A heated pool evaporates water all day, so an indoor pool hall without pool dehumidification soon has misted windows, wet ceilings, rusting steel, rotting timber, mould and a muggy feel. The answer is a dehumidifier built for pool halls, with ventilation and often heat recovery, sized to the pool and the building. This is engineer work, not a portable unit in the corner. Send one request and independent HVAC contractors and pool suppliers near you quote you directly.
Why pool halls get so wet
- Evaporation: the warmer the water and the larger the surface, the more water goes into the air.
- Use: swimmers, splashing, fountains and features add moisture.
- Cold surfaces: windows, roofs and outside walls cool the air until it condenses.
- Corrosion: moist air, often with chlorine compounds, attacks steel, ceilings, ducting and electrics.
A home pool room with a small pool has the same issues on a smaller scale.
How pool dehumidifiers work
A pool dehumidifier cools air over a coil so moisture condenses and drains away, then returns the air to the hall. Many pool units have heat recovery, putting the heat from the condensing process back into the air or the pool water, which can reduce running cost. Systems are ducted so dry air is blown across windows and walls, and some bring in a controlled amount of fresh air. Compare this with ordinary equipment on the ducted dehumidifiers page. Pool units are built with protected coils and casings for chemical-laden air. Some units also heat the pool water or the hall air from the recovered heat, which in a cool Highveld or Cape winter can matter, while in humid coastal towns the unit also has to cope with wet outside air when fresh air is brought in. Ask the supplier how the unit behaves in each case.
Design and installation
An HVAC engineer sizes the system from the water area, the water and air temperature, the pool use and the building. Typical targets keep the air a little warmer than the water and the humidity within a set band; the engineer decides. Good design covers duct layout, air flow over cold glass, a drain, a controlled supply and extract, and electrical work by a registered electrician with a certificate of compliance. See dehumidifier installation for the general steps.
Covers, servicing and running cost
A pool cover at night cuts evaporation and the work the dehumidifier must do. Service the unit on a schedule: filters, coils, drains, fans and controls, with an eye on corrosion. Ask the supplier for the power draw and the service plan. Keep the hall slightly cooler than the water and watch the glass: if windows are wet, air movement or a duct outlet may need adjusting. Hotels, gyms, schools and spas often take a service contract, because a failed unit can cost a day of use and damage the building quickly.
What to put in your request
- Water area of the pool, in square metres, and its depth
- Water and air temperature you aim for
- The size of the hall, windows and roof type
- Photos of condensation, corrosion or mould
- How often the pool is used and whether a cover exists
Indoor Pool Dehumidification for homes, rentals, businesses and industry
- Homeowners and tenants: a home pool room or enclosed pool fitted with a dehumidifier so the windows and ceiling stay dry
- Landlords, agents and body corporates: a body corporate's shared indoor pool dried properly, with the quotes and service plan in one file
- Offices, schools and clinics: a staff or wellness pool hall that needs steady humidity so the building and its roof last
- Warehouses, archives and storage: a plant or storage area next to a pool hall protected from the wet air by ducting and seals
- Factories and food plants: hydrotherapy or treatment pools in a plant fitted with dehumidification and monitoring
- Growers, nurseries and farms: a heated pond or tank house dehumidified so condensation does not drip onto equipment
- Hotels, gyms, spas and pools: hotel, gym and spa pools kept comfortable and dry, with a service contract that avoids closures
- Insurers, assessors and restoration firms: a pool hall dried and the equipment replaced after a failed unit left the building wet
- Builders, HVAC engineers and contractors: an engineer's design and a quote written into the plans for a new indoor pool
Frequently asked questions
Do you install pool dehumidifiers yourselves?
Can I use a normal dehumidifier in my pool room?
Does a pool cover really help?
How often should it be serviced?
Indoor Pool Dehumidification by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg