Emergency Dehumidification can be accomplished WITHOUT using any
mechanical equipment.
1. The best initial option is to ventilate. Preferably using an
exhaust fan and several open windows.
2. In humid weather or humid climates. Desiccants can be used.
Perhaps the most common desiccant is simple ICE MELT! Yes, I'm
speaking of the pellets you buy for melting ice on sidewalks and
driveways in the winter. Spread the ice melt out in thin layers IN
CONTAINERS!!! The containers are extremely imporant. The ice melt
will abosorb a large quantity of water out of the air and tend to
create a puddle, so don't just spread it on the floor, you'll have a
HUGE mess!! Don't try spreading it out on plastic either. I've
tried this and it's horribly messy. I have a stack of old 5 gallon
bucket lids that I use to sprinkle a thin coat on each lid. A small
fan to keep the air moving is also helpful.
3. The Ice Melt can be re-used by collecting the soupy goo and
boiling out all of the water. Use an outdoor cooking system to be
sure you're not just releasing the humidity back into the indoor
space that you're trying to dry out. A bbq grill, an electric
hotplate outside, or a campfire with a cookpot are reasonable
options. A solar oven would be an excellent idea. You'll get a big
rock back that can be cooled down, broken up and then be reused.
This process can be repeated indefinitely.
4. Many painters, plasterers, drywallers, and floor refinishers use
this technique to rapidly dry an area if it is needed. (please note
that drying many plasters too rapidly can cause cracking.)
5. Keep in mind that this an extremely POWERFUL technique especially
if a large quantity of Ice Melt is used in a small space. I've
reduced the relative humidity in a room from 85% to 15% in less than
an hour before. It is not practical for long term dehumidification.
It is a common technique in industrial environments.
6. It is possible to drive the humidity so low that it can be
DANGEROUS to human occupancy. If the relative humidity of a space
drops down into the single digits and especially if the air is moving
around, a person can become extremely dehydrated very rapidly. Dry
mouth and skin irritations are a first sign. Chapped lips soon
follow. Elevated body temperature and fatigue are danger signs not
to be ignored. Vision problems are perhaps the last warning sign
before a person might pass out from dehydration and lose
conciousness, if you manage to stay concious long enough to have
vision problems.
7. If someone happens to pass out in an extremely low humidity
environment and nobody is around to help, death is possible. Anyone
feeling symptoms should leave the area immediately and consume plenty
of fluids. If the symptoms continue, seek medical attention.
Be careful.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "Ernie Phelps" <eepjr24@...>
wrote:
>
>
> Your AC is not really meant to do extra water extraction for you.
> However, you can at least mitigate the problem by make sure your air
> handler is in good working order, your drain line is clear and your
> drain pain is clear of mold or other obstructions. I live in Central
> Florida and we overloaded our drain pain just with summer weather
the
> first year we were in the house, not realizing that the previous
owner
> had not done proper maintenance.
>
> If you are not capable (or not willing) to do the maintenance
> yourself, some A/C companies run specials in the late winter through
> spring for "tune-ups" in the $50-$75 range. If you find a reputable
> company, this can save you alot of headaches if you utilize it.
>
> Lastly, for small samples (of any clay or plaster block or piece)
can
> have the drying accelerated by placing them in the oven. Just turn
it
> on at the lowest setting for 10 minutes or so and then turn it off
and
> leave the pieces in for an hour or two. I would not encourage this
for
> larger pieces, but it can work well when testing various mixes to
> speed up the time until you can test them.
>
> - Ernie
>
------------------------------------
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