When interior conditions start drifting, and the can repair bills can be stacked up to the ceiling, it’s a good time to think about a dehumidifier replacement.
That was the situation the Austin Northwest Family YMCA faced with its two aging units in 2017, leading to a complete overhaul of the facility’s dehumidification system. By the time Jon-Erik Johnson, P.E., of Texas AirSystems, paid a site visit to help review the facility, the old metal ducts had significantly corroded and the approximately 15-year-old dehumidifiers were plagued by leaks, dead compressors, and other ailments typical of outmoded HVAC equipment. Plus, the sizable refrigerant charge in the archaic split-DX design meant further leaks posed a major liability due to astronomical costs of the R-22 used by the outdated units, a refrigerant that is in the later stages of being phased out.