Condair - The Importance of Optimal Humidification for Infection Control
Scientific studies reveal the correlation and risks associated with airborne particulate matter such as viruses, pathogens, allergens transmission when indoor building environments are outside optimal humidification parameters. The ideal range is between 40-60% RH in most industries. Consequences can include diminishing effects of a person’s respiratory, immune system and its ability to combat viral infections effectively. The pandemic has also forced businesses to handle employee health better and made them aware of infection control in closed spaces. Thwarting these challenges in infection control is Condair, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial humidity control solutions.
Furthermore, the pandemic has completely changed how people view the buildings they occupy. People now understand that buildings must be constructed with the health of the occupants in mind. Condair works closely with health and the medical community experts to establish and further develop the knowledge related to healthy indoor environments. Today, Condair’s goal is to offer its customers a choice of humidity control technologies to select the optimal product for their needs and available energy sources instead of focusing on a single technology. To this end, the company offers efficient, hygienic steam systems in a wide range of sizes and energy sources. The team also provides a complete range of evaporative products, including fogging systems, wetted media, and even hybrid fogging-media solutions. “Our area of expertise is humidity control, and there is a significant body of evidence showing the health benefits of maintaining 40-60% RH indoors. To this end, we offer a variety of humidification and dehumidification solutions, operating on a wide range of energy sources, to allow our customers to select the solution that meets their budget, performance, and energy requirements,” explains Nicholas Lea, Head of Technical Product Management, Americas, Condair.
The Condair humidification and evaporative cooling solutions introduce liquid water directly to the air. As the water evaporates, it both cools and humidifies the air. For buildings where this cooling effect is beneficial, evaporative systems maintain a 40 – 60% indoor relative humidity while reducing the need for energy-intensive air conditioning or mechanical cooling. The company is also a pioneer in offering steam systems for applications where the cooling effect is not desired. Condairs team solutions are designed to provide excellent control humidity in a building allowing 40 – 60% RH to be maintained for occupant health. “Our steam products operate on various energy sources, including building steam, natural gas, and electricity. Our high-efficiency condensing natural gas humidifiers are well-positioned for low carbon emission products, and our electrical products are ideally suited for building electrification trends,” extols Lea.
Condair’s brand is built on offering a wide range of premium quality products. This allows the team to provide the right technology solutions that fit the needs of its customers. In addition, Condair supports its products through an extensive network of local representatives, ensuring that service and support are never far away. This way, the company could understand its customers and work for their exact requirements more precisely. Condair’s sales and product management teams can help to provide engineering specifications for simple to complex projects, ensuring the precise humidification required.
Today, the Condair humidification solutions have been used in a variety of different applications to improve human health, such as hospitals, care facilities, nursing & retirement homes, schools & institutions, and offices. Condair aligns with the requirements and solves the challenges, such as various rooms requiring a degree of air quality, including specific requirements for humidity.
Enhancing the company’s operations, the renowned Dr. Stephanie Taylor was brought on board as Condair’s medical advisor. Before working in this capacity, Stephanie’s research on the role of the indoor environment on patient infections revealed the value of maintaining mid-range humidity to promote patient healing and decrease infections. “When I learned about Condair’s commitment to supporting occupant health through proper humidification, I was thrilled to become a medical advisor. I now help educate building and medical professionals about the value of maintaining 40-60% RH to support occupant health and decrease infectious disease transmission,” she adds.
In the long run, Condair plans to continue to develop new markets in areas where they have not been as active previously. In addition, Condair also has several development projects in its R&D pipeline that will bring new and innovative solutions to the market in the years to come. “We continue to work with research universities, building associations, and industry associations to further the science and spread the word about the benefits of healthy indoor environments. Furthermore, we are glad to see the continued discussion surrounding healthy indoor environments and buildings designed with infection control in mind. It is an exciting time to be in the industry,” concludes Lea.
