The SAHARA dehumidifier and ULTRA-AIRE air purifying dehumidifier have the capacity to maintain relative humidities in the home below the recommended 50 percent level, even in homes with fresh air ventilation. The SAHARA and ULTRA-AIRE were developed from our commercial line of dehumidifiers and can remove over 100 pints of water per day. The high-efficiency design of these units provides this commercial-grade performance while drawing less electricity than most residential 40-pint dehumidifiers. The units simply plug in to a standard 15-arnp electrical outlet.

The best way to combat the problem of humidity migrating through the roof, walls, and floor is to pressurize the home with dehumidified air. This strategy involves bringing a measured amount of outdoor air into the house and dehumidifying it before it enters the living areas. An equal amount of drier indoor air will escape from the house to equalize the pressure. This ventilation strategy prevents humid outdoor air from infiltrating into the house and provides the ventilation recommended by health experts. The Ultra-Aire APD is currently being incorporated into numerous American Lung Association Health Houses.

Why isn't an air filter effective against dust mites and mold?

Air filters are only effective on particles suspended in the air. The dust mite allergen does not stay airborne for a sufficient amount of time for it to travel a significant distance or through ductwork. Direct contact with allergens in their breeding grounds in the home is also unaffected by air filtration devices.

How much will the SAHARA or ULTRA-AIRE cost to operate?

The cost to operate the SAHARA or ULTRA-AIRE depends on the moisture load present. If there is a 65-pint load per day in the house, it will cost approximately $20 per month to operate the SAHARA or ULTRA-AIRE to remove this amount of water. In comparison, it would cost about $59 per month to remove the same amount of water using one 25-pint and one 40-pint residential dehumidifier.*

What about running a smaller dehumidifier in just the bedroom?

A recent study showed that providing dehumidification to a single bedroom did not significantly reduce the humidity or the allergen levels present in the bedroom.** The humidity from the rest of the house will overwhelm the efforts to dehumidify a single room.

Why is 50 percent relative humidity so critical?

The survival of adult dust mites is limited to 4 to 11 days in relative humidities below 50 percent. Dust mites in the protonymph stage, however, can survive in this dormant larval stage for several months waiting for high humidity conditions to return.

How will the added heat affect my air conditioner?

Because the moisture load has been removed from the air conditioner, it is able to cool the air more efficiently. Homes that maintain lower relative humidities are more comfortable and require less cooling. The tendency is to set the thermostat at 78 to 80 degrees rather than 72 degrees.

Doesn't adding fresh air ventilation increase my air-conditioning costs?

An increase in the amount of ventilation will increase the energy costs required to condition that air to indoor levels. It is important to understand that some ventilation is occurring all the time. This is called natural ventilation. The actual increase in the overall rate and, in turn, the increase in utility costs is not normally significant. Again, we have not received complaints about increased charges due to controlled ventilation.

How large an area can one unit handle?

A single SAHARA or ULTRA-AIRE APD will maintain relative humidity levels below 50 percent in air-conditioned homes up to 3,000 square feet, even if there is more than one air conditioning system. In larger homes, multiple units can easily be employed.

Why not buy two or more small residential dehumidifiers (for less money), instead of one SAHARA or one ULTRA-AIRE?

There are several reasons why one SAHARA or one ULTRA-AIRE is better than two or more residential dehumidifiers. First and foremost, two fifty-pint residential dehumidifiers do not equal the water removal capacity of one SHARA or one ULTRA-AIRE in a basement application. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) rating system used for dehumidifiers reflects the performance at 801F and 60% RH. It is a mistake to assume that equal performance at these conditions means equal performance in the cooler conditions present in basements. In fact, all of the residential dehumidifiers that we have found, even those that contain a defrost feature, do not recommend operation below 65ºF and in some cases 70ºF. The performance of typical residential dehumidifiers at these temperatures is minimal, if they function at all. The SAHARA and ULTRA-AIRE dehumidifiers are designed to operate in temperatures down to 55ºF and will still remove over 60 pints a day at 60ºF and 60% RH. This is the caliber of performance required to reduce the basement relative humidity below 50% and eliminate mold growth.