Q2 2026 | The Conduit: Connected Solutions for a Better Built Environment

Humidity in the Desert: The Invisible Load

It’s 2:00 PM.

The operating room is being prepped for the next surgery.

Space temperature is exactly where it should be.

But something feels… off.

That’s how this real-world scenario started. A critical environment, becoming more critical.

At a newly opened healthcare facility in Albuquerque, that “off” feeling turned into something much bigger and in a critical environment.

Visible condensate forming in the supply air — blowing out of diffusers and toward operating tables.

Three ORs had to be shut down.

We went into the space overnight to recreate the issue and were able to replicate the conditions.

The system wasn’t failing.

It was operating within its defined limits. But those limits allowed conditions that led to visible condensation.

Test Your Knowledge

What do YOU think

caused the issue?

(Enter your Guess and Keep reading for clues)

Supply air too cold

Humidity control / RHlimits

Ventilation air (outside air load)

Equipment limitation

Not Sure

Wait…Humidity in the Desert?

We hear this across Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, and El Paso:

“Humidity isn’t really something we deal with here.”

In desert climates, the humidity story isn’t always about too much moisture — it’s about maintaining stable conditions despite extreme outdoor changes. And sometimes, the biggest issue is the one you don’t see until it's raining down on an OR table or comfort calls are increasing.

Despite the dry reputation of the desert, the reality is dry climate ≠ dry air inside your system. Ventilation air still introduces moisture load and systems often operate near saturation without visibility