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I've only had experience with the Desert Air equipment...after I fixed it from a previous company's quality job...it worked great. Customer was very happy. It was for an indoor spa.

In my area in Ottawa Canada it's all about Dectron. They have the market and it is a huge part of my work. I have been working on them for 25 years now and have nothing but good to say about them. They run about $$$ installed.

I like DessertAir for the most part. However the ones we have around here are all suspended from ceiling in tiny rooms so I hate trying to service them. Also have had problem with remote air cooled condensers leaking at tubesheet. One system is on its 3rd warranty replacement, they are Heatcraft condensers though. Work well other then that.

Originally Posted by Green Mountain

When ever I get this type of request I contact DessertAire.
You fax them a sketch of the room and they will spec the equipment for you. They are god-awful expensive.(cupoura(sp)nichol construction.) Most indoor pool owners are cheap. (can't we dehumidify my $60K pool with a window AC?)
So I usually don't get the job. Saints be praised!!

When did you change your username?

seems this thread has ended a while ago, any update on his choice?
Roger

For indoor pools with proper vapor barriers in the walls and ceiling, DX dehumidification with the ability to reject the aborbed energy back into the pool water or the air simultaneously. I reccomend Dectron because they have been in the business for over 30 years, they are built to last and they give you total control over the humidity and temperature in the space.

As far as sizing the unit for your load, there are many factors involved including desired pool and air temperatures, your location and the dimensions of the pool and enclosure.

Your best off to call your local dehumidifer representative. As a starter though, Dectron has put together a great design guide available on their website by clicking on the customer service tab.

http://www.dry-o-tron.com/dev/html_en/index.asp

Pool Evaporation Calc

You need to provide a few more pieces of information to calculate the pool evaporation rate. There are 4 items missing from your initial description: 1. Pool water temperature desired, 2. Air temperature desired, 3. type of pool (for activity factor ie residential, hotel, condo, therapy) and 4. number of hours of activity in a day-- more waves and splashing, more evaporation.

A couple of things that I don't like about Dectron, although it is a good unit is:

1) In the ones I have services/set-up the compressor is located in the air circuit which is not a good thing should the refrigerant burn and exit the lines; and that location adds to compressor noise.

2)They seem to be set-up more towards dehumidification as a primary function and pool water heating as a secondary function. True that the microprocessor can be set to supply pool water heat as the primary but it just doesn't supply heat in the same quanity as other makes I have worked on.

3) The set up of the microprocessor head can be quite complicated requiring totaling the types of applications for that particular job. Should a new tech not know the accessories or system specs, it's can be time consuming to trace out or figure out the system.

4) They use a damper motor and a sensor to open/close the dehumidification by-pass damper for freeze control. That system and trouble shooting it can be complicated.

5) The room air sensor is actually located inside the return air of the unit and not in the microprocessor head itself. On a long run with heat gain/loss I have had to compensate.

6) I have had some problems with the air flow sensor, which is also located in the RA, in giving off false restricted air flow alarms so, usually, I reduce the air flow amount below 40% to help eliminate the alarms.

Originally posted by dhanna
How do I calculate the lb per hour.

Here is a handy calc sheet for pools. http://www.thermastor.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=213

I loved working on those dryotrons..don't see many anymore.
Dectron makes a nice product, agreed.

Dectron.

I had the pleasure of a guided tour of the plant.
Top quality equipment,awesome customer service.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Boiling Point
[B]

Originally posted by teddy bear

Originally posted by dhanna
All of the mentioned brands are very expensive and have high operating cost. There is new, smaller, more efficeint equipment available.

Hoe do you figure that??

Chech out the investment, the pints of water per kwh, the warranty, and than you decide. A pool the size mentioned is less than $2,000 with 50% reduction in operating cost and five year warranty. After going through this process, buy whatever. All stainless steel is 2 times the cost.

How do I calculate the lb per hour.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by teddy bear
[B]

Originally posted by dhanna
All of the mentioned brands are very expensive and have high operating cost. There is new, smaller, more efficeint equipment available.

Hoe do you figure that?? Do you factor in life span??

[QUOTE]Originally posted by teddy bear
[B]

Originally posted by dhanna
All of the mentioned brands are very expensive and have high operating cost. There is new, smaller, more efficeint equipment available.

Hoe do you figure that??

Dectron

Originally posted by dhanna
What do you guys suggest for the equipment? I have a project that has a 180 sqft pool in a 400 sqft room with 18ft ceilings and a lot of glass. The supplier I talked to wanted to use a water source system and I would have to have some sort of cooling tower outside. I would prefer a dx system.

All of the mentioned brands are very expensive and have high operating cost. There is new, smaller, more efficeint equipment available. 180 sq.ft. of water requires 4 lbs. of dehumidification per hour. Check out the Therma-Stor line. They are half the cost twice the moisture removal per kwh. Covering the pool when not in use further reduces the amount of dehumidification needed. This is their top line unit. for 450 sq.ft. of water.
http://www.thermastor.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=301

Like i said - we maintain a lot of the YMCA's in the area and a few schools and Dectron is the way to go as far as I am concerned. Fantastic tech support is another area they excell in.

Desert Air was the first place I started to look, but the owner told us not to waste our time. I didn't ask why. It sounded like they had a bad experience. I like the Dectron unit. I want one that will do the cooling and heating too.

I've installed about 15 Desert-Aire units and have had very good luck. Pool-Pak (I've installed 2) suck, IMO.