Do fans help to dry objects when dehumidifier is running?
Project is a nonprofit archives building in Maharastra State, India. It has a double wall of thick masonry to provide a thermos effect that is effective at evening both annual and diurnal temperature fluctuation. The inner room (that holds the artifacts) has no opening but a door and egress, and is very airtight. No human needs, so no mechanical ventilation.
Humidity control remains an issue. Currently a small portable is proving almost adequate. Heating and cooling is not necessary.
Climate includes a monsoon season during the summer months, with temps in the 80s and high humidity. Spring months are the summer here, with temps up to 115 and very dry.
Included in the archives is some furniture with fabric. Will humidity control be enhanced with ceiling fans on low? I know when I try to air-dry clothes inside the house on a rainy day, turning on the fan helps them to dry.
Thanks!
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Replies
David,
If the room is sealed (close to airtight) as you describe, then I don't think that the fan will help very much.
You don't explain what you mean by "a small portable," but I'm guessing that you are referring to a dehumidifier.
If the existing dehumidifier isn't quite up to the task, then the solution is to install a second dehumidifier, or to replace the existing dehumidifier with a unit that has a greater capacity.
Thank you Martin. You confirm what I had suspected, but you say it with so much more credibility! : )
(And yes, I did mean a small portable dehumidifier.)
I concur with Martin, and add that you could also consider ways to stop the moisture from getting in--given that you say it is air tight, that is presumably primarily diffusion through the walls. If there were a way to add a moisture impermeable layer somewhere in the wall structure, that could help. I guess it could be coming through the floor as well.
Liquid applied masonry sealers on the exterior can help masonry reject rather than wick up bulk moisture, and some are even fairly vapor retardent (perhaps dependent on the initial porosity of the masonry and how deeply the sealer penetrates.) Most of those masonry sealers need to be re-applied every decade or so to remain effective.
Some of them aren't so good for human health and would be best not applied to the interior sides or floors, especially in an unventilated air-tight building.