Humidity in Ireland

seachto7 · 19-07-2017 09:34AM #1

Recently stuck some dehumidifiers around the apartment in Dublin.
They say they last for up to 6 weeks, but they're already 1/3 full of water!
Imagine what the state of my lungs are.
It could just be the apartment, but surely can't be healthy for people?

Ann_Landers · 19-07-2017 09:35AM

It's been a particularly humid summer.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-07-2017 09:41AM

It's humid at the moment. There's always moisture in the air to some degree. Others put humidifiers in place to add moisture to the air at times of the year. Your lungs need a certain moisture level, so there being moisture in the air is not detrimental.

gramar · 19-07-2017 09:45AM

You're rotting from the inside out OP. You must smell like sweaty old socks.

seachto7 · 19-07-2017 09:46AM

I'll take to the bed for the week...

19-07-2017 10:35AM

It's always pretty humid in Ireland. It's why heat is so stifling and slightly cold temperatures feel much cooler.

Greentopia · 19-07-2017 10:44AM

Your lungs would only be affected if there is no ventilation or air flow in your gaff causing dampness and mould to grow. Humidity is just a fact of life in Ireland because of the climate.

osarusan · 19-07-2017 10:53AM

seachto7 wrote: »

Recently stuck some dehumidifiers around the apartment in Dublin.
They say they last for up to 6 weeks, but they're already 1/3 full of water!
Imagine what the state of my lungs are.
It could just be the apartment, but surely can't be healthy for people?

People's lungs are able to cope perfectly 99% of the time.

What state were your lungs in all the other summers you didn't have humidifiers around the apartment?

LadyMacBeth_ · 19-07-2017 11:07AM

My lungs are not pleased with the humidity. Then again they are working at about 50% capacity.

Badly Drunk Boy · 19-07-2017 11:19AM

I remember getting an Indian takeaway on a particularly cold night, and got talking to the girl at the counter (who was probably the owner). She said she used to live in Canada, and could easily put up with the -40 degree temperatures, but she couldn't cope with -2 degrees in Ireland because of the humidity.

(In the same coversation, she was talking about how most Indian restaurants in this part of the world were Bangladeshi but hers was a proper Indian!! "Calm down, Shaheen...").

Gravelly · 19-07-2017 11:23AM

Burn the apartment down to the ground I'd say, its the only safe thing to do. That's if it will burn.

seachto7 · 19-07-2017 11:26AM

I wonder how it effects musical instruments? I'd say vintage violin owners must be in bits with worry these days!

ThisRegard · 19-07-2017 12:12PM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I remember getting an Indian takeaway on a particularly cold night, and got talking to the girl at the counter (who was probably the owner). She said she used to live in Canada, and could easily put up with the -40 degree temperatures, but she couldn't cope with -2 degrees in Ireland because of the humidity.

You'll find if you ever went skiiing/mountain climbing in the mountains of Europe or America, the temperature will be right down there, but you don't get that same cutting you in half coldness that you often feel here.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-07-2017 12:14PM

seachto7 wrote: »

I wonder how it effects musical instruments? I'd say vintage violin owners must be in bits with worry these days!

Musical instruments ideally should be stored at 40% to 60% humidity. The mean humidity in Ireland is mid 70s.

biko · 19-07-2017 12:24PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Imagine what the state of my lungs are.
It could just be the apartment, but surely can't be healthy for people?

You are aprox 55-60% water already.

Humidity today is aprox 85% in Dublin, average for Singapore so yeah very humid.

seachto7 · 19-07-2017 12:51PM

You can feel the wet in your bones

I stopped over in Singapore years ago and it was unreal.

19-07-2017 01:20PM

biko wrote: »

You are aprox 55-60% water already.

Humidity today is aprox 85% in Dublin, average for Singapore so yeah very humid.

