Efficient humidity control for archives
Variations in humidity put your archives at risk
Ineffective humidity control poses a significant risk to archival collections, by affecting the physical, chemical, and organic stability of materials. With an uncontrolled indoor climate, the integrity of the goods and collections may be compromised, risking compliance with legal storage requirements or accessibility expectations for future generations.
Excess humidity creates an ideal environment for mold, fungi, and insects, which can cause permanent stains and weaken paper, leather, and other organic materials. High moisture levels also speed up harmful chemical reactions, resulting in corrosion, brittleness, and discoloration. When the environment is too dry, this will make materials more vulnerable to cracking and tearing with the slightest handling.
Managing the temperature will not reduce the risk, but controlled humidity will. Munters dehumidification and humidification solutions offer a cost-effective, energy-efficient, way to maintain ideal humidity levels, providing long-term protection for collections of historical, cultural, or other significant value.
Without effective climate control, you risk:
- Irreparable damage to documents and archival collections
- Too high humidity: Corrosion, mold, chemical degradation
- Too low humidity: Cracks in wood or clay, paper becomes brittle
- Increased energy consumption due to unnecessary heating
"Sustainability was paramount in the construction of the LIC, both in terms of material use and energy consumption. Our goal was to minimize energy consumption, which led to several things including improved ventilation, where Munters made a big difference."
Thomas Haustraete, Project Manager
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Humidity control is more efficient than heating
While both temperature and humidity may cause damage and deterioration in an archive, it's the level of moisture in the ambient air that presents a critical risk to the goods stored. Keeping an optimal and stable relative humidity level all year-round will help ensure the integrity of your stored documents and assets.
The optimal solution is dehumidification and humidification combined
Keeping low and stable relative humidity levels year-round with a combined dehumidification and humidification system from Munters helps ensure ideal indoor climate conditions in your archives. Using sensors to detect natural fluctuations in the ambient air, this system will automatically adjust and modify, thereby maintaining optimal storage conditions. Usually in archives, relative humidity levels ranging from 45-60%, and temperatures from 16-19°C are preferred.
Munters systems provide reliable, energy-efficient, humidification and dehumidification for optimal indoor climate control, customized to meet the specific requirements of the documents, collections, or goods being stored.
Customers using Munters humidity control solutions
Munters' dehumidification systems for archives
The Munters ML Plus is a small, energy-efficient modular climate control system with integrated temperature and humidity control. Perfect for archives, museums and gallery storage areas, the ML Plus provides humidification and desiccant dehumidification for optimal indoor climate control.
- Highly flexible, pre-tested modular system
- Low energy consumption
- High-quality casing for hygienic demands
- Compact, space-saving footprint
- Easy, plug-and-play installation and service access
- Fast commissioning
Munters M300 desiccant dehumidifier offers outstanding performance, energy efficiency and control - all in a lightweight, yet robust design. Compact and high performing, the M300 is the perfect choice for many applications, such as smaller archives where excessive humidity is a problem. The carefully tested design optimizes airflow, minimizes losses, and helps to increase capacity further.
- Smart compact design
- Lightweight yet robust
- High performance
- Plug-and-play installation
- Energy efficient
Humidity control products for archives
Service and maintenance to optimize your archive's environment
Munters’ equipment is always backed by our world-leading service team. They are directly employed by Munters, with decades of experience in maintaining our climate control systems. With a Munters Service Agreement you can extend your humidity control system's life, increase efficiency, minimize downtime, and ensure your archive will always have a perfect climate.
