Recently I purchased a Soleus Air CFM-40e dehumidifier for moisture problems in my bedroom. Based on my experience I can honestly say the Soleus Air CFM-40e series dehumidifier ranks amongst the top of all brands in this size. Chances are, if you believe you need a dehumidifier then you probably need one. Some of the signs that you need a dehumidifier are rotting wood trim, musty odors, window condensation, water stains on interior walls and increased allergic reactions. All of these are an indication of increased moisture in your home and a reason to buy a good dehumidifier.
If you ignore the moisture, the result will be the growth of mold and mildew and also the release of mold spores which are a main contributor to allergies and asthma. If not taken care of quickly, long term moisture problems can and will cause thousands of dollars in damage.
The first thing you need to do is try to get to the root of the moisture problem. Your best bet is to fix the moisture problem at the root. However, sometimes it’s just not possible to find or fix the problem; thus making a dehumidifier imperative. If you’re looking for an efficient, quiet dehumidifier then look no further than the Soleus Air CFM-40e. Below are the features and my review of the Soleus Air CFM-40e.
Nearly Silent Operation
Without a doubt the biggest complaint for dehumidifiers is the noise level. If you’ve ever stood next to a dehumidifier you know how loud they can be. The Soleus Air CFM-40E is without a doubt the most quiet dehumidifier I have ever used or heard. The unit has three power levels; Quiet, Medium and High. With the power level set to Quiet, the sound level is 41 decibels according to the user’s guide. To make this easier to understand, a library is typically around 30 decibels. Normal conversation is 60 – 70 decibels. So 41 decibels is somewhere between a whisper quiet library and a normal conversation.
I also have an older LG dehumidifier. It’s used in my basement. It certainly is a real work horse. But it’s also sounds like a jet engine at take off. I had done tons of research on dehumidifiers before purchasing one. But I was still very nervous when I ordered the Soleus Air CFM-40e because it was to be used in my bedroom and I had never heard one run. I needed something that was very quiet. The Soleus Air CFM-40e is definitely that; extremely quiet. I don’t always run it at night because humidity levels aren’t always high, but when I do run it at night, I don’t even notice it’s there. It sits about 3 feet from the foot of my bed. I’m not saying you can’t hear it at all, but it’s kind of like white noise. I typically have a TV on in my bedroom when I go to bed. The timer is set on the TV for 60 minutes and I am usually sleeping long before that. While the TV is on, I cannot hear the dehumidifier at all. If I happen to wake up at night I no longer even notice it’s on.
Unlike traditional dehumidifiers, the Soleus Air CFM-40e uses a rotary compressor, which is one of the reasons it’s so quiet. Most other compressors use a reciprocating type compressor which is louder. The fan motor is also nearly silent. The Soleus Air engineers went to great lengths during the design phase to ensure nearly silent operation.
Extremely Powerful Dehumidifying Capability
Dehumidifiers work by drawing air into the unit with a fan. As air is drawn into the dehumidifier it is cooled by pulling the air over a cold coil system. Cool air does not have the capability to hold water like warm air does. As the air is cooled, the water in the warm air condenses on the cool coils. The water which has collected on the coils then runs off those coils and drips into a catch pan. Once the air has shed its water, it is drawn back over warmer coils. The warm coils heat the air back up to more room like temperature without inducing more water into the air. The more surface area the coils have, the greater the dehumidifying capability of the unit.
The Soleus Air CFM-40e is rated to remove 40 pints of water per day. That’s 5 gallons of water every day. However, the water tank will only hold 12.5 pints of water. This means if your room air is so humid that the dehumidifier actually removes 40 pints per day, you would need to empty the tank roughly 3.5 times per day. The Soleus Air CFM-40e does come standard with a continuous drainage port. The continuous drainage port allows you to connect a hose to the side of the unit and drain directly into a drain of some type or even out a window if you have access to one.
Perfect Humidity Levels With Adjustable Humidistat
Once humdity get above 50%, mold and mildew can start to grow, and other moisture problems can surface. Humidity levels can be measured with a simple hygrometer. A hygrometer is a tool that will tell you how humid the air is by measuring the amount of water vapor in the air. The prices are all over the map, but for a small investment you can get a good idea how humid your area is. I purchased a hygrometer online and paid less than $10. It works very well.
The Soleus Air CFM-40e has 4 humidity level settings. Three of the settings are dry / medium / moist. The dry setting is for a humidity level of 50%. The medium setting keeps is for a 60% humidity level and the moist setting keeps the area at 70% humidity. The fourth setting is continual de-humidification. At this setting the Soleus Air CFM-40e will keep sucking water like a camel getting ready for a desert trip.
Initially I thought the lack of a wider range of settings might be a problem. Not to worry. I’ve found that leaving the unit set for the dry setting keeps my bedroom between 45% and 50% humidity. Sometimes the humidity level will be a little lower and sometimes it’s a little higher depending on where I’ve placed the hygrometer. The Soleus Air CFM-40e has plenty of adjustments to get you the humidity level you need.
Miscellaneous Features
Without a doubt, dehumidification capability and quietness are two most important factors when deciding upon a dehumidifier. However, the Soleus Air CFM-40e has more features that make it an outstanding value.
It’s energy efficient! I hooked the Soleus Air CFM-40e up to an electric usage meter. Based on that I calculated if I was to run the dehumidifier 24 hours a day, 7 days a week it would cost me about $20. I don’t run it close to that much. I’ve found out that in the winter time I do not need to run it all all because the furnace is running and the air is colder and drier. In the summer time, I run it 8 hours per day; so that’s about $7 per month. Not bad at all to solve a moisture problem.
An attractive design. You won’t see it displayed in an art gallery, but for a dehumidifier it’s not bad looking. Most dehumidifiers are boxy and industrial looking. The Soleus Air CFM-40e has a nice rounded, aerodynamic look. Even though you wouldn’t see this in an art gallery, I have seen modern art not nearly as attractive.
There are wheels on the bottom if the unit to make moving it easier. It’s not a very heavy unit, weighing in at less than 31 pounds. But the wheels make it easy to move from one area to another if you need to.
Adjustable louvers on the top of the unit to direct the output airflow where you want it to go.
The Soleus Air CFM-40e will operate down to 36 degrees Fahrenheit. This is important because if you use it in your basement or garage it will continue to work down that temperature. Other dehumidifiers will not work in temperatures that low. Ensure you check the temperature rating of any unit you purchase and verify it will work in the area you plan to place it.
A magnetic float that automatically turns the unit off when the drainage tank is full. No need to worry about the unit overflowing. Just be sure you don’t remove the styrofoam that’s attached to the float when you unpack the unit. The styrofoam is there for a purpose, but it looks like packing material.
A Quirk That’s Not A Quirk
When the Soleus Air CFM-40e is powered on, you will immediately notice one thing about it that you may not like. But, this one quirk is actually a smart design by Soleus Air. The minor quirk is while the unit is powered on, the intake fan runs continuously. Even when the unit is not activiely dehumidifying the intake fan is running. This is a smart idea because when the intake fan is running the room air is continuously being cycled. By doing this the dehumidifier can constantly monitor the humidity in the room. If the air was not being moved in the room, the dehumidifier would only be able to monitor the humidity in the area in which it was located. The fan running all the time is not really an issue because it is so quiet. I’ve been very happy with my purchase of the Soleus Air CFM-40e. If I ever need another dehumidifier I would certainly look at at Soleus Air.
See the original post here: Soleus Air CFM-40e Dehumidifier Review
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