A refrigerant dehumidifier can help a commercial laundry where moisture remains excessive after dryer exhaust, steam leaks and ventilation have been checked. It can suit warm, humid production areas, provided its operating range and extraction capacity match the conditions on site.
Start with the source of the moisture, then assess what the room actually needs. This article covers selection, sizing, positioning and maintenance for laundry facilities.
Persistent condensation needs investigation before equipment is ordered: record where it forms, when it appears and which machines are operating.
Why commercial laundries have a humidity problem
Wet linen handling, finishing equipment, washdown and escaping steam can add moisture to room air. Correctly exhausted dryers carry moisture outdoors, so their full water removal should not be counted as a room load.
Ventilation can remove moisture when replacement air is drier in absolute terms than the air exhausted. During humid weather, that same replacement air can add to the dehumidification load.
- Check exhaust ducts, discharge locations and makeup air paths.
- Repair steam and water leaks before calculating the remaining load.
- Look for condensation on cold pipes, roof panels and external walls.
- Record damp floors, musty storage areas and corrosion for investigation.
Condensation occurs when a surface is colder than the surrounding air's dew point. A single room RH reading cannot establish whether every surface will stay dry.
Healthcare laundries also need separation of clean and soiled operations: CDC guidance on linen and laundry management calls for separate handling areas and complete drying of linen. Follow Australian laundry requirements and the facility's hygiene procedures as well.
How refrigerant dehumidifiers work in hot, wet spaces
A refrigerant dehumidifier pulls room air across a cold evaporator coil. Moisture condenses when that coil surface is below the air's dew point.
The condensate drains away by gravity or a pump, depending on the installation. The air passes over the condenser before returning to the room warmer and drier.
For the underlying cycle, how refrigerant dehumidification removes airborne moisture explains the technology in more detail.
A humidistat controls operation around a selected humidity setting. Choose that setting from the laundry's process needs and condensation risks rather than adopting a universal RH target.
| Selection factor | Refrigerant system | Desiccant system |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture removal method | Condensation on a cold coil | Adsorption, followed by regeneration |
| Warm, humid production area | Often a suitable candidate; verify capacity | Compare if the required dew point warrants it |
| Cool overnight conditions | Check capacity, operating limits and defrost | Consider equipment selected for the cooler duty |
| Services to plan | Power, airflow and condensate drainage | Power, regeneration heat and wet-air discharge as specified |
| Energy comparison | Compare total input at the same inlet conditions and moisture-removal duty | |
Moisture Cure Commercial's refrigerant dehumidifier options for warm, humid facilities are relevant where condensation-based removal suits the measured laundry conditions. Confirm both the highest production temperature and the coolest period when humidity control is required.
For a cool linen store or a lower dew-point requirement, desiccant dehumidifiers for cooler operating conditions may be a better fit because they remove moisture without relying on a cold condensing coil. Selection still needs to account for regeneration services and total system energy.
Sizing a refrigerant dehumidifier for laundry operations
Start with the moisture load, not the floor area. Linen throughput helps describe production, but it does not reveal how much water escapes into room air.
The ENERGY STAR explanation of capacity and testing conditions distinguishes daily water removal at test conditions from energy efficiency measured as water removed per unit of electricity. These rating principles help compare specifications; ENERGY STAR's household sizing guidance should not be used to size a commercial laundry.
- Log temperature and RH during production, washdown and shutdown.
- List moisture sources and identify which discharge outdoors.
- Measure ventilation and assess the moisture carried by incoming air.
- Calculate the residual room load and any extra capacity needed to bring humidity down after production.
- Request extraction capacity at the proposed operating temperature and target RH.
- Check peak hourly demand, permitted operating hours and recovery after a busy shift.
A daily rating can hide a short production peak that exceeds the unit's hourly capacity. Ask the supplier how the proposed equipment handles both the steady load and recovery between batches.
Do not apply a fixed percentage of wash-water use or a standard capacity buffer to every laundry. The appropriate allowance depends on measured uncertainty, peak loads and the consequences of losing humidity control.
Document these assumptions in the selection schedule so competing proposals can be compared fairly. Ask for the expected inlet condition, removal rate, power input, airflow and control strategy together.
Where to position dehumidifiers in a laundry facility
Placement matters almost as much as capacity. A correctly sized unit in the wrong spot can leave damp corners or repeatedly draw in its own dry discharge air.
The goal is to circulate air through the affected zone without disrupting production or required pressure relationships. Identify return and supply locations from the room layout and airflow survey.
- Use mounting arrangements and service clearances specified for the selected model.
- Keep intakes away from direct steam discharge, washdown spray and heavy lint sources.
- Provide filter access without blocking work aisles or linen handling.
- Route condensate to an approved drain and assess overflow protection.
- Avoid airflow from soiled handling areas into clean linen storage.
