In the case of data centres, the need for humidification arises due to the fact that the electrostatic discharges may seriously damage the electronic components even if such discharges are not visually or audibly evident.

The heat generated by the equipment and poor recirculation of the air can easily causes the relative humidity to fall below 35%, the recommended limit value for avoiding a significant risk of electrostatic discharge.

By controlling the air temperature and humidity, the server components at the board level are kept within the manufacturer’s specified temperature/humidity range.

A temperature range of 20–25 °C and relative humidity range of 45–60%, with a maximum dew point of 17°C, is considered optimal for data centre conditions.

Products such as humiSteam & OEM kits are still favoured choices owing to their low cost and control precision but with free cooling, adiabatic systems such as humiFog offer significant advantages.