Is air condioning warranted for a lube storage room? We are considering this to help eliminate temperature changes but are concerned about high relative humidity in our geographic location of central Texas, which may cause high humidity variations inside storage room causing more damage that high temperature variations.
Thanks for you reply, Sherman.

If the AC unit is set for internal air circulation and the lube room is reasonably sealed, then as long as controlled temperature is above the dew point I do not see a problem or a reason for large RH variations (if this is a factor of concern at all). Having RH as low as possible is of most importance and is obviously benefitial for a lube storage room.

It is another story if the AC is sucking in ouside humid air. In this case RH inside the room will be affected more, thus, putting more load on dessicant breathers on humid days but installion of a dehumidifier may not be cost effective.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: David_G,

It could be argued that an air conditioner set for internal air circulation is, essentially, a dehumidifier. In humid environments it is important to minimize the availablity of moisture for intrusion to the lube oil supplies. However, if the contents of a room are kept at very low temperatures, the sudden intrusion of humid outside air (i.e. opening of an access door) could lead to condensation on the cool surfaces. Perhaps for this reason, a dehumidifier would be a better option, since it could recirculate internal air to remove humidity without significant cooling to the storage equipment in the room. In most cases, slightly warm (but consistent) temperatures are not significantly detrimental to stored lubricant life. However, if you have problems controlling the temperature as well, and are subject to wide swings, an air conditioner that consistently maintains the room temperature at a level above the dew point would be recommended.

A simultaneous consideration is the control of particulate in the storage room. Any effort to control temperature or humidity should be accompanied by consideration of how that will control particulate. Any high velocity stream of air in the room can potentially pick up dirt and distribute it to vent points. Controlling the ingression of dirt at access points, and by filtering any incoming air to the room should be considered.