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APPENDIX:
I. Enclosure
This is only a guide and should be considered as minimum requirements.
All interior walls and floors should have a vapor barrier and a minimum of R11 insulation. All exterior walls and ceiling should have
a vapor barrier and a minimum of R19 insulation. The vapor barrier should be installed on the warm side of the insulation. There
should be no glass doors. All joints, door frames, electrical outlets or switches and any pipes or vents that go through the enclosure
should be sealed to prevent air and moisture leakage into the room. Concrete, rock, and brick are not insulation or vapor barriers.
Doors should be of a minimum size, insulated to at least R11 and tightly sealed with high quality weather stripping. Be
sure to seal the bottom of the door and fill gap between the door’s frame and wall before installing the cap molding. Lighting
should be of low wattage, with a timer to insure lights are not left on when the enclosure is not occupied. Recessed lighting
should not be used as it will allow outside air to enter the enclosure.
The ambient temperature surrounding the enclosure should not exceed the temperature of the cabinet by more than 25°F. No
enclosure wall should receive direct sun or strong wind. Proper sealing of the enclosure through the use of a vapor barrier and
weather stripping cannot be over emphasized.
The cooling system will not be able to maintain the proper conditions if fresh moisture-laden air is constantly being introduced
to the enclosure. Symptoms of this condition are; unit runs all the time with only a slight reduction in temperature and/or water
overflows from the unit. One way of discovering gross air leaks is to stand inside the enclosure with the lights off, allow your eyes
to adapt to the dark and look for light showing through cracks in the walls or around the door. Because of the temperature
difference between the inside and outside, very small cracks can allow large amounts of outside air to enter into the enclosure.
Please be aware that moisture can pass through solid concrete, paint and wood. Often a newly constructed room contains fresh
wood, paint, concrete and other building materials. These materials contain large amounts of moisture. When placed into
operation in this type of environment, the system will work harder to remove this extra moisture resulting in increased “run” time.
In areas where the relative humidity is very low, the desired humidity may not be achieved without adding moisture. To add
moisture, use only slow, natural evaporation from a small water container using distilled water. Do not use a humidifier.
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