The Correct Drying Equipment is Important in Water Mitigaton

2/12/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO uses the most up to date drying equipment. This is one of our large dehumidifers.

The IICRC S500 Approach to Determining Equipment Usuage

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification S500 (IICRC) is a non-profit organization that establishes and advances the standards and certifications for the inspection, cleaning, restoration and installation industry.

The IICRC has set a guide in determining the appropriate amount of drying equipment that is needed on a water damage restoration project.  The guide first determines the "class" and "category" of water.

Air movers are used to move air across the wet surfaces which helps accelerate evaporation. One air mover is normally used for every 10 to 16 linear feet of a wall.  Each air mover is pointed in the same direction. In a 12 X 12 room (48 linear feet of wall space), 4 to 5 air movers would generally be used.

Dehumidification is the removal of moisture from the air.  Large dehumidifiers are used to remove the moisture.  The goal of the dehumidifier is to remove a certain amount of pints of water per day.  The IICRC came up with a formula to determine the size and amount of dehumidifiers used.

Using the right amount of air movers and dehumidifiers is important in drying the structure as quick as possible.  After the equipment is set up and running, the damaged area should be monitored every day to assure that the area is drying correctly and that the equipment is running properly.

SERVPRO of Oak Park-River Forest is trained and certified by the IICRC.  We follow the IICRC standards of drying and the amount of drying equipment needed.