Costly Dehumidifiers vs affordable?

[Mr Celsius]

So i'm looking at some dehumidifiers and I've never owned a "commercial" dehumidifier.

What exactly is the difference between this:

http://www.sylvane.com/winix-wdh871-dehumidifier.html

and this:

http://www.sylvane.com/santa-fe-compact-dehumidifier.html

They both remove 70 pints a day, one has a bucket that stops the unit when its full (easily bypassed with a drain installed) and the sante fe has a drain hose.

The price difference is obvious. The amperage difference isn't drastic; the Santa Fe pulls 5.5 amps and the Winix pulls 6.6 amps, which in my opinion is negligible when comparing the price of the two. A savings of $12 a month in power difference.

Can anyone please enlightenment as to any performance differences between the two?

 

[jm420]

the compact is desigend for smaller tough to get at areas and is mounted vrs mobile. its more of a specialized or custom order hence the price diffrence,

 

[Mr Celsius]

the compact is desigend for smaller tough to get at areas and is mounted vrs mobile. its more of a specialized or custom order hence the price diffrence,

So, performance wise, they are on par?

 

[BigDawg]

perhaps the expensive one will last you much longer than the other; if it has commercial grade parts.

 

[Vic Hammer]

Performance wise, should be on par. Always check AHAM for a true idea of capacity.

The difference is going to be in build quality. One is built more to commercial standards and the other is residential. The thing about the Santa Fe is that since it is designed to be mounted in a crawlspace it should be low maintenance. Nobody wants to go to the crawlspace to perform regular maintenance. Therefore needs to be dependable. Question becomes is it 3x more dependable?

In the water restoration industry the standard machine is Drizair. You can check those out to get a feel for true commercial dehueys. Prices can be good used.

 

[habeeb]

the compact does not need to be mounted to work ? you can put in on the ground / put it on a shelf ..


remember your also gonna create more heat most likely. Energy = heat. then your air con has to run more which = more money.

 

[Vic Hammer]

Sorry double post. Duh,

 

[Mr Celsius]

Thank you very much gents (or gals).

I don't mind a little extra heat and if I have to replace it in 6 months to a year I can buy 3+ of these for the same cost.

 

[BigDawg]

you may wanna check this one out too. I've heard good things on it.

http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FAD704DUD-70-Pt-Dehumidifier/dp/B004TB29O6

Frigidaire FAD704DUD 70 Pt. Dehumidifier

might want to buy it at lowes if you do. They will replace it easily if it fails within a year. Just save model/serial # and receipt.

 

[jm420]

the compact does not need to be mounted to work ? you can put in on the ground / put it on a shelf ..


remember your also gonna create more heat most likely. Energy = heat. then your air con has to run more which = more money.

on the ground or in the air its still has to be installed correctly biggest factor would be the drain and possibly the unit has to be hard wired .I didnt look at the specs that close.
As far as cost, Its an expensive hobby or buisness either way

 

[habeeb]

^ no, it doesn't, I have one..

and also, no hard wiring.



it's a small dehumidifier. done.

 

[budleydoright]

My 70 pint LG cant keep up with my 1800W sealed box.

I've wondering if you couldn't just take a window AC and make one.

 

[icdog]

I would say the difference is how long till it dies and possibly less generated heat. My DH's usually last a year then they die. I haven't tried a commercial DH because of the cost and the performance is the same. In 3 years you could spend the same for 3 residential units compared to one commercial.

 

[MIway]

Thank you very much gents (or gals).

I don't mind a little extra heat and if I have to replace it in 6 months to a year I can buy 3+ of these for the same cost.

the rated amounts are totally different... saturation vs aham. the smaller unit is at saturation for it's 70 pints, which is either 90F or 80F & 100%RH. the commercial one is at aham which is 80F & 60%RH... that's doubling the rating essentially. to make it apples to apples... the commercial one is 140pt & the smaller one is 70pt at saturation. or to make it oranges... 70pt commercial vs 35pt mini.

u'd need 2 smaller units to get to the commercial one... so that would be 1530watts to get the same as the 680watts of the commercial. that is almost entirely registered as extra add back heat... over twice as much.

and even still... the commercial unit has a much larger fan, so it will better reach it's rated performance vs the smaller one... two might not exactly add up. and we operate at less than aham... so we won't actually pull the 70pts... might be closer to 40pts.

but overall, they are made better & will last much longer... though have their quirks too. gotta keep em upright at all times, lest the oil leak from the compressor & it runs dry... dead unit. and they're heavy... like dead body heavy. and they cost a lot.

look at some of the phoenix lines of restoration deuys... the r175 or the r200. makes em portable & tough. peace.

 

[LetsSeeYa]

I didn't need mine to grow with, but its awesome. I will get the info on it and try and post tonight, but the hose option for me was great. But i understand your going to be using it differently. I paid around 279.00 for it, but star energy so low cost to run and can be set for the exact amount of humidity you want and i would bet its right damn close. May be to big im not sure, i could post a pic. I will need it where im moving to so im glad i bought it. Oh and you really cant hear it work, i couldn't believe how you couldn't hear it run.

