Improving spectator comfort with a dedicated system
The units used for the spectator section and main pool area have an onboard microprocessor and a web-based monitoring software program that allows authorized users to monitor more than 60 operating parameters via a smartphone or personal computer. Alarms are also sent if there is a malfunction.
Factory technicians can also troubleshoot performance challenges and recorded historical operating conditions via the Internet to help assist local HVAC service contractors. The facility’s building management system (BMS) also monitors the natatorium conditions.
While the previous dehumidifiers could have operated inefficiently for months between semi-annual service calls, the new systems will signal an operating problem to authorized users within seconds, which the factory can sometimes adjusted online.
Today, natatorium managers must face the fact that older HVAC equipment will eventually need to be replaced with newer systems that meet current design standards. The trade-offs must be weighed; however, the technological advancements of a new dehumidification—along with their short payback period as a result of energy savings—almost always outweigh the liability of maintaining outdated, less efficient equipment.
Ralph Kittler, P.Eng., is co-founder and vice-president of sales and marketing of Seresco USA in Decatur, Ga., a subsidiary of Seresco Technologies Inc., an Ottawa-based manufacturer of natatorium dehumidifiers. He has 27 years of experience in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry and a degree in mechanical engineering from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. Kittler has produced a professional development hour (PDH) video (see www.serescodehumidifiers.com), which targets the continuing education requirements for engineers. It also serves as a primer for facility managers interested in indoor pool design and operation basics. He can be reached via e-mail at ralphkittler@serescodehumidifiers.com.