Well 85% relative humidity in Dublin isn't the same as 85% in sinapore, the temperature difference means there's much more water in the air

cython · 19-07-2017 02:11PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Well 85% relative humidity in Dublin isn't the same as 85% in sinapore, the temperature difference means there's much more water in the air

By all accounts relative humidity is more relevant in the context of how the air feels though, as it's a better measure of how slow perspiration is to evaporate than absolute humidity. While there is more water in the air for the same relative humidity at a higher temperature, the air can also take more. Absolute humidity may, however, be a better indicator of the "breathability" of the air for those who have issues with respiration in damper/more humid climates, as ultimately there is more water vapour going into your lungs.

4068ac1elhodqr · 19-07-2017 02:22PM

Jude Clumsy Viewer wrote: »

Musical instruments ideally should be stored at 40% to 60% humidity. The mean humidity in Ireland is mid 70s.

Not just violins, owners of any brass instruments have to take extreme care of bacterial build up to prevent chest infections.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis aka 'Bagpipe/Saxaphone lung'.

And if you're boiling spuds, always open the window, toxic damp spores on walls aren't pleasant neither.

19-07-2017 02:42PM

cython wrote: »

By all accounts relative humidity is more relevant in the context of how the air feels though, as it's a better measure of how slow perspiration is to evaporate than absolute humidity. While there is more water in the air for the same relative humidity at a higher temperature, the air can also take more. Absolute humidity may, however, be a better indicator of the "breathability" of the air for those who have issues with respiration in damper/more humid climates, as ultimately there is more water vapour going into your lungs.

Well the OP is talking about dehumidifing so it's important to know the difference

The_Conductor · 19-07-2017 05:08PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Recently stuck some dehumidifiers around the apartment in Dublin.
They say they last for up to 6 weeks, but they're already 1/3 full of water!
Imagine what the state of my lungs are.
It could just be the apartment, but surely can't be healthy for people?

Normal comfortable humidity in a house/apartment tends to be around 40-50%- people tend to have it lower in the winter (to prevent abnormal volumes of condensation on windows).

The humidity level in Ireland- varies according to a number of factors- but is significantly higher during summer months- and tends to be highest at night and early morning- falling during the daytime to a low in the early afternoon. Today, in Dublin, for example- it was up to 92% humidity last night, falling to 84% at 09.00, and 76% at 12.00- and is currently in the low 60%s. It probably will increase tonight back to the low 80s (doubt it'll go higher).

So- in an Irish context- running a dehumidifier during the summer months- for a couple of hours- before bedtime- is probably the way to go.

If you're using a dessicant dehumidifier- it will probably last less than half as long here- as it does on the continent. The only country that has as high an average annual level of humidity in Europe- is- ironically, Portugal- probably not where you'd imagine.

thebaz · 19-07-2017 05:34PM

biko wrote: »

Humidity today is aprox 85% in Dublin, average for Singapore so yeah very humid.

The Irish Times weather has humidity at 85% - what is the average ? - The humidity is horrible today - Hate it , felt more comfortable in a dessert at the mid 90's than this rank stuff.

The_Conductor · 19-07-2017 05:41PM

thebaz wrote: »

The Irish Times weather has humidity at 85% - what is the average ? - The humidity is horrible today - Hate it , felt more comfortable in a dessert at the mid 90's than this rank stuff.

What part of Dublin are you in?
Here in Lucan- the humidity is over 20% lower today- than it was yesterday.
It does vary (massively actually) depending on what part of the country you're in- and it varies over the course of the day by up to a massive 40%.

LionelNashe · 19-07-2017 05:46PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Recently stuck some dehumidifiers around the apartment in Dublin.
They say they last for up to 6 weeks, but they're already 1/3 full of water!
Imagine what the state of my lungs are.
It could just be the apartment, but surely can't be healthy for people?

