[PADG:137] Re: Climate Control Systems

["Jerry T Shiner" <tracking@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mary Ellen and Annie:

Most commercially available climate control systems (such as the Liebert
units) are designed for computer rooms and laboratories.  Their primary
design function is to cool a room in which people and/or machines are
working. These systems can be "tweaked" to control humidity in a "no load"
empty archive, and also to work at cooler than normal temperatures, but this
is pushing their designed operating parameters.

Annie's suggestion of using (a few small) fans for air circulation may prove
very useful- a fan will distribute the increasing humidity load over many
more books; this uses their natural humidity buffering ability to spread the
moisture load amongst all the books. However, general moisture content will
increase and will eventually build up to dangerous levels, given time.

Turning the temperature up a few degrees in the summer may help lessen the
load on Annie's unit, while allowing the unit to maintain a (relatively)
consistent humidity level all year long. She might also check her vault for
leakage-even a little humid air infiltrating the chamber can create quite a
load for an already hard-working system.

The Microclimate Technologies MCG400 climate control unit has been designed
specifically for the conditions found in archives and museum storage rooms.
Many of the Annie mentions with her system have been taken into account in
the design of the MCG400. For example: The entire unit is located outside of
the archive room (for safety's sake, all fan and compressor motors are
located outside of the airstream.) In addition to a high-end electronic
sensor and digital readouts of humidity and temperature, the unit has a full
annunciator panel to indicate operating status and indicate problems in
system operation.  Each unit is built and customized for it's particular
application, and staff training is a normal part of our installation
procedure.

The MCG400 uses a unique tandem compressor design to provide extremely even
temperature and humidity control, as well as redundancy in the event of a
system failure.

Please feel free to contact me off list.

js
Jerry Shiner
Keepsafe Systems / Microclimate Technologies International
Supplies and Solutions for Microclimate and Oxygen-free display and storage
www.keepsafe.ca    www.microclimate.ca   1 800 683-4696


----- Original Message -----
From: "Annie Armour" <aarmour@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <padg@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 5:47 PM
Subject: [PADG:135] Re: Climate Control Systems


> Mary Ellen,
>
> We have a Leibert in our Special Collections. Part of the unit is inside
> the room itself (the rest outside), and it leaks a nasty black oily
product
> at times. It's also very ugly. It probably is a great machine that could
be
> cleverly disguised, but is not well maintained, and thus has problems. Is
> your physical plant staff attentive to such things?
>
> Not enough attention was paid to the air circulation patterns when it was
> installed, so we still get mold in the room in some areas. The humidity
> monitor was placed inside the air return, so does not always give accurate
> readings. Before we had it, though, the humidity fluctuated every day the
> same as the outside, which as you know, can be wild in Tennessee (I'm in
> Sewanee). Our mold problems in that room can be kept in check with fans.
> Just a couple of things you might want to watch.
>
> I will say that whatever unit we got has a difficult time keeping very
> strict control over humidity. It works with the least fluctuation when set
> around 55% + or - 2%. Anything lower than that in summer stresses the
> system so that it usually breaks down in the hottest, most humid part of
> the season. I guess the jury is still out on whether or not larger
(perhaps
> much larger) seasonal fluctuations are acceptable for books. My own
> unproved observations are that air circulation is more important than
> either temperature or humidity.
>
> My recommendation-get a LIBRARY environmental consultant (like Michael
> Trinkley from Chicora) to come look over the situation before you decide
> what to do. Regular engineers are attuned to the needs of people, not
books.
>
> Annie Armour
> University of the South
> Sewanee, TN
>
> At 12:12 PM 8/5/2004, you wrote:
> >Dear Colleagues,
> >
> >At the University of Tennessee, we are planning to renovate our rare
books
> >room to improve the environmental conditions.  I have a couple of
> >questions and am hoping some of you can offer advice and/or point me
> >toward some good sources of information.
> >
> >We are looking at climate control systems, such as a Liebert system.
Have
> >any of you been involved in the installation of such a system?  If so, do
> >you have any suggestions for the installation process, and can you make
> >any recommendations for specific systems or vendors?
> >
> >We are also looking at lighting.  We currently have fluorescent bulbs
with
> >no filters.  Obviously, we need filters, but my colleagues here have
asked
> >about switching to incandescent bulbs.  Is there any reason we should
> >replace the fluorescent lights with incandescent?  Also, can anyone
> >recommend a good source for UV filters for fluorescent bulbs?
> >
> >Thanks in advance for your response,
> >
> >Mary Ellen
> >
> >____________________________
> >Mary Ellen Starmer
> >Preservation Coordinator
> >University of Tennessee Libraries
> >1015 Volunteer Blvd.
> >Knoxville, TN 37996-1000
> >(865)974-5226
> >starmer@xxxxxxx
> >
>
>
>