Open Forum

Being from a dry part of Texas as well, the HVAC system should act as the dehumidification during the summer months. Adding humidity will be a challenge during winter or low humidty times. Most HVAC contractors know nothing about humidifiers (even thought they say they do)...so finding one that does is your the biggest challenge. There are many options for humidifier units that work with the air handlers (steam/evaborator). Choose one that recycles the water if you can and that can be wired to humidify when not in heat mode. (Adds moisture when unit is not heating.) As far as dehumidifiers, I think independent (stand alone) ones are best...look at Santa Fe brand.

It really depends on your collection needs as well becasue different materials require different levels. I think the most important aspect is that the environment remains as constant as possible....especially the temp. 

------------------------------
Patrick Kelly
Executive Director
The Old Jail Art Center
Albany TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2025 05:18 PM
From: Daniel Carey-Whalen
Subject: Humidity- Museums in the American Southwest

Hello,

We are a cultural and natural history museum in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our HVAC system has never had a humidifier connected to it; however, we are getting a new HVAC system, and the contractor is asking if we would "need" one. Beyond the cost/benefit analysis, I am wondering, "do we need a humidifier?"

Our 4 storage areas do not have HVAC or humidifiers, but they are in the basement in closed, sealed doors, so I think our collections are fine. This question is more for the items that are on display. 

I do not have a Collections Manager at the moment, but my last two CMs essentially said, "we live in the desert... no need to worry about the humidity." Is this true?

If money wasn't an issue, I would say, "Yes!" to the humidifier, but since it is, I am trying to weigh the standards (40-60%) with the realities of the desert.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dry in El Paso

Daniel Carey-Whalen, M.A., M.U.P. Director   Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968 Office: 915-747-6669 museum.utep.edu

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Hi,

We also don't have humidifiers for our collection storage areas here in Death Valley. It hasn't been much of an issue because, aside from occasional monsoons, our relative humidity stays fairly consistent. I also don't think the standard "40-60%" relative humidity guidance is helpful for desert environments, since it's an impractical goal when the ambient humidity hovers around 10% and many of our collections (esp. archeological) are acclimatized to desert conditions. This may be different if your collection is mostly, say, fine art that would be more sensitive to dry conditions.

I would say you should consult any environmental data you have for your collection storage areas. If the RH is staying fairly consistent throughout the year and you aren't noticing damage to RH-sensitive collections due to the low humidity, a humidifier might be unnecessary. But if your RH is fluctuating wildly over the year or your collections are showing damage, it's worth considering.

------------------------------
Kathlyn Guttman
Museum Specialist
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Boulder City NV
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2025 05:18 PM
From: Daniel Carey-Whalen
Subject: Humidity- Museums in the American Southwest

Hello,

We are a cultural and natural history museum in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our HVAC system has never had a humidifier connected to it; however, we are getting a new HVAC system, and the contractor is asking if we would "need" one. Beyond the cost/benefit analysis, I am wondering, "do we need a humidifier?"

Our 4 storage areas do not have HVAC or humidifiers, but they are in the basement in closed, sealed doors, so I think our collections are fine. This question is more for the items that are on display. 

I do not have a Collections Manager at the moment, but my last two CMs essentially said, "we live in the desert... no need to worry about the humidity." Is this true?

If money wasn't an issue, I would say, "Yes!" to the humidifier, but since it is, I am trying to weigh the standards (40-60%) with the realities of the desert.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dry in El Paso

Daniel Carey-Whalen, M.A., M.U.P. Director   Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968 Office: 915-747-6669 museum.utep.edu

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Thanks Kathlyn! 

Yeah, I think the 40-60%RH should say, "east of the 100th meridian." It sounds like we have similar conditions and materials in our collection. 

Thanks for the note about checking past and existing data. Yes, there is not a lot of fluctuation throughout the year and the biggest problems is the spike in RH if and when we get a "monsoon." 

Thanks again.

daniel

------------------------------
Daniel Carey-Whalen
Director
Centennial Museum - University of Texas El Paso
El Paso TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2025 11:10 AM
From: Kathlyn Guttman
Subject: Humidity- Museums in the American Southwest

Hi,

We also don't have humidifiers for our collection storage areas here in Death Valley. It hasn't been much of an issue because, aside from occasional monsoons, our relative humidity stays fairly consistent. I also don't think the standard "40-60%" relative humidity guidance is helpful for desert environments, since it's an impractical goal when the ambient humidity hovers around 10% and many of our collections (esp. archeological) are acclimatized to desert conditions. This may be different if your collection is mostly, say, fine art that would be more sensitive to dry conditions.

I would say you should consult any environmental data you have for your collection storage areas. If the RH is staying fairly consistent throughout the year and you aren't noticing damage to RH-sensitive collections due to the low humidity, a humidifier might be unnecessary. But if your RH is fluctuating wildly over the year or your collections are showing damage, it's worth considering.

------------------------------
Kathlyn Guttman
Museum Specialist
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Boulder City NV

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2025 05:18 PM
From: Daniel Carey-Whalen
Subject: Humidity- Museums in the American Southwest

Hello,

We are a cultural and natural history museum in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our HVAC system has never had a humidifier connected to it; however, we are getting a new HVAC system, and the contractor is asking if we would "need" one. Beyond the cost/benefit analysis, I am wondering, "do we need a humidifier?"

Our 4 storage areas do not have HVAC or humidifiers, but they are in the basement in closed, sealed doors, so I think our collections are fine. This question is more for the items that are on display. 

I do not have a Collections Manager at the moment, but my last two CMs essentially said, "we live in the desert... no need to worry about the humidity." Is this true?

If money wasn't an issue, I would say, "Yes!" to the humidifier, but since it is, I am trying to weigh the standards (40-60%) with the realities of the desert.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dry in El Paso

Daniel Carey-Whalen, M.A., M.U.P. Director   Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens The University of Texas at El Paso 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, TX 79968 Office: 915-747-6669 museum.utep.edu

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