup a humidity logger can measure and record the humidity levels over time for later download.  When finished you can download the information to your computer to view graphs and data showing exactly what has occurred.  This allows you to get information of the changes in humidity levels (and temperature) throughout a day, week or year.