Winter is known for its cold weather, snow, and of course, Christmas Break for those in school. While some students may be checking off the days until that illustrious two-week break, they are still having to sit inside a classroom for in-person learning until that break comes. As the colder weather begins to make its way across many parts of the country, student comfort should be a number one priority for school leaders.

Without comfort, a student’s ability to learn is reduced significantly, and indoor air quality plays a major role in that comfort.

While the news cycle focuses on the importance of IAQ from a standpoint of fighting COVID, there are other valuable reasons for keeping enhanced IAQ. Dehumidification plays a major role in both air quality and student comfort inside a facility. As part of providing good IAQ, it is important to import outside air into an interior space. But, during the winter months, the air outside is often cold and dry. If that air isn’t properly treated by a mechanical HVAC unit or other means, that dry air could negatively impact students.

Relative humidity should be between 30-60%. If the humidity levels are higher than 60%, there is an increased chance of organic growth within the building and HVAC unit. This organic growth could be harmful to students with underlying health conditions. This will also create air that feels sticky and uncomfortable for the students. If the relative humidity drops below 30%, the air inside the classroom will be dry, which also creates an uncomfortable environment for students.

The Airedale Sentinel® Vertical Unit Ventilator is the perfect solution for schools looking to establish optimal relative humidity while also improving IAQ. This unit was designed to handle higher latent loads typically associated with outside air. Airedale designed and engineered the Sentinel® vertical unit to provide the proper amount of fresh air ventilation while also moderating the humidity of the air. The unit comes standard with Modine Control Systems to help maximize efficiency, reliability, and serviceability.

If you are a facility manager at a school or commercial facility, the Airedale series is a great solution to humidity and IAQ needs. Learn more about Modine’s Airedale units here.