Misting systems are mainly used to cool the air in outdoor spaces. They are reliable, especially in hot and dry regions or seasons. That said, the big question we want to address in this article is, “do misting systems work in high humidity?”
Well, the short answer is yes, they do. But, if we left it at that, you’d be left with more questions like, “how?” and “at what humidity do misters work?” So, to avoid all that, we’ll dive into the long answer. First, let’s look at how the systems work.
Read: Best way to increase humidity in an air-conditioned room
How do misting systems work?
Misting systems work by pumping fine water droplets out of tiny nozzles and spraying them into the air. Next, the cooling effect is achieved through three main methods:
- Conduction from the body to the cool air around.
- Convection breeze coming from the mister’s fan.
- Evaporation of the water droplets to cool the air.
Out of the three, evaporative cooling is the most significant. It works by using the heat energy in the environment to evaporate the water droplets being released.
As a result, you’re left with cooler air. The finer the water droplets or mist the better the results because they evaporate faster. Plus, you won’t have to worry about getting wet.
Now, to get those tiny droplets, you should make sure you get high-pressure misting systems (above 250 psi/17 bar) with tiny nozzles.
Read Also: Do I need a pump for a misting system?
Are misters good in humid weather?
Having seen that misters work well through evaporative cooling, which is efficient in hot and dry climates, it can be challenging to maintain the same level of performance in humid environments.
To start with, the evaporation wouldn’t be as fast since a good percentage of the space in the air is already filled with humidity. Secondly, you can only add so much mist into the humid air before it gets saturated.
So, how do you use misting systems to cool humid air?
- First, make sure the nozzles are as tiny as possible then go for a high-pressure mister (1000 psi). This is to make sure the water droplets are extremely micro so that they can evaporate faster and cool the area—while avoiding saturation.
- You must have the misting fan to help blow the evaporated air away to go and cool a wider area while leaving room for other droplets to evaporate.
NOTE: Evaporative cooling will only work in humid environments when the humidity is less than 100%
- Between 80% – 100% humidity, you can only get a maximum of 10 degrees Fahrenheit of cooling with systems.
- Between 40% -80% humidity, you can get up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit of cooling with misting systems.
- Between 0% – 40% humidity, you can get up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit of cooling with misting systems.
Read Also: How much do misting systems cool?
Additional benefits of misting
- Cleans the air by getting rid of dust and other contaminants. The water droplets that don’t evaporate faster usually collide with the particles in the air and take them down.
- Reduces odor.
- Keeps flying insects away.
Other factors to consider when getting a humidification misting system
The following factors will also influence the performance of your misting system:
- The dimension of your misting fan relative to the outdoor space.
- The number of fan speeds available to adjust the misting output depending on the humidity levels.
- The height of installation shouldn’t be too high where it doesn’t cool the area well, or too low where the water droplets end up making the place wet.
- Ease of use: In this case, you may look at things like portability. Especially if, you’d change the set-up often.
Conclusion
Now that you how misting systems work in high humidity, you shouldn’t be scared to buy and install them in your outdoor space. Just make sure you get the right one for your needs. In case of any uncertainty consult a qualified technician near you or send us a message in the comment section.