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GTS® Gas-to-Steam humidifier saves 64% on utility bills
A DriSteem GTS humidifier installed at the Region of Waterloo Water Testing Laboratory significantly reduced utility and maintenance costs while providing optimal indoor air quality for employees and testing apparatus.
The DriSteem GTS humidifier cost only $2,500 to run over a 14–month period, compared to over
$7,000 for the electric system.
- From an independent study conducted by Culham and
Associates, Consulting Engineers, Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada
When electric utility and maintenance costs at the Region of
Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) Water Testing Laboratory became
more than the budget could bear, Brian Bechtel, coordinator of
energy management for the Municipality of Waterloo, sought
a more economical way to attain the indoor air quality levels
he required for employee comfort and water testing accuracy.
By identifying the problem—an inefficient humidification
system—Bechtel literally received more than he bargained for:
an energy cost savings of 64% when he switched to a gas
humidification system from DriSteem.
An important component of IAQ, proper humidification helps
increase employee comfort and reduce static electricity,
which can affect test equipment. “But the cost to humidify the
building was escalating, not only because of electric rates, but
also because the electric canister-type humidification system
required frequent maintenance and canister replacement due to
hard water conditions,” said Jim Bender, PE, HTS Engineering,
Kitchener, Ontario. The firm helped the Waterloo facility to
specify a new system.
Working with Union Gas Limited of Ontario, a gas utility,
which funded an energy cost study, Bechtel installed an
energy-efficient gas to steam humidification system. With an
80 percent efficiency rating, the DriSteem GTS humidifier
cost only $2,500 to run over a 14-month period, compared
to over $7,000 for the electric system, according to the study
conducted by Culham and Associates, consulting engineers,
Mississauga, Ontario. “These figures reflect what many of our
customers are discovering,” said Bender. “More and more,
customers are investigating their options with gas.”
Why humidify?
At the Waterloo testing facility, which monitors,
samples and tests the area water supply,
humidification is critically important because
specific room temperatures and humidity levels
are a requirement for certification of the two
laboratories, one for organic testing, the other
for inorganic testing. Air handling units supply
100% fresh air to the labs—11,500 cfm—and,
especially during the cold months, this fresh air
must be humidified to required levels.
Humidification is also important for the 35
people who work there. Not only does humid
air feel warmer to occupants, but without
proper humidification, the air in a typical
commercial building can dry to levels of
relative humidity below that of the Sahara
Desert. Low humidity causes nasal and throat
membranes to dry and increases susceptibility
to colds and viral infections. Maintaining 40%
to 60% relative humidity improves indoor air
quality by decreasing bacteria and viruses in
the air (a factor when humidity levels are below
40% RH), and hindering the development
of fungi, chemical interactions and ozone
production (more prevalent when levels are
above 60% RH).
With proper humidification, employees at the
testing facility can work more comfortably
to help deliver an important service to the
residents of Waterloo.
DRI-STEEM GTS SYSTEM ALSO REDUCES MAINTENANCE COSTS
Until recently, most small to medium sized office buildings were humidified
with disposable canister-type electric humidifiers where submersed electrodes
generate steam for distribution by the HVAC system. These humidifiers require
frequent maintenance or replacement when canisters become filled with
mineral deposits. Waterloo’s water
supply contains significant levels of lime
and calcium, and the canisters required
frequent replacement.
Designed to work with any type of
water—tap, softened or deionized/
reverse osmosis—and regardless of
water hardness, the DriSteem GTS
is designed for easy maintenance.
The Vapor-logic® controller can be
programmed to monitor and regulate all functions, including a drain and flush
cycle. Plus, the heat exchanger continuously sheds mineral buildup due to
constant thermal expansion and contraction, and a water skimmer removes
floating minerals. The 304 stainless steel humidifier includes two-sided access
so all components are within easy reach, including a removable cleanout plate
to remove tank sediment.
Installed in the mechanical room, the DriSteem GTS humidifier uses multiple
low nitrogen oxide (NOx) burners to heat water in the evaporating chamber to
produce steam. Steam created in the evaporating chamber flows through the
steam hose or piping into the dispersion assembly located in the air handling
units, where it is discharged into the airstream. The products of combustion are
exhausted out the flue.
“Installing the new gas to steam humidifier has significantly saved our energy
costs and solved our maintenance issues,” said Bechtel. “Considering that
we’re a government-funded agency, that’s especially good news because
we can apply the savings to improving programs for the residents of the
Municipality of Waterloo.”