®Source: November/December 2008 Althouse Cleaning Newsletter

Dragon Mobile Furnace Heats Empty House Aiding Drying Process

Winter weather freezes and ruptures pipes, creating water damage in homes. Extreme cold also makes the drying process more difficult. This is especially true when the  electricity is shut off and the building is too cold for standard dehumidifiers to work. Althouse uses “low grain refrigerant” dehumidifiers that work at lower temperatures and desiccant dehumidifiers which can work at freezing temperatures.   

Adding heat also speeds the drying process. For example, raising the temperature from 60 degrees to 70 degrees can increase evaporative potential by 45%. 

Althouse uses Dragon® Mobile Furnaces by Dri-eaz. When placed outside, the Dragon® pumps 85,00 BTUs of dry heat into the cold building; heating the interior without introducing any fumes. A remote thermostat inside the home regulates the temperature. The unit also works well for drying crawlspaces.  

The Dragon® is 40” long, 23” wide, and 28” high (plus the flue). It weighs 200 pounds. It uses ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and releases minimum exhaust.

Another use for the Dragon is to heat an inclosed area. Most of the time after a fire, a home or business will have their electricity shut off--at least until it is examined and determined to be safe buy a licensed electrician.

Winter days are often very cold in El Paso and Las Cruces (El Paso is 3,200 feet above sea level and Las Cruces even higher). Althouse Cleaning smoke and fire restoration personel use the Dri-eaz Dragon Mobile Furnace to maintain heated areas to work in. In addition toincreasing productivity, having a warm worksite is also important as some cleaning solutions are water based