DIY air humidity meter: how to assemble a hygrometer yourself

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

Agree, not only excessive dryness, but also excessive humidity negatively affects the health of people living or working here. So why not try making a DIY air humidity meter that will help for different situations?

Next, we will talk about the principle of operation of the hygrometer, as well as provide instructions for self-assembly of several simple devices.

What is a hygrometer for?

First, you need to figure out why you might even need an air humidity meter? On sale are offered

finished devices for this purpose. We are talking about hygrometers, although there are people who prefer psychrometers.

But everyone is 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 an accurate figure for air humidity.

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

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

An air humidity meter may be needed for a variety of situations.

Do not lose sight of the fact that excess moisture or an insufficient amount of it is necessarily harmful:

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

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

First of all, this applies to people who have problems with their health. Well-being depends on the level of humidity in the room. If the air humidity is below the permissible level, it will be difficult for even a healthy person to breathe.

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 bronchitis, etc. Do not forget about heart disease, where humidity also plays a serious role. air.

For more information about the effect of air humidity on human health, read Further.

The need to measure moisture

A humidity 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 difficult in this, even someone who has never done this can easily cope. But still, you need several elements or ready-made devices. It all depends on which version of the meter is chosen.

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

Some devices are very easy to make, but others will take a little tinkering. As a result, it will be possible to find out the exact or approximate percentage of moisture. It all depends on the choice of device.

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

Assembling homemade appliances

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

Option 1 - the simplest hygrometer

Many people who use glasses have long noticed that if you enter a warm room from the cold, the glasses usually fog up. But it all depends not only on the temperature in the room, but also on the humidity.

In some cases, the glasses become practically wet, so they have to be well wiped off with a napkin. But in other rooms they dry up very quickly and by themselves.

A home-made device from improvised means is arranged according to the same principle, with the help of 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, you will need the following:

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

You also need to take into account that this will turn out to be a disposable device, and in order to find out the humidity readings again after a while, this experiment will have to be repeated again.

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

Not just condensation is noticeable on the glass, but dripping drops. It means increased percentage of moisture in the room where the 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 dry, 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 no longer be covered with condensation, but with drops that will flow 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 has a normal version of humidity.

What percentage of air humidity is no longer possible to say with accuracy. Only one thing can be stated: it is lowered, exceeded, or we are talking about an acceptable reading.

Option 2 - a device made from natural materials

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

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

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

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

• if fast then there is not enough humidity in the air;
• when the tips go 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 the average readings. But even in this situation, using such an experiment, it will not be possible to obtain accurate data.

Option 3 - napkin hygrometer

The simplest home hygrometer can be made from available tools. It will already turn out to be more accurate, because in this case a homemade scale is used. Only it needs to be configured correctly.

To create a homemade product you will need:

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

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

From both ends of the fixed napkin, 2 nails are hammered into the plywood. Then 2 pieces of wire are attached to the napkin. But one of them must be attached to the nail. He will act as an arrow.

For accurate measurements, you first need to use a real mechanical hygrometer to draw the appropriate scale on the plywood. This homemade device can be used in the future, it will definitely not be disposable.

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

An analogue of a hair device is also proposed for measuring the required readings of the relative humidity of the air. But it has its drawbacks. Firstly, much more different materials will be needed to make it.

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

Option 4 - homemade psychometer

Although the manufacture psychrometric the device will take time, but such a device will give more accurate readings.

When making it, you cannot do without several important elements:

• two mercury or alcohol thermometers;
• a glass jar with distilled water;
• a small piece of cotton fabric;
• small plywood boards;
• a few screws and thread.

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

And then you need power up moisture one of the thermometers. A flask or vial containing distilled water is placed under it. Then a strip of cloth is taken and a mercury ball is wrapped around it.

If it is an alcohol thermometer, then this procedure is done with his balloon. To prevent the wrapped part from blooming 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 practically the same as a conventional one. psychrometric hygrometer. But in order to use it, you need to immediately draw up a table. Here you need to compare the readings of each thermometer and make certain calculations.

The readings of both "dry" and "wet" devices are 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 beneficial in that it is possible to obtain more accurate and correct readings.

Option 5 - sophisticated moisture sensors

You can also make a more complex air humidity sensor with your own hands, and here you will already need a soldering iron and several specific elements. There will be no difficulty in manufacturing if you do everything correctly.

After that, two wires are securely soldered to the contact pads. Then you need to drop a drop of ink used for painting. The moisture level will be measured by the resistance of the blot to dry.

If the resistance increases, this indicates an increased percentage of moisture. 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 from wood. Such a homemade product can even serve as an interior decoration. Only here there are some negative points.

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

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 of making devices for measuring air humidity are simple ones, where everything can be done by hand. You can even make an electronic device yourself. But here you 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 advantageous is the thermometer psychrometer. Its manufacture is not very difficult.

Have you ever had to deal with the construction of a homemade hygrometer? Please tell our readers about what kind of device it turned out to be built and whether there were any difficulties in doing so. Leave your comments, share photos of your own homemade products - the contact block is located below.