Humidity Comparison - Ventilation Assistant

Community Projects
1

A humidity monitoring tile that compares indoor and outdoor moisture levels to provide actionable window management recommendations - designed for coastal environments where humidity control is critical.

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:bullseye: Overview

Living near the ocean presents a unique challenge: sea air often carries higher humidity and salt spray (maresia) that can increase mold growth and moisture damage inside your home. Opening windows at the wrong time actually makes the problem worse by bringing humid air inside.

Humidity Comparison v2.1 tries to help with this problem by continuously comparing indoor and outdoor humidity levels and telling you exactly when to open or close your windows.

The tile displays both humidity readings side-by-side with a visual flow indicator and provides clear recommendations:

  • “OPEN WINDOWS” - Outdoor air is drier, ventilate now
  • “CLOSE WINDOWS” - Outdoor air is more humid, keep sealed
  • “WINDOWS OK” - Humidity levels are balanced

Perfect for beachfront apartments, coastal homes, or any humid environment where moisture control matters.

:sparkles: Key Features

  • Dual Humidity Display - Indoor and outdoor readings shown equally and clearly
  • Smart Recommendations - Clear “OPEN/CLOSE/OK” guidance based on conditions
  • Flow Visualization - Animated arrow shows moisture direction
  • High Humidity Alerts - Yellow pulsing animation when indoor humidity exceeds 60%
  • Gradient Background - Visual indicator of humidity flow direction
  • Flexible Data Sources:
    • Indoor: Device sensor or SharpTools Variable
    • Outdoor: Device sensor or OpenWeatherMap API
  • Multiple API Support - OpenWeather 2.5 or 3.0
  • Real-time Updates - Instant synchronization with sensor changes

:package: Requirements

Required (choose your setup):

Indoor Humidity Source (one of):

  • Device with relativeHumidityMeasurement capability
  • SharpTools Variable containing humidity value (This feature of using a variable is to calculate the average of several devices within the home)

Outdoor Humidity Source (one of):

  • Device with relativeHumidityMeasurement capability
  • OpenWeatherMap API (free or paid account)

Compatible Devices:

  • SmartThings/Hubitat humidity sensors
  • Aqara temperature/humidity sensors
  • Zigbee/Z-Wave combo sensors
  • Any sensor reporting relative humidity

Optional:

  • OpenWeatherMap API key (get free key)
  • Location coordinates or City ID

:rocket: Quick Import

Click the link below to import directly:

Import SharpTools Tile: Humidity Comparison 2.1

:gear: Configuration

Step 1: Select Indoor Source

Option A - Use Device:

  • Select your indoor humidity sensor
  • Leave “Use Variable instead of Device for Indoor” unchecked

Option B - Use Variable:

  • Select your SharpTools Variable containing indoor humidity
  • Check “Use Variable instead of Device for Indoor”

Step 2: Select Outdoor Source

Option A - Use Device:

  • Select your outdoor humidity sensor
  • Leave “Use OpenWeather API for Outdoor” unchecked

Option B - Use OpenWeather API:

  • Check “Use OpenWeather API for Outdoor”
  • Enter your API key
  • Set location (City ID or lat,lon coordinates)
  • Choose API version (3.0 recommended)

Step 3: Configure Display Options

Refresh Interval:

  • Set update frequency in minutes (default: 30 minutes)
  • Balances accuracy with API rate limits

Use Gradient Background:

  • Enable for visual flow indication
  • Gradient direction shows moisture flow

API Settings (if using OpenWeather):

  • API Version: Choose “3-0onecall” (newer) or “2-5multi” (legacy)
  • Location: Enter City ID (e.g., “3703443” for Panama City) or coordinates (e.g., “8.9823,-79.5199”)

:beach_with_umbrella: Why This Tile Was Created

The Problem: Living in a beachfront apartment in Panama, I noticed mold developing despite cleaning regularly. The issue wasn’t lack of ventilation - it was ventilating at the wrong times. Opening windows when outdoor humidity was higher than indoors actually brought in moisture-laden sea air (maresia) that promoted mold growth.

