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Dri-Eaz and Santa Fe Dehumidifiers

MIway

Registered User
Veteran
I just want to make sure I'm not going a little senile... didn't the Max Dry Dual XT used to be called the Dual Max HT? Like as little as a year ago, maybe 2 on the outside...???
 

grow nerd

Active member
Veteran
MIway, maybe, not sure. Not long ago these machines were out of my reach and were not a consideration.

BTW -- Did I mention I've ghetto-rigged some window A/C units to function as a dehumidifier? Whole unit inside of the room sitting over a plumbed bucket. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do to get the RH% down.
 

MIway

Registered User
Veteran
huh... that's an interesting idea... esp if you just let the heat add back to the room, then it's just moisture removal with a lot of power behind it! Interesting... that's one to add to the belt... jic, as you said sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Grow well bro! ;-)
 

maxmurder

Member
Veteran
Basicly i am wanting to know if the proformance of these models justifies the added cost over big box setup. lower exhaust heat output being my main concern. also taking into account that a unit that is more effecient at removing water will run less and therefore produce less heat over all.

Thanks in advance to those who chime in with there experiences.

whatsup mr d.
man you got lucky having grow nerd pop in here- he's got all the answers. i have the drieaz cmc100 after 2 little home depot specials (sucked), a decent kenmore (way back in the day) and one of the blue chinese shit piles that sunlight supply had built for them- me and 2 friends went in and bought 3 of those last year- every one crapped out within 2-3 months and none of us are using them anymore.
the cmc100 works well for me- my temps are nice year round so i don't use ac anymore so my use may not help you. this unit is quiet and does the job- i consider it to be a 600 watt light i run in the dark as far as power goes, it does cycle so i can't tell you exactly how much but figure same as 600. if you are running 4 lights you should be fine keeping it under 50% (in the dark).
i have it venting into veg (use back draft dampener) so the heat isn't a factor. VERY easy to vent- also you can swap out the vent from side to side which worked out nice for me- i can "aim" the intake toward the center of the room. i was able to put in on a shelf so i didn't have to hang it, the shelf is adjustable so i put it high enough to slide a 5 gallon bucket under the shelf/drain and i get about 3-4 gallons of really low ec water every night for foliar or res top off water.
i can't really compair my apples to your oranges but i can tell you it's been running nonstop for almost a year with no probs- easy to vent, etc...
hope this helps.:biggrin:
 

Mister_D

Active member
Veteran
Alright couple things I need to get out of the way. First there are too many names for me to type right now, but I want to say thank you to everyone who is/has contributed to my thread. Really getting some awesome feed back here. Second, grow nerd, fucking love your room setup. Totally professional all the way, just how it should be. Third, I have been thinking about hanging my dehumidifer, but with a big box unit it just really isn't happening without rediculous jimmy rigging. Not my style, I like things to be clean. Special thanks for so adamantly pointing this feature option out, with the pics I am completely sold on the idea. Now then, I am pretty much set on getting a santa fe unit. Nothing but good things are said about these units, and I don't see the point in upgrading if I am not going to get the best of the best. Which leaves me deciding weather to go with the compact or the classic. My delema at this point is the classic removes 35% more water per day than the compact. It uses only 40w more power to accomplish this. I am wondering if there is any way i can use this information to make an estimate on how much less time it will run compared to the compact to remove the same amount of water? This would give me a better idea how much power I stand to save or not by going with the classic over the compact. I would prefer the compact for weight and space concerns, but ultimately my goal is to reduce power consumption, and heat generated. I run a completely sealed room at a consistant 78-80 deg. day and night temperature, so the AHAM ratings should pretty closely apply. Only difference being I prefer my RH closer to 40%, 50% being a max i consider acceptable. Anyone with experience with the Dri-Eaz line should not be discouraged from posting here. You may change my mind, and if not me the next person that comes along and reads this might find your information very valuable.

One last thing, REZDOG. I am both surprised and honored you would comment on my thread. However I am left curious as to your opinions on the topic at hand, care to share with the group? I have a feeling you may have some "experience" with this class of dehumidifiers.
 

250wscrogger

Active member
I was originally planning to get the santa fe classic for my 4k but now I'm convinced that the max dry dual XT is the way to go... only $400 more than the classic.
 
A

ak-51

Does anybody have tips for getting replacement filters cheaper? I found a couple places online that will build furnace filters to custom sizes and MERV level. They're much cheaper than buying the stock name-brand filters. Maybe the cheapest thing to do would be to build an adapter so that you can use a very common size of furnace filter.

