Benefits
Maintaining precise humidity levels in hospitals and healthcare environments has many benefits. It improves health and comfort, safeguards medical equipment and materials, and contributes to a stable, hygienic indoor climate.
Healthy outcomes
Appropriate humidity reduces infection risk, supports healing and ensures patient comfort.
Protect equipment
Humidity control prevents static and damage to sensitive medical devices and materials.
Tailored solutions
Custom humidity control for each hospital zone - from ICUs to surgery rooms and burns units.
Hospitals and healthcare humidity control
Stable humidity for infection control and patient wellbeing
Humidity plays a vital role in every healthcare setting — from operating theatres and intensive care units to laboratories and patient rooms.
Dry air increases infection risk and discomfort, while excess moisture fosters microbial growth. Condair systems maintain 40–60 % RH for safe, hygienic, and comfortable conditions that protect patients and staff. The result is a stable, healthy indoor environment that supports faster recovery and improved clinical outcomes.
Dry air increases infection risk and discomfort, while excess moisture fosters microbial growth. Condair systems maintain 40–60 % RH for safe, hygienic, and comfortable conditions that protect patients and staff. The result is a stable, healthy indoor environment that supports faster recovery and improved clinical outcomes.
Tailored humidity and temperature for every hospital zone
Different areas within a hospital require precisely defined climate conditions. Operating theatres typically maintain 40–60% relative humidity at 20–24 °C to reduce infection risks and ensure surgeon comfort. ICUs and neonatal units also benefit from 40–60% RH, as it supports patient breathing and prevents the drying of mucous membranes. Burn units often operate with significantly higher humidity levels of up to 90% to accelerate wound healing and improve patient comfort. Laboratories and hospital pharmacies rely on controlled humidity to ensure reliable test results and stable storage of reagents and medications.
Condair’s flexible portfolio of humidifiers and dehumidifiers — adiabatic, steam, hybrid, or desiccant — can be precisely tailored to the requirements of each department, ensuring full compliance with hospital hygiene standards.
Condair’s flexible portfolio of humidifiers and dehumidifiers — adiabatic, steam, hybrid, or desiccant — can be precisely tailored to the requirements of each department, ensuring full compliance with hospital hygiene standards.
Proven reliability and comprehensive support
Condair’s humidifiers and dehumidifiers are designed for maximum reliability, hygiene, and ease of integration in critical healthcare environments.
Compact units and modular installation options make them suitable even for restricted spaces such as rooftops or plant rooms.
Condair supports every stage of a humidity control project - from system design and specification through installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance. This ensures consistent performance and full compliance with hospital regulations worldwide.
Compact units and modular installation options make them suitable even for restricted spaces such as rooftops or plant rooms.
Condair supports every stage of a humidity control project - from system design and specification through installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance. This ensures consistent performance and full compliance with hospital regulations worldwide.
Dehumidifiers and dehumidification for hospitals
High humidity causes condensation on cold surfaces, promoting mould, bacteria and increased risk of healthcare associated infections (HAIs). It also accelerates the degradation of pharmaceuticals and sterile supplies. Dehumidifiers are often needed in hospitals for these reasons and to meet GMP and ISO standards for controlled environments.
Certain healthcare scenarios might demand active dehumidification to reach particularly low humidity levels. For example, some surgeries necessitate dry environments for optimal performance by the surgeon.
Condair offers a comprehensive range of dehumidifiers to meet any healthcare requirement, including both desiccant and condensing technologies.
Certain healthcare scenarios might demand active dehumidification to reach particularly low humidity levels. For example, some surgeries necessitate dry environments for optimal performance by the surgeon.
Condair offers a comprehensive range of dehumidifiers to meet any healthcare requirement, including both desiccant and condensing technologies.
Humidifiers for MRI and CT scanners
MRI suites are closely controlled, air conditioned rooms and can therefore suffer from dry air. Without a humidifier, relative humidity can be low, not only causing discomfort for patients and staff but increasing the risk of electrostatic. This poses a risk to sensitive electronics and could potentially lead to misdiagnosis if imaging accuracy is affected.
MRI manufacturers typically specify a humidity range of around 50% RH ±5% for MRI rooms to prevent component degradation and maintain image quality. This level is also endorsed in ASHRAE Standard 170.
Steam humidifiers are commonly used in MRI suites, usually placed in the control room next to the scanner room because of the magnetic forces present in the scanning area. Condair provides a wide selection of steam humidifiers ideal for MRI and CT scanning, along with professional guidance on choosing the right size and model.
