About Dehumidifiers

Marty L asked:


I need to reduce the moisture in the office so that envelopes don’t jam in a folding machine.

Cory

Dinosaur asked:


We had a rain sorm and some water leaked through the floor cracks because the sump pump kicked in too late.

Harold

Chuck Jaymes asked:


A recent Belgian study, reported by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that children who use indoor swimming pools have an increased risk of asthma. The study was conducted by scientists at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

The researchers found that the prevalence of childhood asthma was closely associated to the number of indoor pools for every 100,000 people. They discovered that for each extra swimming pool per 100,000 people, asthma rates in an area go up by 2 to 3 percent. The team of scientists looked at rates for asthma and associated problems in a study of 180,000 children aged 13-14 from various European countries. The researchers believe this increase could be caused by chlorine build-up in indoor swimming pools.

The number of indoor pools varied greatly between Easter and Western Europe; ranging from one pool for every 50,000 inhabitants in Western Europe to one for every 300,000 inhabitants in Eastern Europe. The findings revealed a clear East-West divide in indoor pool availability and rates of asthma.

The Belgian study, presented by Dr. Simone Carbonnelle, showed that exposure to chloramines greatly increases permeability of the lung epithelium. This is a condition that is associated with cigarette smoking. Chlorine by itself isn’t the problem; it’s what happens when chlorine is combined with organics. The organics are produced by pool users in the form of sweat, dander, urine, etc. The chlorine reacts with these organics, producing dangerous chemicals such as nitrogen trichloride, aldehydes, chloroform and chloromines.

According to Dr. Carbonnelle, the level of lung permeability is equivalent of what she would see in a heavy smoker. “These findings suggest that the increasing exposure to chlorine-based disinfectants used in swimming pools and their by-products might be an unsuspected risk factor in the rising incidence of childhood asthma and allergic diseases”, reports Dr. Carbonnelle.

This research may help explain why swimmers in indoor pools are more prone to asthma than athletes in other sports. During the 2000 Olympic Games held in Australia, it was revealed that more than one-quarter of the U.S. Swim Team suffered from some degree of asthma.

An effective way to combat this problem is with a good quality, high efficiency indoor swimming pool dehumidifier. The dehumidifier removes the chlorine along with the moisture laden air. The HI-E Dry line of swimming pool dehumidifiers features remarkable energy efficiency.



Irene

Chris Michael asked:


Start

Eight legs, sucking pads on the end of the feet, blind, drinks through its armpits, eats human skin flakes, wraps its faeces in pellets that many humans are allergic to and mates in the warm moist place called our home.

Worst of all, it loves your bed. This is not a Hollywood film but the humble, minute Dust Mite. It might only be 420 micrometers long but this beast is a trigger for asthma, allergies and eczema.

As the weather warms and the air becomes more humid the Dust Mite gets horny. They love the warm, moist conditions within British homes; the warmer and moister weather that comes with spring and summer makes the Dust Mite increases their reproduction rates. Dust Mites make rabbits look sedate; there is the distinct possibility that there could be as many as 1.5 million Dust Mites, the majority of them alive, living in your bed right now.

What’s more they like nothing better than eating flakes of human skin.

Although you cannot see Dust Mites (you could count almost 19,000 of them in a gram of dust), they are a significant trigger of asthma, eczema and other modern day allergies. It is not the Dust Mite itself, which does the damage, it is their poo. It is Dust Mite droppings that carry the allergen that triggers the sneezing and breathing problems, once you have breathed it in that is. Those 1.5 million Dust Mites in your bed are producing up to 20 pellets of droppings every day, each.

With more and more of us suffering from these diseases combating this menace becomes more and more important. One in ten children and one in twelve adults suffer from asthma (source www.asthma.org.uk) while everyone either knows or is related to someone who suffers from an allergy or eczema.

The best that we can do is to control the Dust Mite, a new website at www.meaco.com/dustmites.htm aims to provide the British householder with five key steps that they can take in the battle against the Dust Mite.

