Is Heat Drying a threat?

[Desk Jockey]

We don't see it as a threat but rather as a valuable tool that can be used to create very low vapor pressures and cause moisture to move from materials rapidly.

Is heat a threat to you?

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[FONT=&quot]Technological Threat? [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
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[kmdineen]

I don'tunderstand the question, Doc. The surface temperature of wet material must beabove the dew point of the ambient air for evaporation to occur, regardless ifyou are drying with conventional, desiccant or heat systems. Conventional anddesiccant drying equipment create net evaporation by lowering the dew point ofthe ambient air below the surface temperature of the wet material. Heat dryingraises the surface temperature of the wet material above the dew point of theair. For each degree of temperature the wet material is above the dew point ofthe air is a measurement of increased evaporation potential.
I think whereyou are drying in the country would have an effect on which drying system youchoose to use. Here in New England I depend on the E TES to quickly dry coolbasements in the winter time or to increase the vapor pressure in wet, hard todry, class 4 situations. It is easier for me to raise the surface temperatureof the wet material than to lower the vapor pressure of the air, to get thegreatest evaporation potential. If I did not have a heat drying system I couldnot compete with a drying company that did, so I guess heat drying would be athreat.
If I livedin a hot dry climate heat drying would be less of a threat.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea not being at the experience I'm not sure of the context of the statement but I don't know why "we" would fear the use of heat and not embrace it. Evidently someone in that audience fears heat. ????

 

[dealtimeman]

We have heaters but do not heat dry anything as there is very expensive litigation involved in claiming you heat dry. We use heaters to advance evaporation potential, but not as a stand alone drying system. Plus Dehus, as long as you have them have a higher roi.

 

[Jeremy N]

I want to use it more. It seems like the perfect method for drying cabinets. Regular wood cabinets can be a little stubborn to dry.

We have also ran into a problem during heave rains and rising water. Folks couldn't afford to replace their particle board cabinets, so they wanta them dried. We had them sign a waiver and then dried them. Particle board that is sandwiched between two pieces of laminate/plastic can be a pain. We experimented with heat. We used heat from a space heater and a thermastat in one room with containment. In the other room we tried our regular method. One dried in 3 days and the other in 7 days.

Disclaimer and Warning!! Don't use this method. It is not the safest or advised. Lol, the house was empty and we kept a very close eye on it.

 

[sweendogg]

We have been having this discussion quite a bit in the rug industry as many larger plants use heat. We can talk dew points, deccidance or all kinds of jargin till your blue in the face but the science is very simple. Water needs a certain amount of energy to convert from a liquid to a vapor regardless if its standing moisture or objects that have absorbed the moisture. Using straight evaporation and dehumidification can only work so fast to draw the moisture from the object. However adding heat adds energy to the system. This greatly speeds up the evaporation rate because your allowing that water to reach its vapor point much quicker than simply waiting for it to come out via air movement and air exchange.

Think about your clothes dryer. Its the same concept.

 

[dealtimeman]

Ding ding ding we have a winner!

 

[Desk Jockey]

We are talking about Sweendogg so that should be pronounced "Wiener"

You rug guys have been using heat forever, I've seen many plants that had huge furnaces to bake that moisture off the rugs.

 

[tmdry]

If a wood floor has a MC reading of say 40-50.0 plus percent, can it still be dried? Even if you ran mats along w/ the heat?

What if the water went thru a class 4 thru 3 levels for days?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes and no, sometimes with multiple layers you have to see which is the most cost effective approach. We will generally try for a few days and see if we get any movement, if not we will pull it.

 

[sweendogg]

Yes Reggie's have been using heat for decades but they are adding a lot more science to make it a lot more efficient. There is also alot of good science about what the heat can do to help with the sanitary nature of the rug. I'd imagine once the papers have been completely published and verified, there will be an even larger crossover for hear use in restoration work.

 

[markspend01]

Hey Mode well the info which you provide about the layers is really appreciated.Thanks!!