MRI manufacturers typically specify a humidity range of around 50% RH ±5% for MRI rooms to prevent component degradation and maintain image quality. This level is also endorsed in ASHRAE Standard 170.
Steam humidifiers are commonly used in MRI suites, usually placed in the control room next to the scanner room because of the magnetic forces present in the scanning area. Condair provides a wide selection of steam humidifiers ideal for MRI and CT scanning, along with professional guidance on choosing the right size and model.
Use cases
Humidification boosts the immune system
Controlled humidity in buildings protects the self-cleaning function of the mucous membranes, reduces the risk of infection and strengthens the immune system. Dry air promotes respiratory diseases. Additional humidification ensures healthy indoor air and strengthens the immune system.
Humidity reduces respiratory infections
Optimal humidity reduces the risk of respiratory infections, shortens the lifespan of viruses, inhibits the spread of infectious viruses through the air and protects against colds, flu and COVID-19.
Discover Condair in action
Addenbrooke's Hospital
Addenbrooke's Hospital is a large teaching hospital and research centre in Cambridge, England, with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge. Addenbrooke's Hospital is located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.It's MRI department is one of the most advanced in the country, with six state-of-the-art scanners and two on-site mobile scanners. In a UK first, the MRI department installed 3 tesla scanners, which have twice the magnetic field strength of previous scanner technology.Condair EL electrode boiler steam humidifiers are providing the ideal humidity for accurate scans.
Alderhay Children's Hospital
Alder Hay Children's Hospital care for over 270,000 children, young people and their families every year and leads research into children's medicines, infection, inflammation and oncology.Condair resistive steam humidifiers are helping to maintain the ideal humidity for the successful operation of the equipment and for optimum patient care in the MRI Suites and Burns Unit.
Conquest Hospital
Conquest Hospital, in Hastings, is a 418 bed hospital with a 24-hour emergency department. It is a centre for trauma services across East Sussex, has a range of diagnostic and surgical services, as well as a consultant-led maternity unit.Condair RS resistive steam humidifiers are maintaining the ideal humidity in the hospital's operating theatres.
Ellesmere Port Hospital
Ellesmere Port Hospital is a rehabilitation unit, with 86 beds across four wards.A Condair EL electrode steam humidifier is maintaining the ideal humidity in the MRI suite to ensure scans are accurate. Precise humidity control is important for MRI and CT scans, as low humidity can cause static, which in turn can impact scan results.
Finchley Memorial Hospital
Finchley Memorial Hospital is a National Health Service community hospital in Granville Road, North Finchley, London. Hospital services are provided by Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. It provides a range of planned diagnostic procedures, including checks, scans, and tests for various medical fields such as cardiology, radiology, ophthalmology, and respiratory services at its Community Diagnostic Centre.Condair EL steam humidifiers are providing the ideal humidity level in the MRI scanning department. MRI scanners must be kept at a specific level of humidity, as recommended by the manufacturer, to avoid any discrepancies in scan results.
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Condair evaporative humidifiers have been selected by AHS (Air Handling Systems) to provide evaporative cooling in the innovative OptEvent&trade air handling unit. The humidifier cools the return air with low energy cold water humidification in this packaged heat recovery system that has been independently verified by BSRIA. Working on behalf of a leading and progressive London children's hospital, AHS was tasked to develop a packaged liquid-coupled heat recovery system to meet the hospital's demands for hygiene, comfort and energy efficiency. The result was OptEvent&trade which packages a Condair evaporative humidifier with an AHU and includes a pre-programmed ECM (Energy Control Module) that constantly ensures the minimum amount of energy is used to meet the air requirements.
James Paget University Hospital
James Paget University Hospital is in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. It is managed by the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and provides a full range of clinical services for a population of 230,000 residents across Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Waveney.A Condair EL electrode steam humidifier is maintaining the ideal humidity in the scanning suite to ensure scans are accurate. Precise humidity control is important for MRI and CT scans, as low humidity can cause static, which in turn can impact scan results.
Kingston Hospital
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust cares for more than half a million patients a year, from across Kingston, Richmond, Elmbridge (Surrey), Merton, Wandsworth and Sutton. In 2018, Kingston Hospital became the first acute hospital trust in London to be rated Outstanding for overall quality and leadership by the national Care Quality Commission regulator.The hospital has approximately 350 beds and directly employ around 2,900 staff, and provides a full range of diagnostic and treatment services.A Condair EL electrode steam humidifier is maintaining the ideal humidity in the scanning suite to ensure scans are accurate. Precise humidity control is important for MRI and CT scans, as low humidity can cause static, which in turn can impact scan results.
