Tag: Dehumidifiers

Sani Dry Dehumidifier

The Sani Dry dehumidifier is made by Therma-Stor exclusively for a company called Basement Systems. Basement Systems is a company that supplies and installs dehumidifiers with their own licensed contractors. They also offer basement finishing and repair services.

The Sani Dry dehumidifier model called the XP Dehumidifier works well in a large area up to 2,500 square feet. It can remove 109 pints of water, per day, from the air of your home making your home much more comfortable to live in and reducing the amount of damage that can be caused by excess moisture.

This unit is also capable of functioning at low temperatures down to 40 degrees. What this means is, if your basement is cool the coils have an auto-defrost feature to keep the unit from freezing up and shutting itself off. It will continue to operate at these low temperature and keep your home moisture free.

The unit can either be used as a free standing unit or can be installed directly into the ductwork of your home. If you are the handy type you could probably manage the installation on your own but if not then they will install it for you.

The XP is Energy Star rated so it is energy efficient and will not increase you energy bill by any significant amount.

The convenience of the unit is also a plus. There is no bucket to empty every day, the XP drains directly to a floor drain. If there is no drain in the floor, you will need to drain the water up and out by purchasing what is called a “compensate pump” separately and installing it in the unit.

The XP has an adjustable “humidistat” as well, allowing you to set the desired relative humidity of your home anywhere from 20% to 90%. Those settings are most extreme and you most likely will set the XP unit in the range of 35% to 50% to be comfortable in your home.

If you suffer from allergies you will notice a big difference in the severity of your symptoms once the XP is installed and begins to remove the excess moisture in your home.

Once the XP is installed, it will run until it achieves the level of humidity in your home that you have set then it will maintain that level by cycling on and off. It might take 24 hours or more to reach the level you want for your home.

Once the XP is programmed by you with specific data for your home, it will always remember it. Even if there is a power outage the XP will restart automatically and remember the settings you programmed into it.

As I stated earlier, the unit can handle up to 2,500 square feet. So, if the entire square footage of your house does not exceed that number then you can install the unit directly into the ductwork of your home and dehumidify your entire house.

The Sani Dry dehumidifier is solely capable of maintaining the moisture in your home to reduce allergens and keep the excess moisture from causing structural damage.

Discount Dehumidifier

If you need a dehumidifier for your basement or other room, you might want to look around for a discount dehumidifier. They are all over the internet and you should have no trouble finding what you need.

One specific site I found deals only with dehumidifiers and there are hundreds to choose from with more being added on a daily basis. I looked through the site and found some great deals. Depending on the model of dehumidifier you choose you could save anywhere from 3% to 34% on your discount dehumidifier. Some examples of the brands you can get on this site are Frigidaire, Soleus and Eva-Dry.

Do your same diligence when looking for a dehumidifier even though you will not be paying full price. Make sure the dehumidifier fits the room or area you want to place it in. To do this correctly you must measure the area by length and width and then multiply the two numbers. This will give you the square footage of the area you need dehumidified.

Since mold and other allergens need moist areas to live and thrive in, using a dehumidifier will not only decrease the moisture in your home it will also decrease the allergens as well. So if you suffer from allergies you will notice a significant decrease in your symptoms.

Air with a lot of moisture in it is uncomfortable. You know this by trying to be outside on a very hot and humid day. Humid air can make you feel sluggish and can even make it harder to breathe. A dehumidifier can help you be more comfortable in your home and help save you money on your cooling bills in the summer by drying out the air in your home.

The humidity in your home does not just come in from outside either. When you shower, or cook, especially boiling water for pasta, or even drying clothes in your dryer you add humidity to the air of your home. The bathroom is one of the most humid rooms of your house, especially after you take a shower.

Not only should you make sure you have adequate ventilation in your bathroom you should turn on the exhaust fan every time you take a shower and/or open the window, if you have a window in your bathroom. If you do not have a window in your bathroom, make sure to keep the exhaust fan clean and free of lint and dust to ensure that it is working properly.

These steps will allow the humidity to escape. If this is not enough though you may want a small dehumidifier to help. Humidity in your bathroom can cause mold and mildew to grow and ruin your paint or wallpaper and rust metal fixtures.

With everyone trying to save money these days, if you need a dehumidifier you might as well make it a discount dehumidifier and save as much money as you can. It would cost a lot more to have to redo your whole bathroom.

Dehumidifier Specs

Dehumidifier specs differ from one model or brand name to the next but all dehumidifiers are relatively the same. They all will help reduce the moisture level in your home and make your home more comfortable to live in and save you money on heating and cooling costs.

