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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Buffalo, NY on 11/8/2008
From the moment we plugged in the Santa-Fe Classic we knew this was not your ordinary brick and mortar store dehumidifier! Our basement has never been so dry and odor free. There was some hesitation on our part to purchase at first but between the reviews on the site, the way our order was processed and the great performance of the dehumidifier we now know we made the right decision.
There was a glitch with the delivery however. Fedex Freight would not deliver to the door with the truck they had available due to their thinking the over head wires were too low. They offered to deliver the dehumidifier on a smaller truck when it became available. We opted to meet the driver on a main street to pick it up. Keep this in mind when making delivery arrangements with the delivery company.
from Madisonville, KY on 11/3/2008
I tied this into the ductwork of our basement heating/ac system. It works great with minimal noise.
from Kensington, MD on 10/16/2008
I purchased the Santa Fe Classic dehumidifier for our sixty year old Maryland home. Our finished basement was very humid due to the lack of a proper vapor barrier under the original concrete floor. I have replaced 3 consumer grade dehumidifiers over the last 8 years because they ran constantly and could not keep up with the humidity level. The Santa Fe Classic brought the humidity level down to 50% within a few hours and does not need to run constantly. The basement smells mildew free.
from Glastonbury, CT on 9/29/2008
The humidity in our basement (approx. 1800 sq. ft) was constantly around 80%. Installed the SantaFe dehumidifier and it brought the humidity down to the 40 - 50% range overnight. Very satisfied with its operation
from Lititz, PA on 9/28/2008
This is a very high quality product that addressed my high humidity problem in my finished basement in no time as compared to the box store versions I have previously owned. I made an adapter to hook it up to a wall register with flex hose and put it in a utility room. The only downside was not having access to the drain hose connection and having to come up with an extension to what was supplied. Having used numerous dehumidifiers and replacing them every 1.5 years, I believe the additional cost for this model will be money well spent.
from NJ on 9/23/2008
My basement had musty odor due to high humidity of about 60%. This unit took care and brought humidity down to 45% in two days.
from Auburn, Miane on 9/19/2008
I use the unit in a basement environment, this year was very wet and we had a big mold problem. The unit has greatly improved the atmosphere in our house. The only cons are that it does seem to have to run quite a lot in order to achieve even 50% humidity, however our basement is cool and so there will be reduced efficiency under those conditions. It is also louder than I expected but tolerable given the improvement that it has made.
I had my new Santa Fe Classic for about a week --it was performing exactly as all the other reviewers had said. It quickly took a damp moldy space to a clean air dry space without odor. However, 4 days in it quit working properly, or should I say it wasn't working properly to begin with. I called customer service and they walked me through the problem and discovered that it had been incorrectly wired from the factory. They (on the phone) told me what to do and I was able to correctly wire the unit and now it is working as good as ever. It was a hassle but, I got to speak directly to a human who actually knew what was going on -- no waiting on hold for someone in India. I am happy.
from indiana on 9/18/2008
recommend by brother-in-law; does good job
from Minneapolis, MN on 9/18/2008
I am very happy with its performance. This is an amazing dehumidifier. The basement went from ~80% relative humidity down to a very comfortable <40% RH in a couple of days. All the smell is gone and the carpet is drying out. The add-on kits for the ducting are ridiculously expensive, though. For what they are, there is no reason they should cost what they cost. That's the only thing that is upsetting me right now. [$] for a dehumidifier and they want to charge another [$] for a simple piece of sheet metal. Why not just include it? Still, the product is very effective.
Delivery was next-day. I don't really know how, but it was very fast and very convenient. FedEx freight even called to schedule the time of delivery with me, and the trucker even helped get it into the basement. Huge help.
from Waterford, NY on 9/11/2008
This product does everything they say and then some.
Yes...it is expensive but does the job quickly and has no problem maintaining the humidity levels of 50% or lower. The damp smell is gone and all parts of my 1000+ sq ft basement are dry. It has even brought down the levels in the rest of my home...and this is before the installation of the remote kit.
I am running it standalone right now but I will soon be adding the remote kit to finish off the installation using a remote humidistat.
Worth every penny.
Fedex Freight is top notch.
Unit came quickly and was in perfect condition.
from Concord, MA on 9/10/2008
Our old dehumidifer was not doing the job in the basement. Being an electrical engineer I tried to explore the many possiblities and online research led me to the Santa Fe Classic. I downloaded the instruction/maintenance manual and was impressed by its thoroughness. I received the unit via truck in just a few days and found it very easy to unpack and set up.
