Two Neptronic SKE resistive steam humidifiers, from JS Humidifiers, have recently been installed at Tate Modern in London. The humidifiers will maintain the optimum atmosphere around the exhibits on display.

Neptronic SKE humidifiers were initially trialled at Tate Modern four years ago and due to their success a total of 16 units have now been installed across Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Tate Stores buildings in London. In total the humidifiers are capable of providing up to 930kg of steam to the buildings’ air handling units every hour.

Mike Freeland, Facilities Manager at Spie Matthew Hall, manages the HVAC systems at the Tate galleries. He commissioned the trial with JS Humidifiers as the air handling system previously incorporated electrode boiler humidifiers that were very costly to maintain. Two Neptronic units were installed alongside the existing humidifiers and monitored over a three month period.

Mike Freeland explains, “Over the three month trial period the Neptronic SKE humidifiers proved very successful in maintaining our required humidity. The resistive element humidifiers also significantly reduced our maintenance requirements as very little limescale built-up within the boiling chambers. What little scale did build-up was easily emptied from the cleanable cylinders. This presented a considerable saving compared to regularly buying the disposable boiling cylinders and elements that electrode boiler humidifiers incorporate.

“Given the success of the installations so far we will be continuing to replace the older humidifiers in our HVAC systems over the coming years.”

Click here to find out more about art & antique humidification.

The Neptronic SKE’s heating elements are made from super alloy incoloy 825 and undergo significant expansion and contraction through the heating cycles. This fluctuation in size literally cracks the scale from the surface of the elements, allowing it to be flushed away to drain during normal operation.

The humidifiers incorporate very few consumable components. Unlike other resistive element humidifiers that have plastic cylinder liners, float assemblies, hose sets and scale collector buckets that bend warp out of shape when heated, the Neptronic SKE is 98% metal construction. A stainless steel evaporation chamber and rust proof aluminium casing with baked enamel finish combine with its anti-foaming technology to allow JS Humidifiers to offer the only two year warranty on all components, including elements, available on any resistive humidifier in the UK.

A JS Planned Maintenance arrangement has been implemented to ensure the humidification systems at Tate Modern as well as the other humidifiers in the nearby Tate Britain and Tate Stores are kept in optimum condition without burdening the in-house maintenance staff. Expert humidification engineers visit the sites regularly to perform routine maintenance as well as inspecting the units between service visits. These frequent check-ups help pre-empt any spares requirements and highlight issues that may lead to a loss in humidity control before it occurs.

JS Humidifiers is the UK’s largest humidification company with the widest range of products and offers a service of advice, design, supply, installation and maintenance. It also offers a comprehensive range of humidifier spares, not only for JS equipment but also for a large range of different manufacturers’ humidifiers, mostly available ex-stock.

Other JS Sites:  JS Air Curtains  JS Air Cooling  JS Actuators  Air and Water Centre