The prevention of condensation is perhaps the most important purpose
of all for dehumidifying an indoor pool enclosure. If
condensation forms in or on wood, drywall, plaster or other porous
materials, it can cause warping, rot, mold, mildew, rust or simply
saturate the material until it loses its integrity.
Condensation,
by nature, is aggressive and will attack many
materials by leaching the minerals out of the
surface it forms on. Condensation,
if allowed to form on ferrous metals, will
cause accelerated oxidation of the surface
of the metal, creating unsightly rust stains
as it drains. If left unchecked, condensation
will ultimately compromise the structural integrity
of the metal components leading to possible
failure of that component.
Condensation
will form in and on any surface that reaches “DEW
POINT TEMPERATURE”. The concept
of Dew Point Temperature is discussed in BULLETIN
#20 –DEW POINT TEMPERATURE. The design
objective for designing mechanical air handling
systems for pools is to ensure that no surface
with the pool enclosure or within the structural
members of the building will reach “Dew
Point” and cause moisture to condense
Dehumidification
helps to accomplish this objective by reducing
the relative humidity in the pool enclosure
and therefore effectively reducing the “Dew
Point Temperature.” Air distribution
also plays a key role in preventing surfaces
from reaching “Dew Point Temperature.” There
are surfaces, i.e. – windows, that
will reach Dew Point Temperature even with
the reduced humidity levels affected by the
dehumidifier. For these surfaces, the objective
is to completely blanket the area with warm,
dry air supplied by the dehumidifier, thereby
increasing the surface temperature to a point
above the temperature at which moisture will
condense.
EPS is the home of DRY-AIR & VERI-DRY. We provide Design, Engineering, Consulting and Manufacturing for Residential and Commercial Indoor Swimming Pool Applications.
