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Donald Landry — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 15:27:04 +0000

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Damages Caused by Temperature and Humidity

Climate Zones

The United States has 4 humid zones in the East and 2 humid zones in the West. Although that 2 zones located in the southeast United States are more susceptible to high temperatures and high humidity levels, the other two zones in the East also suffer from high humidity levels, mostly in the summer.

Stored items located in these zones are susceptible to serious damage if steps are not taken to protect them.

Delicate items that can be damaged by heat and humidity should be kept in climate-controlled storage units.

Storage Units

General Information

It is generally agreed that a climate-controlled storage unit should keep temperature levels between 55° and 78° F and humidity levels no higher than 55%.

Both humidity and temperature work together to control moisture levels in storage spaces. As humidity in the air increases, so does the air’s ability to hold heat. When the humidity decreases, it also helps keep temperatures low.

Types of Storage Units

Option 1: Outside Storage

These are units accessed from outside. They are not usually heated, air conditioned, or well insulated. They are the least expensive to rent. The are not suited for delicate items.

Option 2: Heated Storage

They typically have a door that you need to open from the inside. They are well-insulated but can get very hot. They do not control for high temperatures or humidity levels. They are not well-suited for sensitive items.

Option 3: Air-Conditioned Storage Units

These are sometimes misidentified as climate-controlled storage units. In addition to option 2, these offer air conditioning, usually provided by an HVAC system. These units provide limited protection to your delicate items. However, it does not control humidity effectively, especially at night when the A/C unit is either turned off or runs much less frequently.

It is the excess humidity, as well as temperature fluctuations, that do the most damage to your clients’ items.

These units are more expensive to rent.

Option 4: Climate-Controlled Storage Units.

In addition to Option 4, these units control the humidity by using a commercial dehumidifier attached to the building’s HVAC system and ducting infrastructure.

They are the only option that fully protects your delicate items.

They do not increase the day-to-day cost as commercial dehumidifiers are much more efficient than A/C units at reducing high humidity levels. In a hot humid climate, A/C units waste a lot of energy reducing humidity levels which must be done in order to reduce temperature.

Most Common Forms of Damage

Heat and moisture are instant breeding grounds for bacteria and mildew growth. Moisture can easily lead to pests and mold. It can warp and rot wood, rust metal, and leave your items with a foul smell.

Items You should Protect Against Humidity by Storing in a Climate-Controlled Storage Unit

ART: Artwork is fragile and should be stored with the best possible care (70-75°F @ 50% humidity).

FABRICS: Clothes, antique toys, or upholstered furniture can grow mold or mildew in humid environments.

WOOD FURNITURE & INSTRUMENTS: Moisture can seriously damage wooden furniture. When moisture gets into the wood, it causes it to crack, warp, or even rot. Wood furniture or instruments do not cope well with fluctuating temperatures. Wood items will contract in colder temperatures and expand in warmer temperatures. Humidity levels should be between 30 – 50% to prevent the growth of mold and wood rot.

LEATHER FURNITURE: Leather is extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations. This can be tricky if you live in an area that can be cold one day but warm the next.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: Instruments can be a pricey purchase, and even though they can be quite large, they are often very delicate and need to be handled with care. Both temperature and humidity can affect your instrument’s shape and condition. Wood and string instruments will expand or contract in fluctuating temperatures, and your brass and woodwind instruments can grow some nasty bacteria.

DELICATE PAPER ITEMS: Books, magazines, comics, and photographs can turn yellow in extreme temperatures. A 35% relative humidity or less is ideal for storage.

METALS: Metals react to moisture. Iron rusts, copper turns green, silver turns black and lead will turn into a white powder. Metals are best stored between 35 – 55% relative humidity.

ELECTRONICS: Computers, speakers, and cameras can corrode and grow mold in humid environments. Electronic items are best stored between 30 – 60% relative humidity.

OPTICAL DISCS: Optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and video games should be stored in cool, dry environments. A relative humidity of 45% to 50% is ideal.

VINYL RECORDS: Records are best stored at 45 – 60% relative humidity. High temps can cause warping, and temps too low can cause a record to break in half.

