Hospital and Healthcare Humidity Control

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

Benefits Use cases References Downloads FAQs Systems

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Projects and references

Klinikum Bogenhausen

The Klinikum Bogenhausen clinic in Munich relies on the Condair ESCO pressurised steam distribution system to ensure precise and hygienic humidification in all critical areas of the hospital. The system supplies condensate-free steam with short absorption distances, guaranteeing stable air quality and reliable climatic conditions.

Middleton Retirement Home

The Middletown Home is a Continuing Care Retirement Community known for its beautiful, historic building and surrounding grounds. It's peaceful, majestic setting is located on the outskirts of Dauphin County's oldest town and next to Penn State's Capital Campus.

Dunkerque Hospital Center

The Dunkerque Hospital Center is a public healthcare facility located in Dunkerque, serving a large population across the coastal area. It offers an extensive technical platform, including CT scan, MRI, surgical units, and a clinical research department. The hospital provides care across a wide range of specialties such as medicine, surgery, neonatology, obstetrics, oncology, intensive care, and rehabilitation. The facility is certified at Level A by the French Haute Autorité de Santé, reflecting its quality standards. It plays a key role within the Dunkerque Territorial Hospital Group, working closely with other regional healthcare institutions.

Pasteur Institute of France

The Pasteur Institute is an internationally renowned biomedical research center, distinguished across numerous disciplines. By deciphering the fundamental mechanisms underlying life, its researchers contribute to advancing scientific knowledge and improving human health, leading to cutting-edge medical applications.

Turkey-Albania Fier Friendship Hospital

The hospital, which was completed in 68 days and was put into service, has 6 operating rooms as well as 20 intensive care units, 130 service beds, biochemistry, microbiology laboratories, MRI, tomography, mobile x-ray machine, colonoscopy, endoscopy, laparoscopy and angiography. When the hospital serves at full capacity, a total of 387 healthcare personnel, 56 of whom are Turkish and 331 Albanians, are planned to work and the joint operation period of the hospital, which will be jointly operated by Turkey and Albania for 3 years, will be extended every year with the mutual consent of the parties.

Bendigo Hospital

Canberra Hospital

Canberra Hospital is the largest district hospital in the Australian Capital Territory. Multiple Condair RS humidifiers were installed to maintain an optimal environment in the hospital. A resistive steam humidification system such as the Condair RS enables Canberra Hospital to carefully control the humidity levels in its facilities. Not only does an optimal humidity level provide a comfortable environment for staff and patients, it critically reduces the likelihood of infection and spread of viruses and also lowers the potential for electrostatic shocks.

Cochlear

Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions with products including cochlear implants, bone conduction implants and acoustic implants. Cochlear's global headquarters are on the campus of Macquarie University in Sydney. Cochlear implants use a sound processor that fits behind the ear. The processor captures sound signals and sends them to a receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear. The receiver sends the signals to electrodes implanted in the snail-shaped inner ear (cochlea). The signals stimulate the auditory nerve, which then directs them to the brain. Cochlear implants are assembled under a microscope at the company's factory cum campus at Macquarie University in Sydney, with implants sent to a small, sealed room for the key manufacturing process. There, a laser welder runs round the outside of the titanium implant case, protecting the electronic components with a hermetic seal. The company has manufactured more than 600,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages to hear. Cochlear has a significant international footprint, selling in over 200 countries, and a global workforce of more than 4,000 employees (2020). Cochlear invests more than AUD$180 million each year in research and development and currently participates in over 100 collaborative research programs worldwide.

Frankston Hospital

Frankston Hospital provides healthcare services to residents on the outskirts of Melbourne. Several Condair RS units have been installed on the site. These resistive steam humidifiers ensure that conditions are kept to an optimal level. Humidification in hospitals not only provides a more comfortable environment, it also lowers the risk of airborne transmission of viruses. Humidity control also significantly reduces the risk of electrostatic shock from medical equipment and instruments.