When I got home this evening, it was 71 degrees (F, obviously) and approximately 51% relative humidity in my apartment. It felt extremely stuffy. I immediately opened the balcony door (it’s around 48 degrees outside). Now, 15 minutes later, it’s 71 degrees and 51% relative humidity in here. But it feels much, much better.
So - what am I actually perceiving when I think it feel stuffy? What changed? Is this all in my head, or is there an actual, physical property of the indoor atmosphere which has likely changed?
in 15 minutes you may have sensed and enjoyed the cool and dryer outside air. your measuring devices might not have yet sensed the change because heat is held by the mass of the room and little air may have been exchanged.
Ok, so now it’s over an hour later, and it’s 70 degrees, and 52%. The numbers just aren’t moving much, but it feels much, much better. If I really am perceiving a difference in temperature/humidity, and the contrast is so enormous to me, why can the instruments can barely detect it? And why does one degree and 1% change in RH not matter that much in other contexts?
I may be. Is airborne dust known to be correlated with people sensing stuffiness? If I had one of those air purifiers with a filter and a fan, would it seem less stuffy when I come home?
I’ve never understood what people mean by “stuffy”. My wife says it all the time - “Oh, it’s stuffy in here, open the window”. Hot? Apparently not? A bad smell? Well maybe, but she says that’s not what she means. I don’t know.