Psychrometrics of Restoration: Engineering Dryness with LGR Technology

In the field of environmental control and water damage restoration, removing moisture is not merely about collecting water; it is about manipulating the properties of air. Standard residential dehumidifiers operate on simple refrigeration principles, effective only when the air is warm and saturated. However, when the environment cools or dries—a critical phase in deep structural drying—these machines fail. Their coils freeze, or they simply cannot lower the coil temperature enough to condense the remaining vapor.

This is the engineering boundary where LGR (Low Grain Refrigerant) technology intervenes. The ALORAIR Storm LGR Extreme is designed not just to dehumidify, but to push the Dew Point lower than conventional physics typically allows. To understand its value, we must look at the machine through the lens of Psychrometrics—the thermodynamic study of gas-vapor mixtures.

The Physics of LGR: Breaking the Dew Point Barrier

The distinction between a standard commercial dehumidifier and an LGR unit lies in the internal heat exchange architecture. * Standard Units: Draw air directly over cold evaporator coils. As the air dries, its dew point drops. Eventually, the coil cannot get cold enough to condense further moisture without freezing solid. * LGR Technology: The Storm LGR Extreme utilizes an Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger before the evaporator. Incoming warm, moist air is pre-cooled by the outgoing cold, dry air.

This pre-cooling step is thermodynamically brilliant. It brings the air closer to its saturation point before it even hits the cooling coils. Consequently, the evaporator can dedicate its energy to removing the Latent Heat of Condensation rather than just sensible heat. This allows the unit to continue extracting water even when the air has a very low Specific Humidity (measured in Grains Per Pound, or GPP). It is this ability to “wring out” drier air that classifies it as “Extreme.”## Quantifying Performance: Saturation vs. AHAM

Marketing numbers can be deceiving. The unit claims 180 Pints Per Day (PPD) at saturation (90°F, 90% RH). While impressive, this represents a tropical scenario rarely encountered in restoration.

The true engineering metric is the AHAM standard (80°F, 60% RH), where the unit pulls 85 PPD. This figure reflects the machine’s efficiency in real-world, partially dried environments. * Energy Efficiency: Extracting 85 pints requires significant energy. The unit manages this with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 2.44 L/kWh. This ratio indicates how effectively electrical energy is converted into latent heat removal, a critical factor for contractors running multiple units on limited job site power.

Airflow Dynamics and the Boundary Layer

Water trapped in structural materials (wood studs, drywall) does not simply jump into the air; it must evaporate. Evaporation is limited by a thin layer of saturated air that forms on wet surfaces, known as the Boundary Layer.

To break this layer, high-velocity airflow is required. The Storm LGR Extreme delivers 210 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). This is not just about circulation; it is about creating enough turbulence to shear the boundary layer off wet surfaces, accelerating the evaporation rate so the dehumidifier can process the moisture. Without this high airflow, the dehumidifier would starve itself of moisture, idling while the walls remain wet.

Condensate Management: The Hydraulics of Automation

In commercial applications, gravity drainage is rarely an option. Basements and crawl spaces are often below grade. The Storm LGR Extreme integrates a Heavy-Duty Condensate Pump with a 14.7-foot lift height.

This hydraulic capability allows the unit to eject collected water vertically out of a basement window or into a sink on the floor above. * Operational Logic: The pump is triggered by an internal float switch. However, user reviews have highlighted potential vulnerabilities here. If the internal drain path is blocked or the float sticks, water can back up. This underscores the importance of the machine’s design—isolating the electronics from the hydraulic path is a critical safety requirement in such conductive environments.

Material Science: Polyethylene vs. Steel

Restoration equipment leads a violent life. It is tossed into vans and dragged through debris. ALORAIR constructs the housing from Rotomolded Polyethylene (PE).
Unlike sheet metal, which dents and rusts, PE acts as a semi-rigid shock absorber. It provides thermal insulation for the internal components (preventing external sweating) and is chemically resistant to the harsh antimicrobials often used in water damage remediation. The split-housing design allows technicians easy access to the coils for cleaning—a mandatory maintenance step to maintain heat transfer efficiency.

Conclusion: An Instrument of Environmental Control

The ALORAIR Storm LGR Extreme is defined not by its size, but by its thermodynamic sophistication. It leverages the physics of LGR technology to operate in the “dry” zone where standard units fail.

For the restoration professional or the homeowner dealing with chronic subterranean moisture, it offers a solution based on the fundamental laws of psychrometrics. It does not just dry the air; it alters the vapor pressure differential of the entire environment, forcing moisture out of the structure and into the drain.