The first dehumidifier specs you need to know before you buy one is the amount of square footage the unit will cover. Measure the size of the room or area that needs moisture reduction and keep that number in mind when you go buy the dehumidifier.

Next, check the range of the humidity the unit can remove. A good range should be around 35-70 percent. You should be able to manually program the unit to an optimum 45-50% humidity in your home. Find a unit that, once set, will remain at that setting, and turn itself back on, even if the power goes out.

Also make sure at what temperature the unit will start to freeze up. If your basement area is the area of your home that needs dehumidification and temperature of the area is below 65 degrees you need to buy a unit that will operate under these conditions.

If the temperature of the area goes below the specified maximum operating temperature of the unit, the unit will freeze up. The coils will condense and this condensation will freeze up due to the refrigerant used to draw the moisture from the air.

A low temperature unit will maintain maximum operating efficiency at temperatures down to 40 degrees before frost forms on the coils. Once frost does form on the coils the unit must be shut down and allowed to defrost before starting up again.

Another aspect of buying the right dehumidifier is the size of the bucket. How much water does the dehumidifier hold and will it shut itself off when it gets full. Measurement is usually in pints and can range from 40 pints to 65 pints to over 100 pints depending on the size of the unit.

Some units can be hooked to a hose or come with a drainage pipe that can be run to a floor drain so there is no need to empty a full, heavy bucket of water everyday. If you are not able to buy a unit like this then you will be subjected to lifting that bucket out of the machine every day to empty it. The unit will shut itself off when the bucket is at capacity.

If the square footage allows, you can buy a model that can be ducted to other rooms so the humidity level can be managed throughout your home and not just in one area.

You may need to take the weight of the unit into consideration if you are planning to place the unit on anything but the floor. An average unit may weight as much as 90 pounds or more at full capacity. Do not ever place the unit on anything that cannot safely hold this kind of weight.

These dehumidifier specs should help you buy the right type of unit for your specific needs.

Choosing A Dehumidifier-Different Brands And Models

Choosing a dehumidifier can be an interesting process. There are so many different brands and models to choose from it is possible you may get more than just a little overwhelmed or frustrated especially if you are looking to buy your dehumidifier online.

Purchasing a dehumidifier can be a nice addition to your home. Using a dehumidifier correctly can increase the comfort level in your home and decrease the growth of mold and mildew. People who suffer from allergies or frequent upper respiratory illnesses may notice quite a difference in frequency of symptoms with continued use of a dehumidifier.

Decreasing the amoount of humidity in your home can also save on repair and replacement costs of the wood and drywall used in the area that has the most moisture which is usually the basement.

Choosing a dehumidifier requires research of different brands and models to make sure you are getting exactly what you need. Start your research by reading a consumer magazine to compare various models within your price range. Further your research by checking out reviews and comparisons online.

You could also go to a retail store and look at some up close to find a model that you like and then make your purchase online. There are sites that offer significant discounts on quite a few brands and models of dehumidifiers. If the one you choose is among the list of discounted dehumidifiers then you could save up to 34% on your purchase.

Some criteria you will need to follow before you even start looking is the total square footage of the space with the excess moisture. Measure the length of the room and multiply that number by the width of the room. This will give you the square footage of the room the dehumidifier will work in.

This is how dehumidifiers are sold. There should be a range of square footage that the unit can handle and you should make your pruchase based on the upper end of that range. You need one big enough to handle that square footage or else you run the risk of having the unit freeze up or over work itself and stop working all together.

Obviously, your budget has to be considered also. If you find a dehumidifier that you like but then look at the price tag and realize it is just a little too steep for you, you have two options. Either buy a smaller unit and run those risks I discussed earlier or save for another month or so until you can afford the one you need.

If you would like a dehumidifier that you do not have to empty every day then look into buying one that drains into a floor drain. Some do and some don’t, some require you to empty the bucket underneath every single day. Hopefully you have a utility sink in the basement so you do not have to go far and risk spilling the water.

Other research you need to do is to the unit’s efficiency. Check to see if the unit you have selected is Energy Star rated. With this rating you can tell if it will be energy efficient and will cost a lot less to operate.

Check, also, when choosing a dehumidifier, how much moisture it will remove from the air of your house in a 24 hour period. Experiment for the first few days to get a good feel of the unit and how it is working for you. Adjust the settings as needed to maintain around a 50% level of humidity in your home.

The unit may remove more moisture right at the beginning of usage and then taper off when it gets the house or area under control. If the unit is one that has to be emptied daily then, for the first few days check it several times a day and empty as needed until the unit does get the room under control.