Museum Climate Control Solutions
Control humidity, temperature, pollution, and oxygen levels in display cases, storage cabinets, picture frames or any sealed enclosure using our state-of-the art techniques.
You have the option of choosing either active or passive humidity control solutions.
Passive microclimate control can be achieved by using well-sealed enclosures and appropriate desiccants, absorbents or silica gel compounds. Learn more about passive microclimate control techniques or PROSorb humidity stabilizer.
Active microclimate control devices use electrically powered mechanisms to maintain optimal environments inside sealed enclosures, and are substantially more effective than passive solutions. Learn more about using active microclimate control or go directly to the Mini One or Maxi Sixty information.
Should I use passive or active control?
What could be simpler than placing a few cassettes in a drawer and reconditioning them as needed? Then again, how can you beat setting your desired RH level on a display and occasionally adding a little water to a reservoir? If only life were that simple... There's no easy answer.
Passive humidity solutions work best where showcase volume is small, and the enclosure can be extremely well sealed. Active microclimate control can protect large or small cases. Both solutions demand some attention to ensure that they are operating properly, and a combination of both approaches has many benefits.
If your installation is large, consider active control, if small, passive may be your best bet. The best (and most expensive) showcases do well with either system, while simpler, poorly sealed, or very large showcases may need the power of active control. Keepsafe Microclimate Systems can help you explore your options; explore this website or contact us.
What do the experts say?
"At a point, if the leakage rate is very high (above 2 air exchanges per day), so much silica gel would be required that passive RH buffering is no longer a viable alternative. For cases with a high leakage rate, it is essential to reduce the rate of leakage, or consider an alternative approach such as the use of an active RH control system."
Steven Weintraub, DEMYSTIFYING SILICA GEL
"Providing a microclimate in a well-sealed case is a low-cost alternative to controlling the entire exhibit space."
Toby Raphael and Nancy Davis, Exhibition Conservation Guidelines, National Parks Service, Harpers Ferry, VA
"While heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) standards and the tolerances of buildings housing collections may continue to dictate environmental standards as a whole, the display case becomes the area within which the greatest good or harm to objects is realized."
Pamela Hatchfield, Museum of Fine Arts of Boston, Pollutants in the Museum Environment
Microclimate solutions can provide substantial energy savings. Visit our page on Green Solutions to learn more.