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Damp Problems
Whist we may associate
high indoor humidity levels with flood damage and periods of heavy
rain, high humidity can quietly damage buildings on a more or less
continuous basis from Autumn to the end of Spring. You may
have noticed spots of black mould on walls, particularly around
windows or ground floor shirting boards. This type of mould thrives
where there has been condensation and is a reliable indicator of
high ambient humidity. High humidity is a particular problem in
basement, cellars and in traditional construction homes without a
damp proof course. Damp and high humidity can easily lead to
structural damage and will most certainly cause damage to house
contents and furnishings as well as respiratory health issues with
the buildings occupants.
Our Solution
We offer
a comprehensive range of portable dehumidifiers, which can make a
big reduction to the symptoms of damp. Whist they cannot prevent the
structural and weather related causes of damp, they do bring welcome
relief from its' effects.
How Dehumidifiers
Work
There are two generic types of dehumidifier. The most common type
uses a piped refrigerant circuit and a compressor to cool metal fins
through which air passes. The passing air is dehumidified because
the moisture collects in the form of condensation on the fins which
then drips into a drain pan. The air, having been cooled to get the
condensation, is then reheated with a second set of metal fins
before being passed back into the room. The second type uses a moisture
absorbent material, usually silica based, through which the damp air
is passed. The air is dried, whilst in a separate part of the
machines cycle the water is desorbed (usually with heat) as liquid
from the absorbent material. In both cases the collected water is
piped to an on board reservoir, which in some machines can in turn
be connected to a drain for continuous drainage. Some dehumidifiers
can be continuously drained direct from the drain pan.
Dehumidifier Availability
Dehumidifiers come in various sizes from small domestic to large
heavy weight industrial style units. The ones for domestic use
typically have a plastic body, whist the industrial ones are build
to take rather harsher treatment and are metal cased. Dehumidifiers
are rated according to their water removal rate; domestic models
will remove up from about 0.5 litre per day up to around 25 litres
per day and industrial models tend to be in the range 25 to 150
litres per day.
Comparison between dehumidifier models.
It is difficult to gauge just how much moisture you need to remove
per day to keep on top of your particular damp problem, but the main
point of comparison is that of removal rate. Beyond the build
and the removal rate, we add where the specifications allow, a
further measure that enables some further comparison, which is the
water removal rate per kilowatt hour. This is a rudimentary measure
of dehumidifier efficiency takes the power rating for the particular
model converts it to the quantity of kilowatt hours in a 24 hour
period and uses this figure to divide through the maximum stated
removal rate. The result is a measure in litres/kwh, for the
particular model. Obviously the higher the value the better. In
general terms the larger the machine the higher its efficiency. Or
to put it another way, there may be false economy in buying a small
cheap dehumidifier, because it is more likely to use more power to
extract a litre of moisture from air than a larger unit.
Application of Dehumidifiers.
One of the more common uses of dehumidifiers is in the utility room
in houses. In this application and particularly where they are set
up with continuous drainage, they enable laundry to dry easily
without having to resort to a tumble dryer. Other applications for
dehumidifiers are to combat mould and damp in older homes,
where they can ensure that damp smells are reduced and mould growth
is inhibited. In commercial use dehumidifiers can be used for
process air drying, cellars, stock storage area, and and as an aid
to reducing heating bills.
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