Blog: The Benefits of Installing a Drying Room on Your Construction Site

Installing a proper drying room on your worksite or business premises may just save you money, create a healthier environment and boost employee wellbeing. Read on to find out more.

Moisture Problems

It is part of working in the great outdoors, that protective clothing and equipment will be at the mercy of the British weather.

Most construction sites use temporary modular buildings for staff changing facilities, where rain and mud are walked in with wet kit and boots.

This moisture evaporates into the air, increasing the relative humidity within the room, making it more humid. As the air becomes saturated, it cannot take any more moisture, so no further moisture will evaporate from the clothes and they will no longer dry effectively.

Whilst clothes racks and even heaters may be installed, this does not actually remove the moisture from the space as it evaporates from the wet gear.

High relative humidity levels create the ideal conditions for mould and mildew to flourish.

Left untreated, it can damage and deteriorate clothing and building structures. Worse than this, mould releases toxic spores, causing skin irritation and respiratory problems.

Therefore, removing this excess moisture from the space is vital for preventing problems with condensation, damp and mould, improving employee wellbeing and protecting expensive gear.

Case Study

A large-scale mining facility in the north of England, Sirius Minerals, called for the help of Premier Modular to supply 49 modular buildings for their site.

The most important modular building was the on-site drying room.

Before work began, or mould could take hold, a Calorex DH60 refrigerant dehumidifier was installed to remove moisture from the space.

As the site population grew, the drying room became an indispensable space to store and dry protective clothing and equipment.

The dehumidifier also converts moisture into useful heat energy. This has meant that Sirius Minerals actually cut their heating costs as well as their equipment drying times!

How a refrigerant dehumidifier works

We can’t control the weather. However drying clothes and other equipment effectively using a dehumidifier will help to prevent a build-up of moisture in these buildings and the associated damage this can cause.

A refrigerant dehumidifier, or ‘compressor dehumidifier’, such as the Calorex DH60 works by drawing air into the machine using a fan, and over a set of refrigerated coils.

The coils cool the air below its dew point, condensing moisture in the air into water vapour. This water is then either collected in an internal tank or, in the case of the DH60, runs out the back of the machine and outside the space.

The dry air coming out of the dehumidifier is a degree or two warmer than the wet air that went in, so dehumidifiers actually provide warmer air too.

The benefits of installing a drying room dehumidifier

Easy Installation - Calorex dehumidifiers are adaptable to any room and any space. The installation is quick, with no need for separate heaters or extraction fans. All that your space needs is a power supply, a drainage hole and the right positioning.

Cost Saving - Calorex dehumidifiers can convert 2.5 times the amount of reusable heat for every unit of energy consumed. When compared to normal heating systems this can equate to 75% savings.

Drying Efficiency - The combination of heat and ventilation in Calorex dehumidifiers means they can successfully deliver rapid drying times, making sure wet equipment is ready to use.

Building Conditions - Dehumidifiers reduce the build-up of humidity in a room. A build of humidity can result in condensation, damp, mould and mildew, which can irretrievably damage buildings and facilities.

Boost Employee Welfare - A dehumidifier ensures the conditions in the room will no longer encourage mould or mildew growth. The increased heat, as well as the clean air circulating through the room will stop harmful respiratory problems for employees caused by mould, mildew and damp conditions.

Drying Room Decisions

Heating a drying room is not sufficient on its own to effectively dry gear and remove moisture from the space. Installing a dehumidifier offers the best solution for drying wet clothing effectively, preventing moisture damage to the building structure and preventing harm to employee welfare.

National Heater Shops offers a wide range of portable, wall mounted and floor-standing dehumidifiers that can be used in drying rooms on site.

Calorex dehumidifiers offer a great solution for spaces of all sizes, as they have everything from compact wall-mounted units with 15 litre per day capacity, right up to large industrial floor-standing units with up to 600 litres per day capacity. They offer efficient performance, operate even at very low temperatures, and can be installed discreetly without getting in the way on site.

For more information and advice, contact our team via online live chat or telephone. Take a look at our website to view our full range of industrial dehumidifiers.