It was immediately obvious that this unit was lightyears ahead of the old one... and far more efficient. It has four times the daily water removal rate as the old dehumidifier with the same energy consumption. An air filter and pre-filter mean that the condenser coils will not clog up with dust. I have a basement workshop nearby and found the noise level was not a problem at all. I am quite pleased, and better yet - my wife is no longer complaining about a musty smell in the basement. I was also pleased to see that the device was manufactured in the U. S. of A.
from Muskego, WI on 9/8/2008
We bought a new house with a very humid basement. After running 2 store bought 65 pint dehumidifiers for 2 weeks it brought the humidity down from 89% into the 70’s. My sister had purchased a Santa Fe Classic for around [$] from a local HVAC company for her damp basement and loved it. I found the same one from this website for cheaper and after reading the great reviews I decided to try it. In 2 days the humidity went from in the 70’s to the low 60’s. It has been running for about 3 weeks now and is holding steadily 52%. You will need to purchase a humidistat because the dial on the unit doesn’t tell you current humidity. Other than that I’m very happy with this purchase. It was expensive, but did the job that a store bought dehumidifier couldn’t. The pump would be a good accessory if you are not planning on putting it by a drain. It cleans the air of mold spores at the same time, so the basement is dry and doesn’t have that funky smell anymore either.
from Haddam, CT on 9/2/2008
Well worth the money. I would highly recommend it to others.
from Cape Cod, MA on 8/27/2008
Dried my basement out in 48 hours where previous dehumidifier couldn't.
from Syracuse , N.Y. on 8/26/2008
Expensive and worth every penny ! I tried to make do with several consumer units, but this has them all beat.The consumer units spent most of their time being frozen up.
No further concern of vinegar syndrome or mold caused by high humidity.
I hope it can take the running regimen it will have to endure! My humidty problems were caused by wall seepage whenever it rains.
from wyoming, mn on 8/19/2008
My new house has a lower level garage which suffers from high humidity. I purchased this unit based on a friend's experience, and I have been very pleased with the results. In a period of less than two weeks the garage went from damp to dry, the odors are gone , and we can use the space for storage. An outstanding product.
from Freehold, NJ on 8/11/2008
[...] I read the instructions & installed the unit within 30 minutes. The humidity upon install in my basement was 68%, by the next morning it was 41%. I would highly recomend this unit to anyone with a large damp basement.
from Green Bay, WI on 8/11/2008
This is a great product. I owned the Ultra Aire and now the Santa Fe. My only problem was the blower. Seems their supplier didn't put the set screw in and the blower impeller rubbed on the fan casing. Customer and Technical assitance were very helpful and offered to take it in return, send a new blower or help me fix the one I have. Just a little work and tightened set screw and everything is fine. I am glad to have help like that a phone call away. I look forward to many years of energy effient dehumidification service. This unit should pay for itself. The only reason I did not give the product 5 stars is because the fan set screw needed to be installed. I would have given service 5 stars if offered. This is a great product.
from OSHKOSH,WI on 8/9/2008
I had a flood in the basement two feet deep.Once the basement water was sucked up I put the Santa Fe to work. "Shhhazam">>>>>>> (DRY)<<<<<<<<<
ONE WORD "FAST"
from long pond pa on 8/7/2008
Bought this dehumidifcation system for a customer of ours. Quality built! Pulled basement Humidity levels from 72% to 45% within a few hours. Basement was app 1200 Sq Ft with a saltwater Filtration system for a 500 Gallon Fish Tank that was adding loads of humidity into the basement causing duct work to sweat. In a small amount of time all ducts began to stop sweating.
from Hartwick,NY on 8/7/2008
I gave this unit a big job to do in our unoccupied home 4hrs away from our new residence. We had always run a dehumidifier in the finished basement when we lived there but forgot about the dampness collecting after we moved. I needed a unit that was a step up from the basic home dehumidifier, one that was up to the job of drying out that basement.
I wasted my money on a smaller unit 4 years ago and wish I had bought this one to begin with. The Santa Fe Classic is awesome and works as advertised. It took my basement from about 65% humidity down to 40% humidity overnight. My basement smells fresh and clean, like the rest of my house now. I would buy this unit again, in a heart beat, and would recommend it to anyone wanting a dehumidifier for their home. Don't let the price sway you to a lesser unit as this one is worth every penny.
from Cedar Rapids, IA on 8/4/2008
This is used in the basement and works great. Air movement is excellent and it keeps the humidity around 50-55%. It's quite noisy, but that is not a problem where we use it.