Interesting. It never occurred to me that Irish humidity levels would be considered a health problem by anyone, or that there were such things as dehumidifiers. It's like the story of the two fish, where one says, "The water's cold today", and the other one says "What water?"

suicide_circus · 19-07-2017 05:48PM

There's a terrible dose of Swamp Crotch going round

thebaz · 19-07-2017 05:51PM

The_Conductor wrote: »

What part of Dublin are you in?
Here in Lucan- the humidity is over 20% lower today- than it was yesterday.
It does vary (massively actually) depending on what part of the country you're in- and it varies over the course of the day by up to a massive 40%.

Dun Laoghaire - in fairness, it was bad yesterday too - trouble sleeping and a dose of hay fever on top - I'm in great form :mad:

The_Conductor · 19-07-2017 05:59PM

thebaz wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire - in fairness, it was bad yesterday too - trouble sleeping and a dose of hay fever on top - I'm in great form :mad:

I got a dehumifier/air con unit in Aldi last summer- its about the only thing that is making sleeping possible here. It gets about 5 litres an hour out of the air- and can reduce the room temperature to about 17 degrees. It was quite expensive (for an appliance bought in Aldi)- but the damn thing works. Only downside- the reservoir on it is only 5 litres capacity- and it automatically turns itself off when the tank is full- which takes about an hour to an hour 20 minutes- depending on humidity and temperature. Its a massive thing too- takes two people to lift it- though thankfully- it is on wheels.

Power city and DID sell equivalent units.
edit: Actually- they don't- just checked their websites

Gravelly · 19-07-2017 06:02PM

The_Conductor wrote: »

I got a dehumifier/air con unit in Aldi last summer- its about the only thing that is making sleeping possible here. It gets about 5 litres an hour out of the air- and can reduce the room temperature to about 17 degrees. It was quite expensive (for an appliance bought in Aldi)- but the damn thing works. Only downside- the reservoir on it is only 5 litres capacity- and it automatically turns itself off when the tank is full- which takes about an hour to an hour 20 minutes- depending on humidity and temperature. Its a massive thing too- takes two people to lift it- though thankfully- it is on wheels.

Power city and DID sell equivalent units.

5 litres an hour??? Your place must be like a sauna. Would you not gunter a fix that drains the reservoir into a bucket or something?

19-07-2017 06:06PM

The_Conductor wrote: »

Normal comfortable humidity in a house/apartment tends to be around 40-50%- people tend to have it lower in the winter (to prevent abnormal volumes of condensation on windows).

The humidity level in Ireland- varies according to a number of factors- but is significantly higher during summer months- and tends to be highest at night and early morning- falling during the daytime to a low in the early afternoon. Today, in Dublin, for example- it was up to 92% humidity last night, falling to 84% at 09.00, and 76% at 12.00- and is currently in the low 60%s. It probably will increase tonight back to the low 80s (doubt it'll go higher).

So- in an Irish context- running a dehumidifier during the summer months- for a couple of hours- before bedtime- is probably the way to go.

If you're using a dessicant dehumidifier- it will probably last less than half as long here- as it does on the continent. The only country that has as high an average annual level of humidity in Europe- is- ironically, Portugal- probably not where you'd imagine.

You mean specific humidity? Cause the relative humidity is highest in winter

Spanish Eyes · 19-07-2017 06:06PM

I am glad it's not just me.

The muggy close feeling of the last few days has me positively wilting!

It is not pleasant at all. Compare and contrast to the much higher temps in Southern Spain now for example, a dry heat and low humidity. Much easier to bear. Fabulous climate.

HalloweenJack · 19-07-2017 06:17PM

I hate the humidity back home. I've been living in mid-40s for the last few weeks. The humidity is probably 10% tops and, hand on my heart, I'm not sweating as much as I do when I'm back home and it's mid- to high-20s. The mugginess at home used to wear me out and drive me nuts.

Extreme dry heat really isn't as bad as it sounds. If you're from humid climes then your concept of heat is really heat with humidity whereas heat without humidity is not the same. 25 in Ireland is a lot stuffier than 25 in dry heat.

Humidity in Ireland

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