Every Adjuster Should Ask

Ever wonder if the drying contractor who was working on your water damage claim really knows what they are doing and why?

You should if you don't already!

You can make sure that the drying contractors who work on your losses are knowledgeable by asking these questions.

1. Which extraction tool do your use?

Where?

There are many types of extraction tools. The "carpet cleaning tool" is the most popular. The most common is the "carpet cleaning wand", which comes with all truck-mounted units. You will need a self-propelled extraction tool to dry the carpet and pad. Carpet cleaning tools are only effective for glue-down carpet. It's easier to extract than to evaporate, which is why the extraction tool has such importance.

2. What is the CFM of your truck's mounted / portable extraction unit?

A truck mount unit is better than a portable unit. You will lose 1 CFM for each foot of vacuum hose 2 inches long. A 1 1/2 inch hose should not be used to extract water. Reduce the vacuum by half the length of the hose. This will result in a 1/3 reduction in vacuum power. This is crucial when drying the carpet and pad. Reduced vacuuming will result in less water being pulled out. This will increase drying time.

It is 500% easier to extract than it is to extract!

3. What is the best time to float carpet?

How do you dry carpets that have been left in a structure?

Floating carpet can cause it delaminate and fray at its edges. Carpet that bounces up and down on the adhesive strip can cause fraying and damage to the edges. Imagine if your restoration company could dry the carpet and pad in their place, and lower your claims. Our goal is to reduce the cost of your claims. We can dramatically reduce the cost of claims by drying carpet and pads in place, as carpet and pad account for a large portion of claims costs.

Floating carpet is no longer a good idea. Floating the carpet will slow down drying times.

4. What carpet is most vulnerable to delamination

o Dry or wet?

Delaminated carpet is usually caused by how it is handled when wet. Carpet can become 70 to 80% less strong when wet, so it can easily delaminate in water damage situations. The chances of carpet delamination are virtually zero if the pad and carpet are allowed to dry completely. Carpet mills have done tests that showed that carpets are stronger after they have been dried in reasonable time.

5. Which type of dehumidifier(s), do you use?

There are four types of dehumidifiers that are used in restoration. Only two types of dehumidifiers can dry a structure quickly, according to my experience. It is a waste to spend money and time on the second type of dehumidifier.

1. Standard Refrigerators - Professionals and homeowners sometimes use standard refrigerants with low capacities. They are not designed for heavy transportation, which is what makes them unsuitable for commercial use. If temperatures fall below 68 degrees F, ice can form on the coils. This will cause dehumidification to cease. These dehumidifiers can only pull the moisture grains inside the drying chamber to 55-60 gpp's (grains per pound). Dehumidification will cease at this point. Energy efficiency is approximately 2-3 pints per Kilowatt.

2. Conventional Refrigerators - Conventional refrigerators have a "defrost” cycle. This refrigerant's heat pipes are made up of two coils that wrap around the refrigeration system's evaporator. They are made up of refrigerant and transmit heat around the evaporator. The first heat pipe cools the warm air entering the evaporator. The absorbed heat is then transported to the second heatpipe, which is cooled as the compressor exhausts. This means that the dehumidifier won't freeze at temperatures below 33 degrees F. They function exactly the same as standard refrigerants. They can also only reduce the gpp's to 55-60

3. Low Grain Refrigerants, (LGR), - Incoming air is pre-cooled through re-directing the air from the evaporator through the inlet chamber. LGR's are able to work efficiently because of this pre-cooling. Heat transfer occurs without any additional energy consumption. LGR's reduce the moisture levels of the grains to between 32 and 35 gpp's. They also have a defrost cycle. There are two types available on the market right now. The heat pipe design has an energy efficiency rating of 3-5 to 5-7 pints per kilowatt. The recuperative design is more efficient both in terms of the energy it draws and the water it uses. LGRs with the recuperative design actually draw less electricity than conventional dehumidifiers, blowing more air and pulling more water.

4. Desiccant Dehumidifiers – Take water out as a gas. Desiccants High Absorption Containers Desiccants are best used outside of a drying chamber at low temperatures. High temperatures are not a good environment for desiccants. They can draw the moisture grains down to 10-15 gpps or less. Silica gel is used in most desiccants. This compound is highly absorbent. When drying large structures, such as crawl spaces, wood floors, or large structures, desiccants are a good choice. You should never apply pressure to a crawlspace when drying it with a desiccant. You need to know how and why desiccants are set up correctly, as they can be set up in positive, neutral, or negative ways. A desiccant is the best dehumidifier, but only 1% of drying companies have one. Three main reasons are:

o A desiccant will generally cost more than several refrigerants.

An electrician is required to hook up electrical equipment.

o It takes more time to set up desiccants than it does to set up dehumidifiers.

6. How can you decide how much dehumidification is needed?

We want to make sure that the drying chamber is as small as possible, so we don't have to use as much equipment. The following are some ways to achieve this:

o Closing doors

o Separating areas with plastic

Ensure that all windows and doors are locked

Once you have created a drying chamber, calculate the volume of air that must be dried. Then you can determine the size and number of dehumidifiers required to dry it. The next page contains a chart that will help you determine how many and which style of dehumidifiers are required.