Adiabatic humidification systems approved in healthcare facilities

Update to ASHRAE 170 means huge energy savings for medical facilities

Ottawa, Canada

The use of adiabatic humidification systems in hospitals and medical facilities was approved in a recent update to ASHRAE Standard 170, a standard that addresses the ventilation requirements of healthcare facilities. Condair reports that this provision for the use of adiabatic humidification systems holds the potential to enhance energy efficiency thereby cutting operating costs whilst improving indoor air quality. The maintenance of optimal humidity levels has been demonstrated to not only improve patient comfort and wellbeing but to also significantly reduce the levels of HAI’s (healthcare-associated infections) in healthcare facilities. 

This update from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), the de-facto North American standards body concerned with HVAC technologies, is an important milestone for the healthcare industry.

“With increasingly high financial pressure on hospitals and medical facilities, the approval of adiabatic humidification systems is a tremendous opportunity to improve efficiency and ensure the maintenance of optimal levels of humidity,” said a Condair employee. “Converting from steam to adiabatic humidification can drastically improve a facility’s energy footprint through higher efficiency along with the potential for free cooling which contribute to substantially reduced operating costs.”

Condair, the world’s leader of humidification and evaporative cooling systems, offers a complete spectrum of adiabatic solutions in accordance with ASHRAE 170. Condair offers high-pressure water systems, high-pressure compressed air with low pressure water as well as a proprietary hybrid system (DUAL).

“The implementation of high-pressure adiabatic humidification systems represents the latest in healthcare and medical facility engineering,” says a Condair employee. “Adiabatic humidification systems allow water particles to be better absorbed by the surrounding air system, improving indoor air management. Condair’s adiabatic humidification systems ensure water remains pure, clean and free from biological contaminants, improving the microbiology of the hospital environment.”

One high-pressure water pump can supply numerous HVAC units in a facility, reducing the required commercial equipment as well as installation and maintenance costs. Other benefits of commercial humidification in hospitals and healthcare facilities include improved indoor air quality, decreased spread of infectious viruses and a decrease in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). These factors contribute to an improvement in patient outcomes, which ultimately leads to less strain on healthcare providers and facilities.