Santa Fe Vs. Other Conventional Dehumidifiers

Does your basement need a dehumidification system?  Are you afraid of the high costs of running a dehumidifier?  Are you currently using a conventional dehumidifier and your electricity bills are running higher than you would like?

You are not alone if you answered “yes”.  You are one step ahead of a large number of people who are unaware of the effects that poor indoor air quality can have on their home, personal belongings, and most importantly, the health of their family.

Santa Fe – The Value Proposition

A Santa Fe free-standing energy efficient dehumidifier is a smart investment that pays for itself while eliminating musty odors, protecting homes, and reducing the risk of health issues associated with high moisture levels.

Energy Efficiency

A Santa Fe Dehumidifier can save homeowners hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs over conventional dehumidifiers. This is due to the unit’s innovative design and advanced technology, which are not found in cheaper mass-merchant dehumidifiers, resulting in 2-3 times more moisture removal per kilowatt of electricity.

To calculate the electrical consumption of the dehumidifier–

First, calculate the wattage (amps x volts). Divide by 1000 to calculate kilowatts, and multiply by 24 to get kilowatt hours per day. Multiply this number by the cost per kilowatt/hr from your utility company to get cost of operation per day. Multiply by the number of days per month.   Example: 6.4 amps (Santa Fe Classic) x 115 volts = 736 watts/1000 x 24 = 17.6 kWh/day x $_________ per kWh = $_________ per day x 30 days = $ __________ per month (assumes 24 hour per day operation, which is unlikely)

Recommended Relative Humidity (RH) Levels

Studies have shown that as much as 50% of the air in a home comes up from the basement or crawlspace. This air is often higher in moisture content and carries with it various allergens and musty odors. The Environmental Protection Agency, American Lung Association, and American Medical Association all recommend maintaining RH in the 30% – 50% range. When conditions linger above 60% RH for extended periods of time, mold, mildew, and bacteria grow. A commercial grade Santa Fe high efficiency dehumidifier is designed to consistently maintain 50% or less RH in crawlspaces and basements.

Adaptability for Every Application

Santa Fe Dehumidifiers can easily be installed in a variety of applications with a full line of accessories.   Examples include:

• Some crawlspaces are easily flooded and the dehumidifier may need to be elevated in the garage and ducted to the crawlspace (requires remote dehumidistat).
• The unit can be placed in the mechanical room and be ducted to a finished basement space. In some applications, a remote dehumidistat might be necessary for optimal dehumidification.

Why Low Temperature Operation is Important

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) requires that dehumidifier manufacturers publish unit performance at 80°F and 60% RH. However, real-world conditions of basements and crawlspaces are much cooler and unit capacity drops dramatically. For example, at 80°F and 60% RH the Santa Fe Classic removes 110 pints per day. At real-world conditions of 60°F and 60% RH the Santa Fe Classic removes 60 pints per day—conditions where conventional units may not remove any moisture at all!

• At temperatures below 65°, frost can form on the coils of a conventional unit and cause the unit to ice up.
• Frost cuts down on air circulation, so the unit does not remove as much moisture from the air.
• Some units have automatic defrost but remove a minimal amount of water in conditions below AHAM (80°/60% RH)
• Once the coil is defrosted, the cycle starts all over again using a lot of energy but fails to take out an appreciable amount of water. The Santa Fe free-standing line of dehumidifiers are powerful enough to control humidity even in the cooler environments of basements and crawlspaces.

The Santa Fe Difference

• The moisture removal coil is larger than the coil on a conventional dehumidifier
• A regenerative heat exchanger uses the cold air from the cooling coil to pre-cool damp air before it goes across the cooling coil (picture a honeycomb)
• Removes 5-6 pints per kilowatt compared to the conventional dehumidifier’s 2-3 pints per kilowatt
• Built with the same components as commercial units