Moisture generation through Chinese household activities

Abstract

High indoor humidity not only causes degradation of building materials but also thermal discomfort, increased energy use for air-conditioning and it promotes mould growth. Mitigation of indoor moisture problems requires the ability to predict the humidity levels that may prevail in indoor spaces, which in turn requires knowledge about the moisture generation rates of indoor sources. There was, however, a lack of such data for various moisture generating activities in Chinese households. This paper presents the results of surveys and experiments conducted recently to obtain data on the intensities of moisture generation for various household activities, including cooking, bathing, washing clothes and drying, dishwashing and drying, floor mopping and indoor planting. On the basis of the survey and measurement results, moisture generation profiles for typical kitchens, bathrooms, living and dining rooms, and bedrooms have been established for use in inter-zone moisture movement and indoor humidity level predictions for typical residential units in Hong Kong. The models derived for predicting moisture release rates from drying clothes and bathroom air moisture content during shower baths are presented.