An integral part of a large-scale restoration program, particularly from floods or sewage damage is drying. An air mover is a very reliable and important water damage restoration resource that can be used to dry whole sections of structures or buildings and specific water-damaged items.
An air mover is portable equipment similar to blowers or fans and provides a good directional airflow. This damage restoration resource is used to dry water-damaged carpets, furniture and upholstery. Several air movers can be interconnected to each other to form a daisy chain. Some models can accommodate up to 8 or 12 air movers at the same time. This assembly can also be used to hasten the drying of a water-damaged room like the kitchen or a basement, making it an excellent water damage restoration resource.
The basic structure of this damage restoration resource is a motor with fan blades coupled to the motor. There are two basic types of air movers, the axial air mover and the centrifugal air mover. The main difference lies is the type of motor and the configuration of the blades.
Axial air movers are similar to standard electric fans in the way the fan blades are configured. However, this damage restoration resource uses a more robust motor, which provides high-velocity airflow that is excellent for drying large areas. Axial air movers can be tilted back and forth, and can be used facing up or down, making it easy to dry ceilings and attics.
The centrifugal air mover is a damage restoration resource that has a different kind of motor called a centrifugal compressor or a radial compressor. The structure of the centrifugal air mover can be likened to a jet engine where the impeller (the centrifugal compressor assembly attached to a turbine) sucks air in, compresses it, and forces it out at a much higher pressure at the opposite end. This usually comes with a snout and can be operated at different positions, making it excellent in drying crawl spaces, inside walls including insulation, and sub-floors. Some models even have clamps that can hold carpets in place while the damage restoration resource dries the space between the carpet and the padding.
There are recent advances in air mover technology that is now being used by restoration companies. Some of these new technologies employ a 360-degree airflow profile allowing it to dry whole areas of carpets in floors from just one location. Drying time is much shortened with this new device, making it an excellent damage restoration resource.
Air movers are lightweight and are usually built with a chemical resistant casing. Its air moving power that can reach up to 50 feet will only draw a small amount of electrical current. This would make it economical for continuous use particularly for large scale drying brought about by water damage from floods.
Air movers can be purchased from $175 to $300 depending on the rating and capacity. It is an ideal home tool and water damage restoration resource that can be used for other drying applications as well. Procuring an air mover is a good investment for your hard-earned buck.
Samson Paulotti does writeups for homeowners for
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