- Home
- | Products
- | Services
- | Design Guidelines
- | Request A Quote
- | Find A Rep
- | Clients
- | Warranty
- | Contact Us
- | About EPS
Thinking that Waste Ventilation (exhaust fans & make up air) is going to control this environment is the biggest misconception in this industry. You cannot properly maintain 50-60% RH with exhaust fans/ventilation systems due to the varying outdoor temperatures and humidity. In addition, waste systems cost 80% more to operate in the winter and have no cooling capabilities in the summer. [For more on this subject, request the engineering study titled "Conditioning Swimming Pool Areas" by Hank Rutkowski, P.E.]
Sizing a system has two major components to consider. First is the compressor section to meet the evaporation rate based on pool and spa size and temperature. The second and most often ignored is the air turnover rate i.e. air handling component based on the cubic feet of space. Many companies size for evaporation but neglect to consider the VOLUME of the room. Inadequate air movement in high humidity envelopes is disastrous due to humid air stratification causing rapid deterioration of the upper structure components.
We equate ductwork in a pool room to the "arteries", with the dehumidification system being the "heart". Good heart, bad arteries will always result in an unhealthy building with a poor life expectancy. In 15 years of consulting, close to 90% of all ductwork in indoor swimming pools is inadequate, ill designed, undersized and misapplied. This has become EPS Inc.'s number one priority for all of our clients.
There are a plethora of companies that build swimming pool enclosures who tell clients that they do not need a dehumidification system and the heat from the pool will heat the room. There is nothing that is further from the truth. Rather than explain the physics of why it is false, we suggest the following. You want to visit two enclosures under the following conditions, and this is important (A) when the outdoor temperature is below 40 degrees, (B) the pool is at a minimum of 80 degrees, and (C) there is no pool cover on the pool. These three conditions must be in play to get a proper assessment of their claims.
Many design build companies and architects recommend using expensive building materials to negate the effects of high humidity. This is futile and a waste of money simply because if there is excess humidity mixed with chlorine, it is only a matter of time before all types of, so called "bullet proof" materials fail. Therefore, if a properly designed environmental control system is installed, an enclosure can be built out of standard conventional building materials and expect the same life as any other type building.
The evaporator coil on any dehumidifier is the component that takes the moisture out of the air. Early manufacturers designed equipment with 8 row coils and still use them today. Two important facts about 8 row coils. A) They do not remove more moisture than a 4 row coil, and (B) 8 row coils are impossible to clean. You should buy only products that use 3, 4 or 5 row evaporator coils. [For more on this subject, request engineering study titled, "Coil Myths".)
This is a must for any customer spending tens of thousands of dollars to protect their investment. A design build contractor and/or any engineering group should be willing to stand behind their work. Historically a large percentage of indoor pool enclosures are a disaster with no accountability. EPS Inc.'s guarantee states, that if all building design guidelines are followed, the duct work is installed per our engineering design, the pool waters and room temperatures are kept at recommended settings, the system will maintain a year around room environment of 80 to 86 degrees and 50 to 60 percent relative humidity. If this is unachievable, EPS Inc. will refund 100% of all money spent on equipment.
This has been a problem in this industry for a long time. Equipment that has been cramped into closets, crawl spaces, and attic spaces causes problems for the mechanical firm in the installation process, and further down the road for service/preventive maintenance. The proper duct transitions and room for serviceability must be appropriated. EPS will provide all clients with the mechanical space required for the project.
Skylights are windows and must have warm dry air moving against them to prevent moisture buildup and subsequent dripping. Many skylights are enclosed in a SOFFIT which traps hot humid air. These soffits must be properly ventilated which if not, will cause dripping in the pool room and severe damage due to constant moisture saturating the window frame. It also causes moisture to condense and find its way into the roof structure causing long term structural damage.
Humidity is nature's water pump. A suspended ceiling in any swimming pool area is asking for trouble. Moisture can migrate into the dead air space above the ceiling and proceed to deteriorate the structure area above. It can also migrate to other areas of the building. Therefore, any potential dead air space areas must be considered part of the overall environment and must be conditioned to remove the humidity and avoid any potential building damage.
This is just a short list of the many costly pitfalls that await the uninformed. For additional information or for a no-obligation quote on a new or existing project, please contact Chris Leonetti
DRY-AIR Stainless Steel Dehumidifiers are designed exclusively for use in all indoor swimming pool applications: from lap pools to schools to large hotel/resort indoor swimming pools, where humidity needs to be controlled with dehumidification to prevent deterioration of the pool enclosure.