WINE: Wine is one of the most difficult items to store properly. The ideal environment for storing wine is low light, around 15 degrees Celsius, and between 50-80% relative humidity. Wine that is in a too humid environment will age too fast, causing a cloudy, brown appearance. If the air is too dry, wine corks will dry out and crumble. This can compromise the seal or just make the bottle almost impossible to open.

https://steelstorage.com.sg/climate-controlled-storage

DewAir

Why Should I Invest in Climate-Controlled Storage?

Having at least some of your units climate controlled will attract new customers who are willing to pay more to protect their valuables from the damages that humidity and heat can cause. This is very important in humid climates.

Moving from air-conditioned storage to climate-controlled storage will reduce your operating costs in a humid climate. A/C units must first remove the humidity before they can cool. They are not effective at doing this. This results in higher day-to-day costs.

Why Should I Use DewAir Dehumidifiers as Opposed to Other Dehumidifiers?

Our dehumidifiers are very efficient saving you money. In a case study conducted by Quest for the Storage Depot in Louisiana, a Quest Dry 155 dehumidifier was used. It removes 155 pints of water per day. DewAir’s smallest commercial dehumidifier, the DewAir MINI removes 5.5 liters/kWh @ 80F / 60% RH and can remove 172 pints of water per day. The two main reasons for this efficiency is our revolutionary patented design and the fact that our dehumidifiers unlike most other dehumidifiers do not use the condenser reheat process which results in wasted energy.

Our dehumidifiers are very versatile. They can be broken down into 2 or 3 components, depending on the model. They can be ducted into your existing ventilation system and/or integrated into the existing HVAC system.

When comparing apples to apples, our dehumidifiers are inexpensive and easy to maintain. Our dehumidifiers use many standard off-the-shelf A/C parts which reduces costs. Because of this, our dehumidifiers can easily be serviced by any qualified HVAC technician unlike many other commercial dehumidifiers which require specialized training to service.

How DewAir Can Help

For new climate-controlled units, we can work with your local HVAC company to design and install an HVAC solution that includes a commercial DewAir dehumidifier.

For existing buildings, we will work with your HVAC contractor to transform your existing units into climate-controlled storage units.

Solutions

ALL DewAir Dehumidifiers

DewAir dehumidifiers decouple dehumidification from heating/cooling. This means that the A/C unit does not have to run while you dehumidify. This results in significant savings.

They are based on DewAir’s new patented heat exchangers which makes our dehumidifiers extremely efficient.

Only require a 120 V power supply as opposed to 240 V significantly reducing your energy bills.

Are modular and easy to install.

Can be installed and easily serviced by any qualified HVAC technician as opposed to other brands which often require a specially trained technician.

Small Storage Facilities

The DewAir MINI is excellent for small sites with several storage units.

It can remove 7.2 lbs. of water per hour @ 80° F / 60% RH (170 pints per day).

If your goal is to dehumidify, cool, and heat – and your building is located in the southeastern United States – then the RH-Cube 18 with a 3-Ton Modulating condenser is more appropriate. It removes 25 lbs. of water per hour @ 80° F / 60% RH. It also acts as an air-conditioner and can provide centralized heating.

Small to Medium Storage Facilities

The RH-Cube 18 DX with a 1.5 Ton Condenser is an excellent fit for medium-size sites or small-size sites with very high ambient humidity levels.

This dehumidifier removes 11 lbs. of water @ 80° F / 60% RH.

Large Sites

The RH-Cube 18 with a 2-Ton 2-Stage condenser is a good choice for large storage sites.

It removes up to 14 lbs. / hr. @ 80° F / 60% RH.

It is also a very good choice if want to increase the amount of outside air that you bring in and keep humidity levels low.

Very Large Sites

The RH-Cube 18 DX with a 3-Ton Modulating Condenser is an excellent choice for an even larger building.

This dehumidifier can remove 25 lbs. of water per hour @ 80° F / 60% RH. It is the unit of choice if you have wide fluctuations in the humidity load.

For Even Larger Sites

For very large applications, you can also combine two or three RH-Cube 18 DX dehumidifiers (side-by-side or stacked). We provide special pairing kits.

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Donald Landry — Sun, 12 Jun 2022 21:23:37 +0000

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