Company Director Chris Michael of Meaco (U.K.) Limited, a sufferer himself, who has put together the information says “We are being asked by more and more people these days for advise on what can be done to reduce the moist conditions in people homes to allivetiate people’s asthma and allergies. The number one step for us is to stop these Dust Mites from reproducing to keep the problem manageable”

So to create a healthier environment in the home and to slow down the Dust Mites libido visit www.meaco.com/dustmites.htm

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About Meaco (U.K.) Limited

Meaco are a small family run company who for the past 17 years have been providing environmental control solutions to museums across the UK. They are one of the largest suppliers of dehumidifiers in the UK via their website www.meaco.com.



Elmer

Leo Nov asked:


The majority of water damage comes from leaky or broken pipes. It can also come from leaky roofs or major storms. It’s important that after this happens, you get assistance for your property as soon as possible. Water damage in Massachusetts is handled in several ways. One way they take care of it is to dry off the affected areas.

This is something you can’t do. You will have to enlist the services of a professional water damage service. This services should specialize in drying techniques that can restore your property to normal. In order to dry areas effectively, the technicians will need to use dehumidifiers.

In Massachusetts, after the water damage has passed, there is a lot of humidity that seeps in certain areas of your home. The technicians work to reduce the humidity by using the dehumidifier. The air has to work quickly in order to rid the areas inside your home of moisture. It is important that the large mass of humidity is eliminated and not allowed to return. If it stays, certain areas can be affected. Then you’ll have to deal with swelling, excessive absorption and other things. This can also set up a path for mold to set in.

Mold creeps in where there is a lot of moisture. There are other reasons when a technician will need to use a dehumidifier:

• If the humidity indoors goes beyond 60%

• You have wet carpet and related material

• You have wet walls and floors

The larger the dehumidifier, the better chance that the materials will dry faster. There is a certain window in which this should take place (the first 24 – 48 hours). If not done quickly, you may experience some serious problems, such as allergies and other health ailments, in addition to mold. If the area has not dried thoroughly, the material may get damage and you may experience mold in those areas. That’s why in Massachusetts, it’s important to have technicians that know what they’re doing.

A large dehumidifier is good to get people back in their houses quickly. It would only take a day or two for the affected areas to dry. They can also be used to decrease humidity. The less humidity you have, the better off you are. So when you’re looking for a water damage specialist in Massachusetts, make sure it’s someone that specializes in drying the affected areas thoroughly so you won’t have to experience unnecessary after affects.



Amanda

Chuck Jaymes asked:


One of the worst and most common effects of water damage in the home is mold. Many homeowners find mold offensive and ugly to look at, but don’t fully realize the potential health hazards associated with mold exposure. You may have mold growing in your basement or crawlspace that is negatively affecting your indoor air quality. Indoor air quality is extremely important; the average American spends 75% to 90% of their time indoors.

Mold develops and grows at high rates of speed. Mold can develop within 24-48 hours after water exposure occurs. If it is growing in a secluded area of your home, you may smell it before you see it. You will notice a strong earthy or musty odor. Mold not only can impair health, it can be destructive. Mold grows by digesting organic material, so it slowly destroys whatever it is growing on.

Health problems involving mold are primarily caused by inhalation. This usually occurs when there is active mold growth and a large number of mold spores. Exposure can also happen by touching contaminated materials or by eating contaminated food. Mold is a biological airborne contaminant that is classified as a bioaerosol. Bioaerosols are extremely tiny living organisms suspended in the air. Exposure to mold can lead to minor problems like mild allergies to severe problems like bacteria and viruses that cause infection. Although inhalation of mold spores is unhealthy for anyone, some individuals have more severe symptoms and reactions than others. Those more susceptible to severe reactions include the elderly, infants, persons with weakened immune systems and those with existing respiratory conditions.

Common Symptoms Of Mold Exposure:

• Eye irritation

• Nose/throat irritation

• Respiratory problems

• Dry cough

• Skin irritation or rashes

• Headaches

• Body aches

• Nosebleeds

Serious health problems have been associated with a highly toxic strain of mold called Stachybotrys atra, often referred to as black mold. This mold is greenish-black and slimy in appearance. It typically grows only on materials that are perpetually wet and that contain cellulose. It thrives on any type of wood-based material with a high moisture content.

Like other toxic fungi, Stachybotrys alters the human DNA and has been known to cause permanent immunological, psychological, pathological and neurological effects on the human body. Cases of DNA testing where Stachybotrys was detected in the body 9 years after exposure have been documented.

