Climate control in warehouse storage is all about reducing unpredictability, but most units are large, open environments filled with big shelves – plus people and goods constantly moving in and out.
Multiple factors such as these result in areas where temperature fluctuations will occur, such as cool spots near loading bays or hot spots where racks can obstruct air flow.
Climate Dry, an exciting new solutions-based online distributor that aims to engage, educate and empower clients when tackling issues such as condensation, flood damage, moisture control or prevent mould and damp, has revealed that introducing even a basic climate control into a warehouse can help prevent these environmental discrepancies and produce consistent, controlled conditions throughout all operations.
Malcolm Vaughan, director at Climate Dry, said: “Controlling temperature and humidity is a vital task for the protection of items sensitive to moisture. Too much moisture in the air will increase the risk of degradation from corrosion, mould growth, reduction in quality, etc.
“When most people think of climate control, they usually start thinking of temperature control. While temperature can be an important factor for the storage of some items, high humidity levels can usually cause more damage from degradation.”
Working in partnership with Climate Dry is the renowned Dantherm Group, which boasts well-known climate control solution brands such as Aerial, Calorex, Master, and, of course, Dantherm.
Marcus Bailey, Area Sales Manager from Dantherm, said: “Take steel for example. Rust will start to form above 50 per cent RH, but will rapidly form above 60 per cent.
“This process is completely dependent on the relative humidity level and not the temperature.
“This is particularly important for classic car storage. Another example would be for the storage of hygroscopic materials, which will be affected from excess moisture in a warehouse.”
Although increasing the temperature within the space will reduce the relative humidity, heating will only mask the issues and will not remove any of the troublesome moisture from within the space.
This can also exaggerate issues with condensation and high humidity when the heating is switched off. Plus, the expensive running costs to maintain the temperature of a large space can quickly become a less viable prospect.
Marcus added: “While heating is expensive to run, commercial refrigerant dehumidifiers utilise the efficiency of heat pump technology and in some cases bringing the running costs down four or five times compared to heating.
“Converting your space from a general warehouse to a dry storage facility is easier than you may think and opens your client base considerably with the added benefit of being able to offer a climate-controlled facility. “Many customers are willing to pay a premium to store their items in a properly climate controlled dry storage space. With relatively low investment cost, the payback benefits can speak for themselves.
“It’s easy to over invest in converting general warehousing to dry storage. However, with some expert guidance, you can keep investment cost low by just simply sizing your space correctly.”
For more information, please visit: climatedry.co.uk
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