One of the most prevalent problems that haunt manufacturing and warehouse facilities is the phenomenon of “sweating floors.” That might sound like something out of a mystery novel, but in fact, it’s a real issue that can lead to safety hazards and production. In this week’s blog, I’ll talk about the primary cause and how to prevent sweating floors.
Primary Cause
In the fall and spring, the weather often alternates between extremes of cold and hot. That type of fluctuating weather pattern creates ideal conditions for sweating floors. This is when warm, moist air meets a cool, dry surface.
Here is how that happens in a facility. On a cool day or night, the floor surface is cooled to the same temperature as the air. A weather change brings in warm, moist air surrounding the facility. When doors are opened, if the dew point of the air coming into the facility exceeds the surface temperature of the floor, moisture will begin to condense on the floor.
The Key to Prevention
The three elements to consider when trying to prevent sweating floors are humidity, temperature, and airflow. Controlling the humidity and temperature levels inside a manufacturing or warehouse facility can be extremely expensive given the volume of air that would need to be controlled. Therefore, the key element to prevent sweating floors is increased airflow rate.
Even under the ideal condition where the dew point of the air is greater than the floor surface temperature, increased air flow will prevent sweating floors. That is because at a high airflow rate, the moisture evaporation rate will exceed the moisture condensation rate.
Of course, it takes less airflow to prevent sweating floors than does to dry floors that have already sweated. To prevent sweating floors, the airflow needs to increase prior to the condition when the dew point of the air exceeds the surface temperature of the floor. The coolest point of any day is in the hour before sunrise. Increasing the airflow at that time is the way to prevent sweating floors.
Where and How to Increase Airflow
While it may not be practical to increase the airflow across the entire floor area of a facility, the focus should be on critical areas. These are areas with high levels of foot or vehicle traffic or an area that must remain dry to allow for efficient operations.
Installing directional fans to cover these critical areas is the best way to provide increased airflow. The type of directional fan to be used depends on the size of the area. HVLS fans are great for large open areas. An HVLS fan will direct a high volume of air downward. The air will hit the floor and spread-out providing airflow over an area larger than the diameter of the fan.
Column mounted axial fans are best used for narrow corridors such as between equipment and pallet racks. They can be sized and located to provide a narrower steam of airflow directed at the floor.
Conclusion
The ventilation experts at Eldridge have been solving ventilation issues, such as sweating floors, for over 75 years. Keeping floors dry is just another way that we can create a successful environment in your facility. If want to prevent sweating floors this fall, contact an Eldridge ventilation expert. We will design the right solution for your facility.