Ok i just looked and the first posted is what i have or very close, i bought mine about 7 years ago, but it also has a hose hook up if you look at the specifications. Its just like mine, but a little cheaper with all of what i have, it kicks ass. My basement flooded so we turned it on to dry the puddles on the floor, it was dried out the next morning. So its efficient and when it does run, it will not run for long so you will save more money this way too. But i will look to see what my brand name is to see if they have come down in price, hell i got mine on sale and looks just like the Winix 70-Pint Dehumidifier (WDH871).

This to me is why i would get it, i copy/paste it here so i dont need to type it all, lol.


The Winix WDH-871 70-Pint Dehumidifier with Built-In Pump contains several operating modes for exceptional performance and maximum comfort. In Auto Mode, the fan speed is adjusted to maintain a 50 percent humidity level. The fan and compressor run nonstop in Continuous Mode. The continuous indicator will remain lit until the setting is adjusted or the power is turned off.


Humidity Mode allows you to set your ideal humidity level. Adjusting the desired humidity percentage is as easy as pushing the touch button on the control panel. The humidity level can be adjusted from 35 percent to 70 percent in increments of 5 percent. The electronic control panel displays the corresponding percentage while the fan cycles on and off to maintain your ideal humidity level.


In addition, the cycle run timer operates the dehumidifier in programmed cycles of 3, 6, or 12 hours. Once the cycle run time indicator is lit, the dehumidifier will maintain the last humidity level programmed. The control panel will show the time until shut down briefly before returning to humidity level display.


Multiple Water Drainage Methods
The Winix WDH871 70-Pint Dehumidifier offers three water removal methods. The first method requires you to manually drain the dehumidifier when the water bucket is full. Using the grip handles, simply remove and empty the water container and properly position it back into place. As a second option, the unit features a quick-connect, no-leak gravity drain hose attachment. This allows you to attach a garden hose (not included) to the drain connector and direct the water down into a nearby drain or to an outside location using the force of gravity.


As a third option, a built-in condensate pump will automatically empty water into a location you choose. The drainage pump can lift water up to 15 feet above the dehumidifier into a sink, outside through a window, in a floor drain, to a separate water container, or directly into a household plant. The dehumidifier comes with an 18-foot drain hose for use with the internal condensate pump.

Manufacturer-Stated Capacity 70 pints
Practical Room Size 1500 Sq. Ft.
Manufacturer-Suggested Room Size 1500 Sq. Ft.
Capacity at AHAM 70 pints
Height 26.3 in.
Width 15.75 in.
Depth 13.3 in.
Weight 47.4 lbs.
Lowest Operating Temperature 36 ° F
Humidistat Yes
Type of Humidistat Digital
Internal Condensate Pump Yes
Continuous Drain Capable Yes
Length of Drain Hose 18 ft.
Ductable No
Water Container Yes
Water Container Capacity 17 pints
Full Bucket Auto-Shutoff Yes
Automatic Defrost Yes
Auto-Restart on Power Failure Yes
Controls Electronic
Washable Air Filter Yes
Replaceable Air Filter No
Refrigerant Type R-410A
Fan Operation Runs Only When Dehumidifying
Number of Fan Speeds 2
Casters Yes
Watts 765 W
Voltage 115 V
Energy Star-Rated Yes


LSY

 

[budleydoright]

So that's how they fudge those ratings. My residential LG 70 pint just doesn't cut it. I see the same basic design from sun systems at the hydro store.

 

[Mr Celsius]

the rated amounts are totally different... saturation vs aham. the smaller unit is at saturation for it's 70 pints, which is either 90F or 80F & 100%RH. the commercial one is at aham which is 80F & 60%RH... that's doubling the rating essentially. to make it apples to apples... the commercial one is 140pt & the smaller one is 70pt at saturation. or to make it oranges... 70pt commercial vs 35pt mini.

u'd need 2 smaller units to get to the commercial one... so that would be 1530watts to get the same as the 680watts of the commercial. that is almost entirely registered as extra add back heat... over twice as much.

and even still... the commercial unit has a much larger fan, so it will better reach it's rated performance vs the smaller one... two might not exactly add up. and we operate at less than aham... so we won't actually pull the 70pts... might be closer to 40pts.

but overall, they are made better & will last much longer... though have their quirks too. gotta keep em upright at all times, lest the oil leak from the compressor & it runs dry... dead unit. and they're heavy... like dead body heavy. and they cost a lot.

look at some of the phoenix lines of restoration deuys... the r175 or the r200. makes em portable & tough. peace.

Santa Fe compact: Capacity at AHAM 70 pints

Winix: Capacity at AHAM 70 pints

 

[MIway]

Santa Fe compact: Capacity at AHAM 70 pints

Winix: Capacity at AHAM 70 pints

i stand corrected! yeah... usually the small units are based at saturation... and i went to winix after your post... can't find the tech sheet but they do specifically say aham certified on the description sheet.

http://www.winixinc.com/wdh871--70-pint-dehumidifier-with-built-in-pump-products-11.php?page_id=98


most of what i mentioned still stands, but yeah... shit bro... kinda makes ya wonder...??? lol

if you wouldn't mind... buy all three... run a side-by-side... ;-)

 

[dragunn]

that winix model looks just like a re-branded delonghi 500.there the only ones who have a built in pump(yes,santa fe has pumps too.just not built in that exact way...they have a patent and there not sharing).i bought 3 units the past three years and they all broke down.the delonghi has crazy bad reviews online.

my fridigaire 70 pint is still working.doest come with a built in pump.you can add one though.once you go pump you dont go back.