I was looking for a new dehumidifier as our portable one (No. 3) was sent in for repair and I was told it should be back in TWO weeks which was too long to be without it. I ordered this one on July 9th and it arrived on July 11th much to my surprise. Thank goodness I ordered it as the repair center for the Kenmore called THREE weeks after I dropped it off at Sears and said they had just received it. It has now been more than FIVE weeks and it is still not back.
The man I talked to at NT Supply provided outstanding help, and everything they say on their website about portable dehumidifiers I have found to be true from personal experience with three of them. I also checked out Consumer Reports' recommendation for the top portable dehumidifier and the online reviews for it are horrible. I wish this Santa Fe had been my first rather than my fourth as I expect it to last 10-15 years and do a much better and more efficient job.
from Monmouth Cnty, NJ on 8/4/2008
bottom line, worth every penny. IF you need to do a whole basement, you're wasting your time with the small units. This thing is built solid. The ability to connects ducts is vital if you run into airflow issues. Super please.
from Staten Island, New York on 8/1/2008
I was a bit concerned about the price. I had an old bucket type dehumidifier that did the trick, but it was a problem changing the bucket and it never got the temperature and humidity right and ran all the time. This machine is just the best piece of equipment I could imagine. Easy to use the settings on the knobs. Beautiful looking too. It not only eliminated the humidity in the first day, it works beautifully to keep the basement at a constant humidity AND cool temperature. It runs only when needed, which is a lot less than before. I have not had to use my air conditioning in the basement once during some very hot and humid weather. This does it all instead. No basement odor left either. Very comfortable living environment. I am so happy I spent the money. It was well worth it. I will not only never need another machine, but this one will also save me lots on energy since it doesn't run constantly, and I don't need to use my central air unit for this area.
from Plainfield, IL on 7/30/2008
The dehumidifier has reduced the humidity in the 2000 sq. ft. basement from 77 to 50. It took about 10 days to get it down to 50. I have it set
to keep the humidity at 50. Now it only runs a few hours a day to accomplish this.
from Plaistow, New Hampshire on 7/30/2008
Santa Fe Classic.... my 1600 sq. ft. basement, print shop was always around 75% humidity and in the summer it was so bad that my stock would warp and mold would actually start to build up on the walls if left unattended for more than 3 days (no new air I guess). After installing this unit my humidity hasn't gone over 55%. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I drain it right into a hole in the cement floor and it does a fantastic job. Best [$] I ever spent. I went away for 10 days and everything was perfectr when I got back. Thanks NT!
Very fast delivery. Arrived in perfect shape ready to plug in and go...
Sales staff was VERY knowledgeable in helping me choose this model (saved me about $1800 dollars too because I was looking at a bigger model!)
brought our basement humidity level down to 36% from 68%. I was a little put off by the price at first but after reading reviews and doing some research I realized that this was the best bang for the buck. This was definitely a great investment for our home.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Milwaukee, WI on 6/19/2008
I've purchased many different brands of "cheap" dehumidifiers over the years. None of them were able to lower the humidity to the 40-45% recommended to prevent mold. We recently received a record rainfall of 10" in 5-days. This humidifier maintained 35% with the humidistat half-way. This unit is expensive but it just works. I think it was a wise investment.
from Madison, WI on 6/17/2008
I recently moved and transferred numerous boxes and furniture that had been stored in various basement locations and garages over the years. Much of the stuff smelled musty, so I was surprised to find that this new dehumidifier was able to dry out these items and remove most of the smell. In addition, there was some kind of chemical dust in the new basement (due to upstairs floor sanding and refinishing residue that got into the air circulating system) and I was allergic to it. The high quality air filter on this unit reduced, in one short week, much of this chemical smell. As a consequence, my allergic reactions are much improved.
This unit, although expensive, has been well worth its price. I was relieved to turn it on and see things happen! That is to say, to see a steady decline in humidity levels to below 50% within a few hours...and without the energy wasting "defrost" cycles I had to tolerate with my smaller room size machines. This is truly an "industrial strength" dehumidifier. I highly recommend it for anyone who is serious about humidity control.