The Solution: This tile continuously monitors both indoor and outdoor humidity and tells you exactly when conditions are right for ventilation. When outdoor air is drier, open up. When it’s more humid outside, keep windows closed and run dehumidifiers instead.

The Result: Significantly reduced mold growth, better indoor air quality, and lower dehumidifier energy costs by only running them when windows should be closed.

:light_bulb: How It Works

Visual Indicators:

Arrow Direction:

  • → Right Arrow - Indoor humidity higher, open windows to ventilate
  • ← Left Arrow - Outdoor humidity higher, close windows to seal

Background Gradient (if enabled):

  • Left-to-Right - Moisture flowing out (good for ventilation)
  • Right-to-Left - Moisture flowing in (keep sealed)
  • Neutral Diagonal - Balanced conditions

High Humidity Alert:

  • Values pulse yellow when indoor humidity exceeds 60%
  • Critical threshold for mold prevention

Recommendations:

  • “OPEN WINDOWS” - Outdoor air is drier, safe to ventilate
  • “CLOSE WINDOWS” - Outdoor air is humid, seal the space
  • “WINDOWS OK” - Levels are balanced

:mobile_phone: Display Optimization

This tile has been specifically optimized for iOS device screens.

For customization of humidity thresholds, alert behavior, or gradient colors, I recommend using Claude.AI to help modify the configuration values.

:ocean: Practical Use Cases

Coastal Living:

  • Beachfront apartments
  • Ocean-view homes
  • Areas with salt air (maresia)
  • High-humidity climates

Mold Prevention:

  • Bathrooms with exterior walls
  • Basement moisture control
  • Storage areas
  • Closets prone to mildew

Energy Optimization:

  • Run dehumidifiers only when windows are closed
  • Natural ventilation when conditions allow
  • Reduce HVAC costs

:wrench: Configuration Examples

Example 1: Basic Setup (Devices Only)

  • Indoor Device: Aqara sensor in the living room
  • Outdoor Device: Weather station on balcony
  • No API needed

Example 2: API-Based Outdoor

  • Indoor Device: SmartThings multipurpose sensor
  • Outdoor: OpenWeather API (free tier)
  • Location: City ID for your area

Example 3: Variable + API

  • Indoor: SharpTools Variable (averaged from multiple sensors)
  • Outdoor: OpenWeather 3.0 One Call API
  • Refresh: 15 minutes for precise control

:camera_with_flash: Screenshots

The screenshot shows the tile in “CLOSE WINDOWS” mode - indoor humidity at 69% with outdoor at 77%. The left-pointing arrow indicates moisture would flow inward if windows were opened. The gradient flows right-to-left reinforcing the visual message.

:link: Resources

GitHub Repository: GitHub - wilsonmarcolin/sharptools-custom-tiles: SharpTools Custom Tiles by Wilson Marcolin & Claude AI

OpenWeather Documentation:

Other Tiles in Collection:

:bust_in_silhouette: About the Developer

I’m not a professional developer - I’m someone who faced a real problem (mold in my coastal apartment) and built a solution. This tile was born from necessity: standard humidity tiles showed me the numbers, but didn’t tell me what to DO about them.

The smart recommendations have made a measurable difference in preventing mold and maintaining comfortable indoor conditions.

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, feel free to share feedback! However, please understand that support may be limited as this is a personal project shared freely with the community.

Apologies in advance for any operational flaws!

:page_facing_up: License & Disclaimer

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK - This tile provides guidance based on humidity readings but does not account for all factors affecting indoor air quality (temperature, ventilation rate, building materials, etc.). The 60% alert threshold is a general guideline. Consult with professionals for serious mold or air quality issues.

See GitHub repository for complete license and disclaimer.

Version: 2.1 (October 2025)
Authors: Wilson Marcolin & Claude.AI
Tested with: SharpTools Custom Tiles v0.2.1+

Tags: #custom-tile #humidity #ventilation #mold-prevention #coastal-living #smart-home #environmental-monitoring