Do-it-yourself air humidity meter: assembly instructions for the hygrometer

To control the microclimate of the room, special devices will definitely be needed. This also applies to a device with which you can monitor the amount of water vapor that may be present in the air.

You must admit that not only excessive dryness, but also excessive humidity negatively affects the health status of people living or working here. So why not try to make an air humidity meter yourself, which will help for different situations?

Next, we will talk about the principle of operation of the hygrometer, and also give instructions for self-assembly of several simple devices.

What is a hygrometer for?

First you need to understand the question, why do you even need a humidity meter? Available for sale finished appliances for this purpose. We are talking about hygrometers, although there are some people who prefer psychrometers.

That's just everyone got used to simpler and more understandable devices. The first option can be called the most practical and convenient, since here you do not have to deal with calculations in order to get the exact figure of air humidity.

You can choose a mechanical hygrometer or buy a multifunctional electronic device, where, in addition to the level of humidity, other microclimate indicators are reflected in the room

But after all air humidity indicators play an important role. If we are talking about the human body, for him this indicator should be in the range of 40-60%. But this is only if it is a healthy person.

When the indicator will differ, it will be lower, you will need to use a special humidifier. You have to spend money on it. Otherwise, you need to include an air dryer, which will also require unnecessary financial costs. And it will be very good when the moisture level in the room is automatically adjusted.

Humidity meter may be needed for a variety of situations.

Do not lose sight of the fact that excess moisture or its insufficient amount necessarily does harm:

• the human body;
• indoor plants;
• pieces of furniture;
• food products.

It is important not to forget also about household appliances, which are present in almost any urban apartment or in private houses.

If even indoor plants suffer from abnormal humidity, all the more this will directly affect the human body

First of all, this applies to people who have problems with their health. The state of health depends on the humidity level in the room. If the air humidity is below the permissible norm, even a healthy person will have difficulty breathing.

Drying of the mucous membranes is necessarily observed. This is especially important for those who have a disease associated with the respiratory tract: asthmatics suffering from bronchitis, etc. Do not forget about heart disease, where air humidity also plays a significant role.

Read more about the effects of air humidity on human health. Further.

The need to measure humidity

A moisture meter may be required both for a family living in a small city apartment, and for a farm. This is especially true for those who have incubators and are engaged in breeding chicks.

In order not to buy this device, you can try to make it yourself. There is nothing complicated in it, even someone who has never done this will easily cope. But still you need a few elements or finished devices. It all depends on which version of the meter will be selected.

Even human hair can serve as an element that is ideal for making a home-made device to measure moisture

Next, we will consider several home-made versions of an air humidity meter, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Some devices are very simple to make, but others will have to tinker a bit. As a result, it will be possible to find out the exact or approximate percentage of humidity. It all depends on the choice of device.

In order to independently assemble more complex instruments for measuring moisture, you may need a soldering iron, as well as other tools.

Homemade appliance assembly

Not all the described devices deserve attention, therefore it is worthwhile to dwell on those that are easier to manufacture or give more accurate readings.

Option 1 - the simplest hygrometer

Many people who use glasses have long paid attention to the fact that if you go into a warm room from the cold, the glasses usually fog up. That's just it all depends not only on the temperature in the room, but also on humidity.

In some cases, the glass becomes almost wet, so you have to wipe it well with a cloth. But in other rooms they very quickly dry themselves.

According to the same principle, a homemade device from improvised means is arranged, with which it will be possible to determine the humidity of the air in the room. Only the readings will not be accurate, but approximate.

For this purpose, the following will be required:

• ordinary transparent glass;
• some clean water;
• refrigerator.

It should also be borne in mind that this will turn out to be a disposable device, and in order to get the humidity readings again in time, this experiment will have to be repeated again.

An ordinary glass cup is taken and water is poured into it. For this purpose, you can use a glass. It is necessary to fill the vessel almost completely. Then it must be placed in the refrigerator. There it should be for several hours at a temperature of from 3 to 5 ° C

Then we take out a glass of water from the refrigerator and install it in the room where it is necessary to check the humidity level.Just put it away from heating appliances, otherwise it will give completely inaccurate results.

On the glass, not just condensation is noticeable, but dripping drops. It means high percentage of humidity in the room where measurements are taken.

As a rule, as a result of such a simple and affordable experiment, you can get one of 3 options:

1. When the air in the room turns out to be overdried and there is an insufficient percentage of humidity in it, condensation will be observed on the walls of the glass for 5-8 minutes, which will gradually disappear.
2. If there is an excess of moisture in the room, after 5-8 minutes the vessel will not be covered with condensate, but with drops that will drain down the walls.
3. But when there is no condensation or drops of water on the walls of the glass, this indicates that the room is a normal variant of humidity.

What percentage of air humidity can no longer be said with accuracy. Only one thing can be stated: it is lowered, exceeded or it is an acceptable indication.

Option 2 - a device made of natural materials

Not everyone knows that almost all plants in one way or another react to air humidity. To independently make a meter from natural materials, it is not necessary to be able to "read" the behavior of plants, you just need to be careful.

The percentage of air humidity is easy to determine by cones. They can both close and open their petals. And this applies even to the situation, if you pick cones and bring them to your house

The cone necessarily responds to changes in humidity both outdoors and indoors. You just have to watch her scales.

