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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Santa Fe Classic, July 21, 2009
This review is from: Santa Fe Advance Energy Star Low Temp Basement Dehumidifier (Kitchen)
Note that this review is for the Santa Fe Classic, which is an upright version.
We own a country house, built around 1770. The basement has a stone foundation, hand-hewn wooden beams to support the floors above, and a dirt floor. Last fall, as part of my ongoing energy conservation projects, I installed fiberglass insulation in the basement ceiling to limit moisture transfer from the basement to the rest of the house, as well as to insulate from the cold. Summer has always left the basement damp, but this year the wet weather in the northeast has wreaked havoc. Rather than damp, this year we are dripping. The insulation is soaked, and condensation liberally drips off the insulated heating ducts. Between the disconcerting degree of condensation and providing a wonderful environment to grow mold, we needed remediation.
My home improvement center dehumidifier had ceased to be effective, and I was in the market for a new one. A friend showed me a brochure on industrial-strength units, which had me doing more research online. I saw the Santa Fe Classic, as well as others, and given the substantial cost versus the conventional dehumidifier, discussed the situation with my wife. After a particularly drenching few days of rain, and an even wetter environment in the basement, I put my research into high gear. I read positive reviews, spoke to the customer service folks at Therma-stor about my particular situation, and by the time my conversation was over, I was satisfied enough with them to call my supplier back to place an order.
The unit, made in the good old USA, was packaged extremely well on a skid and was placed outside my front door by the very accommodating shipping company. I removed the strapping and muscled it down into the basement. I purchased the optional condensate pump, which neatly attached via pre-drilled holes in the cabinet. Once the drain line was set, I plugged in the unit and let it go to work. Per Therma-stor's recommendation, I put down tarps to cover portions of the dirt floor to limit moisture, something that should have been done long ago, anyway.
There is a humidistat on the unit to set the desired humidity level. Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for the electric company, the basement conditions are such that the unit seems to be running 24/7. I left the unit running and when we returned the following weekend, the situation was nothing short of amazing. The ceiling insulation was dry, the insulation around the heating ducts were dry, even the dirt floor looked drier. In the past, we would walk into the house and get hit with a musty smell. This time, the smell was gone. Even with a few rain storms, when the first floor of the house would feel especially sticky and humid, the humidity levels were minimal. The neighbor with a house of similar vintage who originally gave me the brochure was astonished that our house was so dry given the conditions. Now he is looking into a similar solution.
Despite the considerable investment, the unit appears to do a terrific job of removing moisture. Our conditions are harsh, making it even more impressive. While I am looking to buy stock in the power company to at least share in the profits from heightened power usage, the improvement in conditions makes us feel great, conquering a problem we have suffered with for decades. We heartily recommend the Santa Fe Classic.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
basement dehumidifiier, July 5, 2008
This review is from: Santa Fe Advance Energy Star Low Temp Basement Dehumidifier (Kitchen)
The product is making a significant impact on the basement humidity...there is no longer any damp odor. The humidifier is very quiet. Having a range in the settings provides the appropriate humidity level. The negative features include the fact that the item needed to be delivered by a freight company which required schedule coordination. The product weighs approx. 100 lbs and requires "muscle power".
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Santa Fe Advance, July 27, 2010
This review is from: Santa Fe Advance Energy Star Low Temp Basement Dehumidifier (Kitchen)
A great dehumidifier. Comes back on after power failure, works well on the floor in my basement, relatively quiet, expensive and easily worth the price to me.
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