Why Drying Rooms Matter

Julien Taschot

Application Manager (Dehumidifiers), International Sales

Article summary

Drying rooms now common

Many office buildings have drying rooms, along with construction sites, fire stations and water sports centres.

Dehumidifiers are vital in drying rooms

Removing the moisture from the air is essential for a successful drying room. Heating alone is not adequate.

Good opportunity for AC contractor

Installation of drying areas combines ventilation, heating and dehumidification, offering profitable projects.

Why drying rooms matter

Julien Taschot, Application Manager (Dehumidifiers), looks at the opportunities drying rooms offer the ACR contractor.

The use of drying rooms is no longer limited to specialist applications such as fire stations and yacht clubs. Dedicated areas to dry clothes are now commonplace features in many offices and construction sites. With people being encouraged to walk or commute to work, having a room to dry clothes is a very practical asset for a commercial office and a welcome improvement to health and safety on a worksite.

Installation of drying rooms presents an attractive opportunity for the ACR contractor. Projects typically incorporate refrigerant-based dehumidifier installation, alongside air movement and ventilation systems.

Effective drying room design needs to consider airflow, temperature and, most importantly, humidity control. Moisture must be removed from the air to maintain a low enough room humidity to encourage continual evaporation from the wet items being dried. This moisture removal can be through ventilation, if the incoming air has a low enough humidity. However, this tends not to be a practical solution in the winter or when it’s raining, due to the cold and humid outdoor conditions.

Constantly heating and ventilating an area costs a lot more in energy than operating a dehumidifier and having a more sealed environment with minimal ventilation. Installing a dehumidifier in a drying room is also a more robust solution as it ensures moisture removal no matter what the weather is like outside.

To further enhance drying performance, air movement around the area and across the items should be considered. Air circulation with fans and in-room ducting will rapidly speed up drying, as long as the circulating air is also being treated by the dehumidifier.

The most common type of dehumidifier used in drying rooms is a condensing system. These remove moisture with a regular refrigerant loop, cold coil system. As such, they work efficiently at regular room temperature of around 20°C, which tends to be what we supply for most office drying room environments.

Construction site drying rooms, in modular buildings, can be more exposed to the elements, so managing temperature is important. If the temperature drops too low, condensing systems can become less effective. Desiccant systems may then be a good option, although their energy use is greater than a condensing unit. Balancing whether it’s better to heat the room and use condensing or switch to desiccant technology is a decision best made with the consultancy of the dehumidifier supplier.

Contractors should bear in mind that any dehumidifier will add heat to a room. This can be an added benefit, if it removes the need for additional temperature control. But it can also be detrimental if it causes an area to overheat. During the summer, a hot drying room will be uncomfortable to be in, which can lead people to open windows to cool the room. This ventilation can allow moisture to enter, increasing humidity and reducing drying efficiency, when compared to a more sealed, controlled environment.

To better manage temperature within controlled environments, Condair offers a condensing dehumidifier with a remote condenser. This is very similar to a split air con system, with an indoor and outdoor unit, enabling the heat from the refrigerant loop to be ejected remotely. This technology provides room drying, whilst also precisely managing temperature during the dehumidification cycle.

After dehumidifier technology selection, the size of the dehumidifier is the next decision. A correctly sized dehumidifier should be capable of removing enough moisture during the most demanding periods. Again, it is best to consult with a dehumidifier supplier to assess the required capacity. To accurately do this, the supplier will need to know the area of the room and ventilation rates to understand the total air volume, as well as how much moisture will be introduced from all sources in the room.

It’s uncommon for clients to be able to provide this moisture level information accurately, but it is possible if they know the typical dry and wet weights of the items. A quality technology supplier will be able to offer some practical guidance and advice based on some rules of thumb and their experience.

In summary, as demand grows for healthier, more efficient workspaces, drying rooms are emerging as a practical and valuable addition across a wide range of environments. For ACR contractors, they represent a good commercial opportunity to add to a portfolio. With the right approach, and close collaboration with experienced suppliers, drying rooms can deliver real benefits in comfort, safety, and profitability.