Strachybotrys has also been linked to cases of hemorrhagic lung disease in infants. Molds are among the environmental health issues that concern those in the pediatric environmental health field. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians ask about mold issues when treating infants with idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage.

In order to protect your health and control mold damage, you need to determine where the moisture is coming from that allows the mold to thrive. Common sources of indoor moisture problems include:

• Plumbing leaks

• Roof leaks

• Clogged gutters and downspouts

• Overflow from sewers or sinks

• Steam from showers or cooking

• Clothes dryers exhausting indoors

• Damp basement or crawlspace

• Flooding

• Damp crawlspaces without vapor barriers or a crawlspace dehumidifier

Once you have determined and eliminated the source of moisture, the next step is to clean up the mold. Cleaning up mold can also be hazardous to your health if you’re not careful. When disturbed by cleaning, mold spores may be 10 to 1,000 times higher than background levels. You should also be careful about breathing in fumes from the strong disinfectants and cleaning supplies used. Minimize your exposure to these harsh chemicals by making sure there is good ventilation in the cleaning area. These tips should be followed to ensure a safe clean-up:

• Use a respirator; this will protect you from mold particles, but not fumes from the cleaning supplies

• Wear rubber gloves

• Wear protective clothing

• Leave the work area frequently for short periods of time to get fresh air

• Place any moldy items in a trash bag, tightly seal and discard

• Air out the area thoroughly after cleaning for several hours

• CAUTION! – NEVER mix ammonia with bleach; the combination creates fumes that are toxic.



Oscar

Amber Smith asked:


Number of people suffering with some sort of allergy problem is not very small.  They exist not in hundreds and thousands but in millions across the globe.  Many of these allergy problems are related with the humidity levels in the atmosphere around them.  While maintenance of good humidity level is essential for creating a user friendly atmosphere, high level of humidity could bring up several problems like allergy attacks.

Reduction and balancing of humidity levels could be achieved through a good dehumidifier just as the humidity levels are maintained with the humidifier.  Best dehumidifiers could help you in fighting out mold, moisture as well as mildew quite effectively.



Features of the best dehumidifier

With the expansion of atmosphere related problems in the highly industrialized society to day, perhaps no household is complete without a good dehumidifier.  Especially the houses that are prone to moisture and mold affecting the indoor air quality require such dehumidifier more than any one else.

A good dehumidifier can bring back the balance by evaporating the moisture in your home, keeping the atmosphere dry and at the humidity level low while not allowing dust to enter home. This will be essential for those who suffer from allergy as dust is the main reason for allergy sufferings.

Dehumidifiers for your basement, home and room

It is not only your room that needs to be immune from mold and moisture to save you from allergic spree.  You also require your basement, and home to be free of such characteristics.  To this end you can use different dehumidifiers for different purposes.  The basement dehumidifier will vary from the whole house dehumidifier. 

Similarly, the commercial and industrial dehumidifiers would be vastly different from the closet dehumidifier.  Each one has its own merits and demerits.  Hence have a careful look at their comparative features before opting for one of them.

Required features for basement dehumidifiers would be that they should be able to absorb maximum amount of moisture.  Your basements would be the most vulnerable to moisture and mold.  On the other hand your room would be comparatively drier and the dehumidifier will have to maintain the humidity level at such point that the dusts do not enter and cause allergic problems for you.



Size is a critical factor in determination of quality of dehumidifiers

If you are not a technical man it would be prudent to use some expert services to determine the exact quality of your humidifier.  The expert can guide you step by step and help you reach your desired objective with ease and convenience. Some factors will be vital to your choice.  For example, the size of the dehumidifier is vital as wrong sized machine won’t prevent mold.

Even the dealers may not have idea about the proper size of dehumidifier to work smoothly for the location.  Buying one with too high capacity will be extravagant spending while buying one with too low capacities may render the machine useless for your purpose. 

It does not help you when you get a reply from the stores salesman that the difference between two models of dehumidifiers is around $50.  What you require to know is their performance variances to know their real use for your work. You also would like to know whether you are getting portable dehumidifier or a static one.

For such devices having bearing on humidity in the atmosphere around you, “tailor made” is what you need for your specific requirement.



Kelly

David Dickerman asked:


The relative humidity should remain about the same but the air temperature will rise from natural inefficiencies in both.

Am I right?

Kim