Lister Hospital
The Lister Hospital is an NHS hospital based on the outskirts of Stevenage in Hertfordshire. It is operated by the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, has 566 beds and offers general and specialist hospital services for people across much of Hertfordshire and south Bedfordshire.A Condair EL steam humidfiier is offering humidity control to the MRI scanning suites at Lister Hospital, ensuring an ideal humidity range is maintained for accurate scans.
Mount Vernon Hospital
Mount Vernon Hospital, located in Northwood within the London Borough of Hillingdon, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1860 as The North London Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest. Initially established in Hampstead, the hospital moved to its current Northwood site in 1904.It offers a variety of services, including a notable Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner Service for patients with minor injuries such as cuts, grazes, minor burns, and simple broken bones. This service requires triage and appointments, which can be arranged through NHS 111 online or by calling 111, as it is not a walk-in clinic. The hospital also provides services in areas such as pain management, nutrition and dietetics, palliative care, physiotherapy and occupational therapy, radiology, rheumatology, speech and language therapy, pharmacy, and more‹‹.Condair EL steam humidifiers are providing the ideal humidity level in the MRI scanning department. MRI scanners must be kept at a specific level of humidity, as recommended by the manufacturer, to avoid any discrepancies in scan results.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a hospital in Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It was opened in March 2001 and serves patients from the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley.A Condair EL electrode steam humidifier is maintaining the ideal humidity in the MRI suite to ensure scans are accurate. Precise humidity control is important for MRI and CT scans, as low humidity can cause static, which in turn can impact scan results.
Royal Cornwall Hospital
The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro (Treliske) is the biggest hospital in Cornwall providing emergency and specialist healthcare.The Emergency Department is based at the Royal Cornwall Hospital alongside critical care facilities, high-tech operating theatres, maternity services, cancer care, pain clinics and a wide range of outpatient services from eyes, ears and skin to specialist therapies.Additionally, the hospital provides training services for the University of Exeter Medical School, as well as Plymouth University Dental School.Condair RS and Condair EL steam humidifiers are maintaining the ideal humidity for the protection of patient health, the optimal conditions of the operating theatres and to maintain the required humidity for MRI scanning.
Royal Sussex County Hospital
Three Condair EL steam humidifiers are supplying up to 80kg/h of hygienic steam humidification to two AHU's serving test labs in the radiology department.Space was a challenge during the project, as the AHU humidifier sections are relatively short in length. The steam needed to be introduced to the ducts, with a low airspeed of around 1m/s, and be fully absorbed into the air before it met a filter just 1m downstream.This was no problem for the Condair Optisorp steam manifold though. One of these rapid evaporation steam lances is introducing up to 30kg/h with full evaporation in just 25cms, whilst another is delivering up to 50kg/h of steam in just 34cms.
The Chiltern Hospital
The Chiltern Hospital is a modern, fully equipped hospital allowing fast access to specialised diagnostics like blood tests, X-rays and scans.The hospital located in South Buckinghamshire is sat within 18 acres of private grounds including a 9 hole golf course. It has 2 wards comprising of 66 beds, 3 operating theatres, minor ops room, JAG accredited Endoscopy Suite, Cancer Care Unit and a large Physiotherapy Unit for post-surgery convalescence.The Chiltern hospital has a state-of-the art Imaging Department with a brand new GE CT scanner.A Condair EL electrode steam humidifier is maintaining the ideal humidity in the scanning suite to ensure scans are accurate. Precise humidity control is important for MRI and CR scans, as low humidity can cause static, which in turn can impact scan results.
Frequently asked questions
Why is humidity control essential in hospitals?
What happens if humidity is too low or too high in an Hospital ?
How does humidity impact medical equipment and infrastructure?
What humidity levels are recommended in healthcare areas?
How can hospitals ensure hygienic humidity control?
What are the best energy-efficient options for maintaining humidity in hospitals?
Get free expert advice
If you want to explore your options for humidity control, Condair's expert sales engineers will visit your site, review your project and talk you through their recommendations.
Alternatively, if you would prefer a call or online meeting, our team are always happy to discuss possible solutions and offer free technical advice.
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