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from Hot Springs, SD on 5/4/2008
This product brought our indoor humidity levels down from 65% to 30% in a short amount of time. We have always had "wet" houses, but nothing has done the job of taking the humidity out of the house like this product has. Now, running it once a week for 8 hours keeps all 2200 sq. ft. at a constant 35%. Have had it for over a year, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Massachusetts on 4/29/2008
Used in our basement. For the first time in 30 years, we have a dry basement and are able to use it for storage without worrying about mold problems.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from cortland, NY on 4/28/2008
I put it in my basement to keep the humidity at about 50% so nothing will rust. I don't think it works well below 60 degrees (runs a lot) but when it is cold out the HERV does a good job. My basement isn't heated but stays above 50 degrees in the winter. It was expensive but others don't seem to work more than a year or 2 before giving up.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from New York on 4/27/2008
The Santa Fe was recommended to me by a friend. I was not disapointed. This thing dried by basement out without blinking and once dried out it hardly has to run. It operates mosly in the summer months when it is damper. It has very strong air exhaust which helps in a large space and it isnt that noisy for a large unit. I used to have a small sears unit in my old house that that was noisier than this. The only thing I would improve is the water exhaust port. It is down low near the floor and I bought the external pump to pump the water to a sink on the other side of my basement (through some clear tubing). The port on the unit is so low I have to lay the external pump unit on the floor next to the Santa Fe. I would have preferred id there was a way to attach the pump unit to the Santa Fe, on th side or something like that, even if it is down low. So I can roll the whole thing around more easily. How about a built in pump! Other than that I am very happy with the unit.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Raymond, WI on 4/25/2008
I use it to keep my house dry. I ducted the unit to a room having a large aquarium with lots of evaporation, this unit keeps my house dry. Also keeps the electricity bill down.
Does make some vibration noises, bit much quieter than the 40 pint Whirlpool unit I used to own.
from Toluca, IL on 4/24/2008
Works great, everything as advertised. Dehumidifies my entire basement, quickly. Single most important piece of equipment if you want a dry basement. [...]
from Gainesville, GA on 4/23/2008
A very humid basement was improved in less than a week. It discharges into an existing drain so I don't even think about it, except to appreciate the improved "climate" downstairs.
from coventry,ct on 4/23/2008
placed in basement and no more oder.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Batavia,IL on 4/23/2008
This product is the Cadillac of dehumidifiers. Perfect for damp basements. Dehumidifies over 3000 s.f.
from Rochester, NY on 4/23/2008
Does a great job keeping an 1886 sq ft basement and 1886 sq ft house dry all year long.
This unit performs as described. Sometimes it is noisier than others. It is not as noisy as the three dehumidifiers that it replaced though. Quite a stream of warm air comes out of it. The humidistat has too wide of an on/off differential, making it difficult to adjust.
Other than the humidity control this unit does its job very nicely. Its easy to roll around. I would buy it again.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Warsaw, IN on 4/23/2008
We have a large finished 2200 sqf basement and always have had high humidity problems including dampness and a musty odor. Over the years I tried numerous small dehumidifer that I purchased from local stores like Lowes, Sears, etc. None of them worked at all. Didn't even come close.
Within a week after installing the Santa Fe dehumidifier our basement humidity went from 85% to 45% and has stayed there now for over a year. The musty odor problem has also disappeared completely. I highly recommend this product. A little bigger footprint then the toy dehumidifiers you buy locally, but it does a great job and doesn't make anymore noise.
My wife and I have concluded this is one of the best purchases we have made for our home.
from Chelmsford, MA on 4/23/2008
I purchased this product several months ago and couldn't be happier. The basement smell and high humidity levels are gone. The price was also very reasonable as I had compared well prior to buying. [...] I would most certainly purchase another product from you if/when I ever need. Thank you so much!
from Toluca, Illinois on 4/23/2008
Works great, everything as advertised. Dehumidifies my entire basement, quickly. Single most important piece of equipment if you want a dry basement. [...] Would definitely do business with you again. Thanks Randyl W. Noll
from NY on 4/23/2008
It works in my basement for a year now without problems. No other dehumidifier I tried would ehumidify to 30% so easily. It also has a pump. It is relatively (not absolutely) quiet too. I strongly recommend it if you want to get the job done.
from Southwestern Michigan on 4/23/2008
I have been very happy with the effectiveness of this dehumidifier. It has made my basement usable for safely storing everything from antique furniture to important papers.
from Iowa City, IA on 4/23/2008
it is a very effective dehumidifier.
from Nantucket, Ma. on 4/23/2008
great unit, works very well and I love it.
from NE Pennsylvania on 4/23/2008
It's big and expensive but it does the job other dehumidifiers could not handle.
from Eagan, MN on 4/14/2008
Santa Fe is a workhorse. It really pulls the humidity of my basement. I like the filtering & the efficiency. I dislike the noise[...] and the fact that the humidity set point seems too variable. The unit is set to 48% & I've seen humidity as high as 54% & as low as 42%. Seems like the range should be smaller & the unit would run less as a result. All in all the unit will do the job but could be better.