Just wanting to know what everybody else's strategy is.

BTW my unit is a Santa Fe Compact. Paying $100 for 4 MERV-11 filters just seems outlandish to me.
 

grow nerd

Active member
Veteran
Call around local HVAC shops. Don't know about now but a few years back I got a case of replacement filters from jon-don.com or something. (Sorry my connection is very limited, otherwise I'd have much morevdetails for you.)

Ive tape-rigged up slightly smaller filters (off by an inch or so) a bunch of times on my Phoneix units.
 

Tela

Member
I have a classic and a max dry. If you don't have the ceiling height to hang them, the classic is better because of the floor space and how the exhaust heat is more controllable. It would be best in 9 ft or less or if they are on the floor. Are those 10 or 12 ft ceilings grow nerd? Also, thermastor has rebranded their line to growers with their quest series. Just ordered one.
 

PeopleWish

Active member
I think the dris have tracking devices in them.

Not the biggest concern, but you know, amazing units however I have a few 2800i.

Dont go pheonix pumps always seem to blow... Replacing parts on these things are a bitch

and a half... GL :)
 

growshopfrank

Well-known member
Veteran
Dont go pheonix pumps always seem to blow... Replacing parts on these things are a bitch

and a half... GL :)[/QUOTE]

shoot its not that bad
6 phillips head screws to remove cover
reach in disconnect hose,one screw on the hold down strap and pull the pump out
usually its the float switch that fucks up
the phoenix 200 owners manual shows how to bypass the internal condensate pump that may be the best solution if the problem happens more than once
 

grow nerd

Active member
Veteran
I agree, if you think that replacing the condensate removal pump is terrible, you probably aren't ready to be growing.

Also, the pumps used are standard condensate removal pumps typically used in the HVAC industry, like hooked up to air handlers, etc...
 

grow nerd

Active member
Veteran
I have a classic and a max dry. If you don't have the ceiling height to hang them, the classic is better because of the floor space and how the exhaust heat is more controllable. It would be best in 9 ft or less or if they are on the floor. Are those 10 or 12 ft ceilings grow nerd? Also, thermastor has rebranded their line to growers with their quest series. Just ordered one.

IIRC, just shy of 12'. Quest series huh? Interesting!
 
A

ak-51

According to the link below,The "Sante Fe Impact XT" @ 105/PPD,is the most energy efficient sante fe dehuey.My question is will it be enough to control the humidity in a 4k(max) sealed room,with a high year round outside RH?Energy consumption and heat is a major concern.thanks!!

http://www.santa-fe-products.com/products.html
I vote yes. My Santa Fe Compact 2 is rated lower than the Impact XT you listed and is plenty for my 3k grow. It does the double duty of cleaning up all the water I spill on the floor too.
 

MIway

Registered User
Veteran
According to the link below,The "Sante Fe Impact XT" @ 105/PPD,is the most energy efficient sante fe dehuey.My question is will it be enough to control the humidity in a 4k(max) sealed room,with a high year round outside RH?Energy consumption and heat is a major concern.thanks!!

http://www.santa-fe-products.com/products.html

Maybe for half to 3/4 of the year... The cooler months... Depending on how ur running the air in the room, and if it is constantly exhausting pulling fresh ambient in.

I've got a 200max and last summer I wasn't prepared for the excessive heat and rh, with an open system. The deuy was on constantly with only 3k firing... Heat got really bad... Couldn't add an ac... It sucked. My rh got much higher than I wanted and had to even alternate lights to avoid the heat. I got botrytis with a thick indica. It sucked.

If ur open exhausting, and the rh is really bad... That unit will be on all the time and won't keep up. 2cents
 
Maybe for half to 3/4 of the year... The cooler months... Depending on how ur running the air in the room, and if it is constantly exhausting pulling fresh ambient in.

I've got a 200max and last summer I wasn't prepared for the excessive heat and rh, with an open system. The deuy was on constantly with only 3k firing... Heat got really bad... Couldn't add an ac... It sucked. My rh got much higher than I wanted and had to even alternate lights to avoid the heat. I got botrytis with a thick indica. It sucked.

If ur open exhausting, and the rh is really bad... That unit will be on all the time and won't keep up. 2cents

I will be running a closed room without an intake or exhaust.I will be using a Mr Slim mini-split for cooling.
 

PeopleWish

Active member
Its not the fact that the task if difficult, its elementary.

However the mere fact that I own sever higher end Phoenix units and have had this happen multiple times makes it a bitch in a half, not to mention Pheonix's customer support is absolutely terrible, like beyond terrible.
 
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