Aside from facilitating access to natural light during the day, windows also act as natural ventilators. Keeping your windows open promotes the movement of air in and out of your home.
The role of windows as natural ventilators is also linked to their involvement in controlling indoor humidity levels.
If you leave your window open when it is raining outside, you are bound to feel an increase in your indoor humidity levels, especially if the wind is blowing towards your windows.
So can you run a humidifier with the window open? The short answer is yes. You can run your humidifier with your window open as long as the humidity levels in your home are lower than the humidity levels outside your home.
In this post we will cover:
- Can you run a humidifier with the window open?
- How to use a humidifier with the window open?
- Does humidifier make room stuffy?
- Can humidifier cause mold on windows?
- Can an open window help dry air?
Can You Run a Humidifier with the Window Open? Comprehensive Answer
As earlier stated, you can run your humidifier with the window open, as long as you track your humidity levels inside and outside your home.
Knowing the difference between the humidity levels in your home and outside your home will help you determine whether you should use your humidifier or simply open the window to allow naturally fresh air in your home.
How to use a humidifier with the window open?
If you want to use your humidifier with the windows open, you should consider the following guidelines:
Place the humidifier away from the window
Placing a humidifier close to an open window could redirect the humidity released from the humidity outside. If you are using a humidifier, you want to benefit from the mist released by the humidifier.
As such, keeping the humidifier close to a window will not offer you the benefits that you need. Instead, you should consider pacing the humidifier in a central position in the house or place it on the opposite side of the window to ensure that you retain the humidity.
Ensure that the humidifier nozzle is not directed towards the window
If you wish to use your humidifier with the windows open, ensure that the nozzle of the humidifier that releases the mist is not directed towards the window.
If the nozzle is directed towards the window then the mist that should be humidifying your home will end up outside your home.
Additionally, directing the humidifier towards your window could expose the walls and the window to excess humidity, which could damage your wall or windows over time.
Close windows when you are not using them
When you are not using your windows consider closing them. This can be a useful trick especially if you live in a place with dry air.
Closing your windows while you are out of your home or when you are not using them will reduce the loss of humidity in your home and ensure that the humidity released by your humidifier is not directed outside by the natural flow of air inside and outside your home.
Humidity levels
If the relative humidity level in your home is lower than the external environment, you can either use your humidifier while the window is open or consider opening your window to promote the flow of moisture-rich air in your home.
You do not necessarily have to use your humidifier in your home unless the humidity levels in your home are extremely low.
If you want to use the humidifier for aesthetic purposes or to manage congestion or other signs of a cold, you can opt to close your window or leave it open depending on where you will be using your humidifier from.
For instance, if the humidifier is placed on the far end of your room, away from the window, you would not have to worry about losing most of the mist released from the humidifier to the outside environment.
It is advisable to invest in a hygrometer or a humidifier with a humidistat to ensure that you can track the humidity levels in your indoor space.
If the humidity levels are slightly below the recommended levels, you can opt to use your humidifier for a few hours or open your window.
If the humidity levels in your home are too high compared to the external humidity levels, opening your window will promote the movement of humid air outside and will eliminate any musty smells caused by excess humidity.
Ceiling Fan
If you are using a ceiling fan in your home while the window is open, consider switching off the ceiling fan. A ceiling fan promotes aeration or air circulation, which can help disperse the humidified air in your room.
On the other hand, the ceiling fan can promote movement of the moisturized air outside your home, which would mean a loss of humidity in the external environment.
Check out the link below to learn more about the benefits and disadvantages of using a ceiling fan while your humidifier is on.
Recommended read: Running a ceiling fan and a humidifier
Note: Using a humidifier when the humidity levels in your home are high is counterproductive and could lead to over-humidification of your indoor air.
Does Humidifier Make Room Stuffy?
A humidifier does not make a room stuffy but can contribute to the stuffiness of a room if the room is already stuffy.
If your room is stuffy, you should open your window to release the stuffy air from the room. Ensure that your ventilators are not blocked and that they are working well.
Before using your humidifier, check the humidity levels in your home to ensure that the humidifier will not add extra humidity to your room.
Can Humidifier Cause Mold on Windows?
A humidifier can cause mold, if the humidifier is used in a room that already has high levels of humidity, or if the humidifier is not turned off when the recommended humidity level is achieved.
Ensure that you do not place your humidifier close to your window to avoid exposing any wooden parts of the window to excess humidity.
Anything that increases the humidity levels in your home can cause mold on surfaces like the sides of your windows and the wall adjacent to the windows.
To avoid the risks of mold, you should also place your humidifier in a central location in the room.
Can an Open Window Help Dry Air?
An open window can be a source of dry or humid air depending on the season. If the air outside your home is dry, your windows and doors can be a source of dry air.
If the air in your home is too humid, you should consider turning your humidifier off and opening your windows or doors to allow dry air to enter the room.
In Summary
A window is a natural ventilator that promotes the movement of air in and out of your home. Windows and doors are great for ensuring that your room is adequately aired and humidified.
If you live in a region with high humidity levels, you might not need to use a humidifier to increase the humidity levels in your home as opening the window could achieve the same goal.
Similarly, if you live in a place with very low humidity levels, opening your window while using a humidifier could be counterproductive as the window will promote the movement of the humid air to the external environment.
FAQs
Should I leave the door open when using a humidifier?
You can opt to leave the door open or close it when using a humidifier depending on the weather and the humidity levels in your home and outside your home.
If the air outside your home feels dry, then leaving a door open when using the humidifier will lead to the loss of humidity in the external environment.
On the other hand, if the air outside your home is humid and the air in your home is dry, leaving the door open will promote the movement of humid air in your home, which will help your humidifier in increasing the humidity levels in your home.
Can you have the window open with a dehumidifier?
You should not have your window open when you are using your dehumidifier, as the window will introduce more humidity in the room, which would be like going against your intended goal.
Dehumidifiers function by eliminating excess humidity in the room, which means that if you are using your dehumidifier while the window is open, you might need to run your dehumidifier for twice the amount of time to achieve your humidity level goal.
If you want to air your room or home, you can opt to open the windows during the day for a few hours then use your dehumidifier. If your room is musty due to excess humidity, leaving the window open will only offer a short-term solution.
Note that, by removing the excess humid air in your home using a dehumidifier, you might also be able to get rid of the unpleasant musty smell linked to excess humidity and mold growth.