For the experiment, you will need another small piece of plywood. A cone is attached in its center, which can be done with a nail or with tape.

If the bump has fully revealed its scales, then this indicates insufficient humidity. In the case of normal humidity, the flakes remain closed

Only here you will have to observe how fast the scales will open:

• if fast then humidity in the air is not enough;
• when the tips rise up, there is an excess of moisture;
• if the scales do not change their position for a long time, this indicates that everything is in order.

In the latter case, the indoor microclimate corresponds to average readings. But even in this situation, using such an experiment, accurate data cannot be obtained.

Option 3 - a hygrometer from a napkin

The simplest home hygrometer can be made from improvised means. It will already be more accurate, because in this case, a home-made scale of indications is used. Only it needs to be configured correctly.

To create a homemade product you will need:

• white simple napkin;
• piece of plywood;
• a few nails;
• 3-4 cm long wire

You also need to find the glue with which a paper towel is glued to the plywood so that it does not move.

From both ends of the fixed napkin, 2 nails are driven into the plywood. Then 2 pieces of wire are attached to the napkin. But one of them is necessarily attached to the nail. He will serve as an arrow.

The principle of such a hygrometer is based on the fact that a paper towel is able to absorb moisture that is in the air. This leads to a change in her condition.

For measurement accuracy, you must first use a real mechanical hygrometer to draw the appropriate scale on plywood. This homemade device will be able to be used in the future, it will definitely not be disposable.

A wire attached to one side of the nail and the other to the napkin will move if the humidity in the room begins to change. To verify this, it is enough to install such a device in the kitchen at the time of cooking.

An analogue of a hair device for measuring the desired indications of relative humidity is also proposed.But it has its drawbacks. Firstly, its production will require much more different materials.

And secondly, it will take time. The third problem is that you need a long hair of at least 40-50 cm. Here everything is based on the fact that human hair responds well to any changes in air humidity. It is much easier to make such a device as a psychrometer yourself.

Option 4 - a makeshift psychometer

Although the manufacturepsychrometric the device will take time, but such a device will produce more accurate readings.

Schematic illustration of the manufacture of an accurate psychrometer for measuring air humidity, where in addition to two thermometers, you will need a few more simple structural elements

In its manufacture can not do without several important elements:

• two mercury or alcohol thermometers;
• glass jars with distilled water;
• a small piece of cotton fabric;
• small plywood boards;
• several screws and threads.

Thermometers are taken to measure temperature. They must be attached to the board so that they are in a vertical position, but always parallel to each other. For this, in addition to the board, wooden planks may also be required.

And then it will taketo feed moisture is one of the thermometers. A flask or vial is placed under it, where distilled water is located. Then a strip of cloth is taken and a mercury ball is wrapped around it.

If this is an alcohol thermometer, then this procedure is done with his spray can. So that the wrapped part does not dissolve over time, it must be tied with a thread. And then the free end of the tissue is placed in a vessel with water to a depth of 5-6 mm.

This device in its principle of operation is almost the same as a conventional psychrometric hygrometer. Just to use it, you must immediately compile a table. Here you will need to compare the readings of each thermometer and do certain calculations.

A homemade hygrometer from thermometers will last longer if it is well fixed on the stand, so this issue should be taken care of even at the stage of preparing the stand materials

The testimony of both a “dry” and a “wet” device is taken into account and, thanks to the calculations made, it will be possible to determine the level of humidity in the room. Such a home-made device is advantageous in that it is possible to obtain more accurate and correct readings.

Option 5 - sophisticated moisture sensors

You can make a more sophisticated humidity sensor with your own hands, and here you will need a soldering iron and several specific elements. There will be no difficulties in manufacturing if everything is done correctly.

It is necessary to use a plate of foil fiberglass. Here you will need to depict 2 pads. Only they must be completely isolated so that they do not touch each other

After that, two wires are reliably soldered to the contact pads. Then you need to drop a drop of the mascara used for drawing. The moisture level will be measured by the resistance of the blot, which should dry.

If the resistance increases, this indicates an increased percentage of humidity. But when it decreases, then everything speaks of an insufficient level of moisture in the air.

A good master will be able to make such a device out of wood. Such a homemade product can even serve as an interior decoration. Here are just some negative points.

The first minus is that you need a special spruce wood. And the second negative point is the presence of a good workshop with a circulation saw, band saw and a drilling machine (an electric drill may come up). Therefore, this option of a homemade hygrometer can also be called complex.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

An example of making a hair hygrometer with your own hands:

How to make a psychometer at home will be discussed in the following video:

All the described methods for the manufacture of instruments for measuring air humidity are simple, where everything can be done with your own hands. You can even make an electronic device yourself. But here you will need a control board and other electronic elements.

Not everyone will be able to create such a device, although it will give more accurate readings. Of all the above descriptions, the most profitable is the psychrometer from thermometers. Its manufacture is not very difficult.

Have you ever been involved in the construction of a makeshift hygrometer? Please tell our readers about which device it turned out to build and whether there were any difficulties. Leave your comments, share photos of your own homemade products - the communication unit is located below.