Computer Room is Too Dry!

Why not check at Amazon.com? You can see prices and product reviews there on a humidifier that is within your budget (whatever that might be).

Thanks!

Install a "normal" room humidifier, but control its operation (power) with a humidistat mounted in the return air duct (or near the return grille). If you cannot find a line-voltage humidistat, use a 24V model (fed from a transformer) to control a 24 VAC relay with contacts rated for the 120 VAC main power at, say 5 amps or the rated power load of the humidifier.

Thanks a lot for the advice.

What is a "normal" room humidifier? Not the ones used at home. Right?

Any brand name and model name?

cheers,

Jeff

"Normal" does, indeed, mean like for a home. Just buy one rated for at least 4times the area of your computer room because typical humidifiers raise room humidity from 20% or so to about 35% (typical peak room humidity during cool weather to avoid condensation on windows). Your are trying to raise 35% to 50%, which is "tougher" because the higher humidity air is not as receptive to new moisture. Think of it like a heating system- it is a lot easier to keep a room from falling below freezing temperature than it is to make it "comfortable".

A typical stand-alone home humidifier will have some form of wetted media- usually a piece of open-cell polyester foam about 1/4" to 3/8" thick- that is attached to a cylinder. The foam may be on the circumference of the cylinder or across the facial area. The cylinder rotates through a bath of water, constantly flooding the foam. A fan moves air through the foam, evaporating some of the water from the media.

You will need to continually manually refill the tank holding the water. Use distilled water to eliminate a build-up of mineral scale (led behind by the evaporating tap water). You can also buy chemicals that make the water "wetter" that also limit scale build-up.

You will still have to clean (remove, rinse and re-install) the foam about once a month due to general dust build-up because the foam also acts like a furnace filter cleaning the air passing through it. This takes about 20 minutes, top.

Thanks!!

not heard of google ?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=humidifiers&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGLT_en&redir_esc=&ei=Lx-fTPqULpDH4AaNrJHVDg

Thanks!!

I would also think any regular room humidifier for a house should help. see if it makes enough difference.

Otherwise get a vaporizer also. a computer room is usually too hot so use a cool air mist type, and as some of the other posters say add a humidistat to it.

Now my question is,

What is the reason for the raising of humidity anyway? static reduction? or why?

Yes- 50% RH has several wonderful properties- no matter what the corresponding temperature.

50% RH has the lowest "spark potential"- ie lowest level of static electricity available

50% RH also has the highest mortality rate for bacteria "bugs"- highest level of "bug" death and lowest level of "bug" birth.

Computers, and all other forms of electronic systems, really LIKE a 50% RH environment and behave much better because of it. The farther you get from 50%, to higher the risk of unwanted actions- static causing false signals if it gets dryer, possible moisture condensation on parts in cool air streams (causing short circuits) as the humidity climbs.

That is the reason for using a humidistat rather than just the humidifier's controls.

Thanks!

Thanks!

"The mechanic told me it's difficult and expensive to replace or adjust the Fan Coil Unit."

I've been fortunate enough to work with some very - very talented people in HVAC&R on many critical projects that required precise control of humidity and will confirm that long term humidification can be a real head ache (leaks, algae, controls, too high -too low) and as crude as it sounds the mechanic probably gave you the best advise for a small computer room. You can put a fancy system in....it may work correct to start.....but unless well maintained a humidifier will be troublesome in time.

I know a layout lab in a machine shop that has used a a space heater (false load) and a bucket of water (controlled evaporation) to control humidification for years without modifying the large system it pulls from.

Food - for - thought...............

Thanks!

Your man is very correct about the trouble in a small computer room, I have put fish tanks (no fish option ) with as much surface area as possible in these spaces with a filter that hangs on the side and splashes back into the tank and turn on the aquarium heater. The heater in combination with the splashing water of the filter will bring up the RH with a safe system that will not be damaged to any great extent by any lack of PM. The only thing is you have to add water manually.

The best is that all parts can be replaced at most any pet dept. or pet store.

Thanks!

Dears,

Thank you guys so much for your valuable feedback. I deeply appreciate it!

Best regards,

Jeff

we all appreciate your "appreciation", but you only have to say it once. Good luck.