The
Humidifirst RM-80 for warehouse-type spaces is designed to provide
mobility while delivering the capacity of traditional ducted units.
Every now and then, we like to see what’s new in the humidification sector. With heating season getting in gear and indoor spaces getting drier, this seems like a wise time to check inventory (and even various media) for the latest tools for maintaining healthy humidity levels.
Compiled byESStaff
Every region of the business world is trying more multimedia as a way to reach, educate, and connect with potential clients, and the humidification business is no exception. When we surveyed several manufacturers for recent developments,DRISTEEM(www.dristeem.com) reported back about its own video, available on the company’s website. The concise four-minute presentation discusses the top four benefits of humidification and “explains how proper humidification improves building integrity, process consistency, and occupant wellness.”
As you would expect, the video’s target audience is facility managers and residential building owners. As you might not expect, the manufacturer is offering the video not only in standard definition but also in high-definition. (No word yet on a Blu-Ray DVD release with deleted scenes, so four informative minutes on your computer will have to suffice for now.) To peruse more conventional products, they invite you to visitwww.dristeem.com/products.jsp.
Staying online but moving away from moving pictures,Carel USA(www.carelusa.com) stocks the standard info on its own website. However, it works to add value for visitors by offering free access to an online program designed to help with load calculation, equipment selection, pricing, and more.
The manufacturer offers an anonymous user/password combo for engineers to have access to nearly the full program. Only those who want to get into pricing details and quotes will need to register at the site in order to request that information. One additional item that you don’t see on every website: Carel USA also offers a unit selection lookup engine that cross-references competitors’ models for user comparison.
Readers interested in either or both of those options can reach them through the homepage or by going directly towww.humidifynow.com.
Wrapping up the web portion of the proceedings, Armstrong has produced its own software designed to “take the guesswork out of sizing and specifying industrial and commercial humidifiers.” Humid-A-ware™ is designed for all Windows® platforms from XP back to Windows 95 and NT (4.0) and includes the manufacturer’s entire product line.
Humid-A-ware is built to help calculate humidification load, determine the correctArmstrongmodel number, create, and customize equipment and data schedules, calculate non-wetting distance, and indicate psychrometric properties. Armstrong reports that the latest version includes several updated features, including new info for multiple-manifold systems, new high-output electric and steam-to-steam units, new installation bulletins for all models, and more. Engineers can check out this free software atwww.armstronginternational.com/resource-library.
Products for Pros
Tools like software and video are helpful, but after all, those are intended to enable smarter decisions about actual products, and engineers have a few new twists to consider there, too.The MH Series fromNortecleads this section off, representing the company’s new evaporative humidifier / cooler technology. Designed to help users lower their energy usage, the MH Series is built to employ the adiabatic principle to provide efficient humidification and air cooling. Specifically, the design is intended for AHUs or ventilation duct applications. The line is suitable for high-duty applications, according to the company. In addition, the Reflow model is touted as capturing the non-evaporated water and returning it to the water circulation system for reuse, improving both efficiency and payback.
For more about this approach and its V-Profile media, or to review related white papers, visitwww.humidity.com.
Meanwhile,Humidifirst (www.humidifirst.com) has warehouse and other large, open rooms in mind for its RM-80 dehumidifier. To that end, the unit is mounted on a corrosion-resistant rack with castors, so it can be repositioned or moved to another space altogether. Despite the unconventional presentation, the RM-80 does come factory-assembled with control panel, digital thermostat, and fan rheostats.
The company touts the economy of ultrasonic humidifiers, thanks to their pulsating piezo-ceramic discs producing a fine vapor without introducing heat into the air. This model, with a capacity of 70 lb/hr, is designed to combine the high capacity of a ducted humidifier with the mobility of a traditional portable humidifier.
The
Aprilaire 1120 is a standalone unit, used independent of the space’s
heating system.
Aprilaire(www.aprilaire.com) has its own latest commercial offering, the Aprilaire 1120, at a capacity of 22 lb/hr. This is a self-contained model, designed for installation in the conditioned space, independent of the heating system. Hot water from a service water heater is supplied to the unit to furnish the necessary heat for evaporation. A two-speed fan pulls in the dry air to pass through the water panel and evaporator before being distributed back into the space as humidified air.
Finally,PURE Humidifier(www.purehumidifier.com) reported in with its ES Series of electric humidifiers. The ES model works with standard water and uses a Tri-Probem assembly to maintain the water level. The ESDDR model is for deionized, demineralized, or reverse osmosis water and includes a stainless steel float-operated cutoff switch. The company expects users will appreciate the series’ side-entry heater assembly, providing a large clean-out access area without disturbing the cover or the injection system’s steam supply piping.
The factory-mounted INTAC® microprocessor, time-cycle modulation, and ability to deploy multiple dehumidifiers in a master/drone configuration offer other benefits. These units come in capacities up to 306 lb/hr for single dehumidifiers, and engineers can review a list of optional features, including VAV control and a factory-insulated reservoir, at the company’s website.ES
