Case Studies

Artwork preserved by using humidity control

Published on:

June 8, 2022

The Background

Set over three floors, the newly created state-of-the-art St Albans Museum showcase over 2,000 years of priceless heritage. The museum shares local, national and world artwork and treasures with all visitors. The existing system within the museum claimed to control the humidity. It did this by assuming that the moisture content of the outside air was always lower than the required humidity in the space. Therefore, when the humidity in the space increased fresh air was brought in. However, with a set point of 18⁰C and 50%rh, the outside air commonly has a moisture content higher than this. This meant that control was not possible.

The Solution for Preserving Artwork

Control can only be achieved with a dehumidifier for the summer months and a humidifier primarily for the low moisture content cold winter period. Introduced into the temperature ducted system, the Vapac LE09D steam humidifier provided the addition of moisture, whilst the Cotes C30 dehumidifier provided moisture removal from the fresh air coming into the system. The Neptronic HR020 controller provided dedicated controls.

The Results

The result for St Albans Museum is a fully controllable, stable environment year-round, protecting the precious artwork and treasures whilst also maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment for staff and visitors alike.

Humidity Solutions helps many different industries achieve their correct environmental conditions, taking all parameters into consideration. Get in touch with our experts today to discuss your requirements by calling 01372 571200 or email info@humiditysolutions.co.uk