Ask TCL: Should You Install a Dehumidifier in Your Workshop?
The answer, as with so many things chocolate, is “It depends ...”
I have to admit (as if it weren’t already obvious): I am a nerd. I even have cocoaotaku (cocoa nerd aka cocoa geek) tattooed on my left forearm.
The question of what the “correct” humidity and temperature need to be in a chocolate/confectionery workshop to reduce the possibility of condensation crops up regularly in conversations with clients.
While 68F (20C) is often recommended as a good working temperature for a confectionery kitchen, 55F (about 13C) is often bandied about as a good temperature for cooling (crystallizing) chocolate. It’s also often said that a good working humidity is an rH (relative humidity) of 55%.
But what is relative humidity? How is it calculated? Why is knowing what the rH is important? How is rH related to the dew point?
What do dehumidifiers do? How do they work?
In other words, if you’re experiencing a problem due to excess humidity in your workshop, is installing a dehumidifier “the solution?”
Learning Resource
As mentioned above, the answer is, “It depends.” One contributing factor to the answer is understanding what latent heat is, another is what your existing air conditioning capacity is. There are more.
All of these topics (and more) are covered in the following video, Dehumidifiers Are Confusing.
In this roughly one-hour overview video, you’ll come to understand the pros and cons of portable dehumidifiers and the complex dynamics between dehumidifiers and air conditioners.
I recommend you watch this video before buying a dehumidifier and/or so you can discuss the issue with an HVAC company to make sure you’re getting the right kind of unit AND sizing the system properly.
TL;DR – Key Takeaways
From my understanding of the video, it’s best to address a humidity issue in an already air-conditioned space by increasing the capacity of the air conditioning system to both cool and properly dehumidify the air.
If you’re moving into a new space, sizing the AC properly in the first place is always the best solution.
If you do need “spot” dehumidification and can’t upgrade the installed system, consider a portable dehumidifier or portable air conditioner, and install it to exhaust both the heat and moisture the unit extracts into the existing HVAC return or directly outdoors. I have recommended the SRCool 12000 to some of my clients as auxiliary cooling in a confined space for the construction of cooling rooms and tunnels.
Tripp Lite SRCool 12000 (mfr website).
If you decide to purchase a dehumidifier, consider buying one that uses rotary dessicant (as opposed to refrigeration compressor) technology, and no matter what option you choose, make sure to exhaust the warm air and humidity to the outside.
One way to get more efficiency out of a through-window or min-split system is by using one or more Coolbot Pros. One or more Coolbot Pros from StoreItCold can increase the efficiency of your air conditioning solution. With Coolbots you can easily cool a room down to 55F, which you can’t do with conventional AC units, obviating the need to purchase an expensive walk-in.
Click the link to visit the StoreItCold website.