How Does a Humidity Sensor Work?

Humidity is the amount of water vapor that the air holds in a given time. This amount can change throughout the day with the change in environmental temperature. The amount of water vapor present in the air directly affects humans and non-living things in this world. Also, humidity plays several critical roles in commercial and industrial worlds. Humidity meter is the general electronic meter to use for measuring humidity. In this article, we highlight the Humidity Sensor, which is the device widely being used in the industrial world for measuring and monitoring the presence of water vapor in the air.

OK, let’s understand humidity in detail first! As mentioned, it is the amount of water that the air holds in a given time. The ability of the air to hold water vapor changes with temperature. In other words, higher the temperature, the air can hold more water vapor; lower the temperature, the air can only hold water vapor in smaller amounts. So, now you can understand why you feel air to be wet during summer and dry during winter. People complain about high or low humidity levels as both the scenarios can affect us negatively. When the air holds too much water vapor, you feel warmer than the actual environmental temperature. A Humidity Sensor is a small device that can detect the amount of water vapor in the air. Too high moisture levels can affect antique items negatively. Humidity is a parameter that warehouse and museum managers focus on to ensure the safety of stored items. Higher levels of moisture can lead to mold growth on antique items, which can ruin the surface permanently. So, a Humidity Sensor is a must-have device in these cases to ensure the safety of antiques and other expensive items. A hygrometer is another name for this useful electronic measuring device.

Humidity Sensor Parameters

Most sensors can measure humidity and temperature at the same time. As mentioned, humidity and temperature are connected to each other. So, a sensor that can measure both these parameters would be more useful for commercial and industrial applications. Well, you can buy a sensor for home-use too. Homeowners now control humidity for the safety of household items such as expensive furniture, antiques, and so on. The amount of water vapor in the air directly affects the comfort of your home. For example, too much water vapor in the air can make you feel warmer. Also, it can make your skin feel wet, which is very uncomfortable. Too low water vapor in the air can cause some nasty side effects such as dehydration, cracked lips, dry skin, headache, and so on. DIY methods are there to bring back the moisture level in your home up to correct levels. Anyway, monitoring humidity level in your home is critical if you have expensive items and when a child is there who is more prone to illnesses. Mold growth due to high moisture levels can cause allergy reactions, breathing difficulties, and skin rashes and irritations.

The amount of water vapor in the air is measured in the paper industry for final product quality. Transporting of paper and paper products in high moisture environments can ruin the products in no time. Paper and paper products can get wet and damaged due to high moisture present in the air. So, every transporter of such products measures moisture levels with a Humidity Sensor today. The same story applies to the textile industry as well. Transporting of garment products in high moisture environments can lead to a musty smell, moisture collection, and pest infestation. When textiles products are transported via ships; the products will stay in the container for many weeks. This two weeks time period is more than enough to cause serious damages to textile products in the container. Controlling of humidity is crucial so.

Explaining the Humidity Sensor in detail

Now, you know the purpose of this versatile measuring device. Let’s get to know how it works a bit better now! These sensors sense the relative humidity, which is the percentage water vapor amount that the air is holding at a given time. Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage so. A Humidity Meter comes with two metal plates, and a non-conductive polymer film is placed in between the metal plates. Metal plates act as electrical conductors. The non-conductive polymer film collects water vapor in the air. This collection of water vapor by the polymer film causes changes in the voltage between two conductive metal plates. The electronics in the Humidity Sensor then converts these voltage changes into digital signals. In other words, the working principle in the sensor is simple, hence nothing much can go wrong when measuring moisture levels in the air with it.

Who will benefit from buying a sensor?

Every professional who works in museums, industrial spaces, agriculture, AC systems, and warehouses will benefit from buying this product. A dew sensor is another version of this versatile moisture level measuring device. Dewpoint plays a crucial role in the coating industry.

Choosing the right meterHomeowners will benefit from buying general types that are cheap to buy. You can buy a general sensor for home-use for just $10. Some robust and expensive models are available for commercial and industrial uses. Three Humidity Meter types are there: capacitive, resistive, and thermal. Choose the type that suits your application the most. Each type comes with advantage and disadvantage over other types. You can buy it online from a reputable manufacturer in your city. If you are not sure of which type to buy for your applications; talk to us today!

Some final words

Moisture, humidity, or the amount of water vapor in the air is a parameter that affects humans and non-living things in this world. So, it is one of the most monitored parameters in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Too high or too low humidity levels come with serious downsides such as health issues and damages to expensive household and industrial items such as antiques and paper products. DIY methods are there to stabilize humidity levels in your home or office space. For example, you can turn on the humidifier when the humidity level is too low. You can run the air conditioner on dry mode if humidity is too high.

Measuring and monitoring humidity is paramount in many industries such as paper, textile, antique, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and so on. Anyway, this device can’t store the data for you. For storing the data, you should buy a Humidity Sensor that comes as a humidity logger.