Manufacturer Recommendations for PPD Removal Are Useless for Restoration

Matthew Gregory -

When it comes to water damage restoration, the manufacturer's recommendations for PPD removal are a useless number that tech companies rely too heavily on. This reliance comes from a place of not hving practical experience in this work.  Dehumidifiers lose their AHAM rating over time. This is just a fact of their mechanical system. Hell, even a brand new dehu will not remove the PPD that the manufacturers claim it will after it has been sitting on a job site for 4 hours. So unless you're sitting there removing filters every 4 hours these recommendations are a guessing game at best.

Is there a way to track your equipment and its total overall performace. Yes, but both Thermostore and American Legends have decided to keep that information to themselves for some reason.

There are a number of factors that can cause dehumidifiers to lose their AHRI rating, including:

  • Dust and dirt buildup
  • Clogged filters
  • Low refrigerant levels
  • Mechanical wear and tear

As a result, the manufacturer's recommendations for PPD removal may not be accurate for a dehumidifier that has been in use for a while. In fact, a dehumidifier that is several years old may only be able to remove half as much moisture as it did when it was new.

The only way to be sure that a dehumidifier is removing enough moisture is to measure the moisture content of the air with a moisture meter. If the moisture content is still above 30%, and you'll need to use other methods to remove moisture, such as fans, heaters, chemical drying agents or more dehumidifiers.

Is the wettest part of the sill plate still wet? Yes? Room isn't dried out. That's the end of the conversation. Can you provide rough estimates for how many PPD are being removed? Sure. Is it an exact science? No.

The manufacturer's recommendations for PPD reoval are useless for restoration companies. The only way to be sure that a dehumidifier is removing enough moisture is to measure the moisture content of the air. If the moisture content is still above 30%, the dehumidifier is not working properly and the restoration company will need to use other methods to remove moisture.