Ducted dehumidification for laundries with limited floor space allows supply and return points to serve the affected zones while locating equipment elsewhere. Duct pressure losses, access and the selected unit's available fan pressure must be included in the design.
Multiple units may suit separated zones, while a ducted system may serve a connected area. Floor area alone cannot determine which arrangement will work best.
Maintenance that keeps refrigerant dehumidifiers running
Lint, detergent residue and fabric fibres can foul filters and coils. Restricted airflow reduces the equipment's ability to treat the room.
Use the manufacturer's service instructions as the starting point, then adjust inspection frequency to the actual lint loading. A schedule copied from a clean office is unlikely to suit the production floor.
- Inspect filters frequently during commissioning and record how quickly they load up.
- Clean or replace filters using the approved method.
- Have coils and drain trays inspected and cleaned without damaging fins or coatings.
- Test drainage, pumps and overflow alarms where fitted.
- Compare the control sensor with an independent instrument and investigate drift.
Assign responsibility for condensate drainage and alarm response. A blocked drain or failed pump needs attention before water reaches stored linen or electrical equipment.
Have appropriately qualified service personnel carry out refrigerant circuit and electrical work. Investigate falling extraction alongside temperature, RH, filters and drainage before assuming the compressor needs replacement.
Running costs and energy efficiency
Compare equipment at the laundry's operating conditions and required removal duty. A favourable catalogue rating at warmer, wetter conditions may not represent performance near the target humidity.
Measure electricity use alongside condensate removal and production records. An in-room refrigerant unit also adds heat, which the ventilation or cooling design must accommodate.
- Request input power and water removal at the same design point.
- Include fans, pumps and any additional cooling in the energy assessment.
- Choose controls that avoid unnecessary drying below the required target.
- Check whether shutdown periods still require humidity control.
- Maintain airflow and drainage so operation remains reliable.
A timer is useful only if its schedule matches the moisture load. Switching off immediately after production can leave wet surfaces or stored materials releasing moisture into a cooling room.
Evaluate the business case using recorded disruption, maintenance and energy use at your facility. Estimate payback using the facility's exhaust condition, throughput and existing humidity control.
Common mistakes when dehumidifying commercial laundries
Buying equipment before checking the exhaust system can leave the underlying problem unresolved. Use the assessment to distinguish faults from the residual load a dehumidifier should handle.
- Counting all water used in washing as airborne moisture.
- Selecting from floor area or headline litres per day alone.
- Reducing required exhaust to make humidity easier to control.
- Assuming an RH setting guarantees dry surfaces or hygienic linen.
- Ignoring cooler overnight conditions and the equipment's upper temperature limit.
- Installing without a practical filter-cleaning and drain-access plan.
Humidity control complements the laundry process. It cannot correct incomplete textile drying, failed exhaust capture or poor separation of clean and soiled handling.
Frequently asked questions
Does every commercial laundry need a dehumidifier?
No, assess it where excessive moisture remains after ventilation, exhaust and leaks have been addressed. Production-cycle measurements establish whether additional removal is needed.
Can a dehumidifier replace dryer exhaust?
No, retain the dryer manufacturer's exhaust and makeup air provisions. A room dehumidifier treats residual airborne moisture and does not perform the exhaust system's job.
What humidity should a commercial laundry maintain?
Set the target for the process, stored linen and coldest surfaces. Confirm it through site assessment because condensation depends on surface temperature and dew point as well as room RH.
How many litres per day should the unit remove?
That depends on moisture entering the room, ventilation conditions and the operating schedule. Request capacity at your target conditions and check the peak hourly duty as well as daily removal.
Will a refrigerant dehumidifier cool the laundry?
A self-contained unit returning condenser heat to the room supplies warmer air. Include that heat in the laundry's ventilation or cooling assessment.
Can it finish drying damp linen in storage?
Use the specified textile drying process before storage. Room humidity control supports the storage environment and should not be relied on to finish drying packed or folded linen.
Should the unit run overnight?
Check logged conditions after shutdown before choosing a schedule. Cooling air and continuing evaporation may create an overnight load even after the machines stop.
How often should filters be cleaned?
Follow the selected model's instructions and inspect frequently at first to establish the lint-loading rate. Set the maintenance interval from those observations.
How do you confirm the installation works?
Log temperature and RH at representative locations through a normal production cycle and shutdown. Check condensation, drainage, alarms and recovery against the agreed design conditions before handover.
Next steps for your laundry facility
For a site assessment, prepare the following information.
- Temperature and RH logs with production times marked.
- Linen throughput and machine operating schedules.
- Room dimensions, ceiling height and separate handling zones.
- Exhaust, makeup air and existing cooling details.
- Condensation locations, drain options and service access.
Moisture Cure Commercial can assess suitable commercial dehumidifiers for your laundry's moisture load once the duty and installation constraints are established. Contact Moisture Cure Commercial for a consultation or site assessment.
