Boquete Mold & MIldew Issues

[Patrice Ebel]

I've been hearing about the potential problems that can result because of mold and mildew. Does anyone use the Oasis unit with good results? From what I've read about the unit it seems like a good solution but I would like to hear a personal testimony before making a purchase.

[BJ Allen]

We also had severe mold problems, but bought a Cap Ozn1 ozonator unit from Amazon for a little over $100 and it really works well. I leave it in a room for an hour or so and no more mold or smell. They are not pretty- just work wel and are small and can be moved to any room. I use mine on a regular timer and the ozone smell is gone after about an hour. check out the ratings and specs. Is says it can do a 5500 sq ft house and I believe it. the only consideration with ozone units is the concentration of ozone. It has to be high enough to kill the mold, but can be dangerous to breathe for humans and pets at high concentrations. Therefore I have found it best to treat a section of the house at a time, keeping the pets and ourselves outside this area for a few hours. I am very happy with this unit and would definitely buy another if my house was larger than 5500 sq ft, but alas- it is not. Best of luck.
B. J. Allen
Volcancito

[Patrice Ebel]

Thank you, every body, for your comments. I've read every one of them and appreciate you taking your time to answer my concern.  And your comments have convinced me that we will buy an Air Oasis!  We are new to Boquete but like David has stated, we think we have found a little corner of paradise too. And, I think, with the Oasis unit our little corner just won't be having a mold problem. I think that Ron has "found a need and filled it" with what I assume is a thriving business in the Boquete area.  I'm so glad that he did and look forward to meeting him for our home evaluation to determine the best unit for us. 

[David van Harn]

All information on the internet about Oasis is marketing hype - an unbelievable amount of it, and after an hour of searching, I could find no scientific discussion of the "proprietary" technology.  They just seem to be very effective negative ion generators and also offer filtration and UV sterilization.  Sometimes good products are hyped as much as sleazy ineffective ones, and it can be worth the extra money. 

Air Oasis seem to do what they are advertised to do, and when I can afford one, I will probably buy and try one, even though I live in a drier location above the Boquete Valley.  There are very few saprophytes such as bromelliads growing in the trees where I live, and they are a good indicator of a moist environment and elevated potential for mold problems.  In Arco Iris, Santuario, Alto Lino, Horqueta and other southeast neighborhoods, many of the trees are leterally covered with other plants growing on them, and most of these plants get their water from the air.

Look around and think about the "micro-ecosystem" where you live or think you would like to live.  No place is perfect, and along with lush rainforest beauty comes moisture and mold.  I've found my corner of paradise to live in, and I hope all of you find yours.

[Carol Gray]

My husband and I have owned an Oasis unit for nearly 2 years and are more than happy with it.  We too had noticed the green mold growing on our shoes, as well as other places and the Oasis takes care of it all.  We bought our unit from Ron who you can find at the weekly Tuesday morning meeting in Boquete.  Another bonus with these units is how nearly silent they are compared to dehumidifiers, not to mention you do nothing but plug it in.  In our opinion it has been worth every penny.  Truthfully almost everyone we know in Boquete owns one of these units.

[Harry Halbert]

We have lived here for two years, and immediately after moving here we developed problems from the mold. The clothes dresser in our bed room would be covered with mold within two days of cleaning it. We purchased an Air Oasis unit from Ron, and Laura (Tuesday Market), installed it in our bedroom, which consisted of plugging it in, and turning it on. No more mold on the furniture, and our respitory (spelling ?) problems disappeared.

We have since acquired a second unit for the Guest Bedroom, and a small unit for our walk in closet. We have recommended it to many friends, and all are happy.

[Patrice Ebel]

Thanks, Villa. My reply was posted below. If you haven't heard of the Oasis, do you do anything special to keep the mold out? During our last stay in Boquete I noticed mold had accumulated very quickly on a couple pair of our leather shoes. This...after only 3 weeks!  They were fairly easy to clean up but I am concerned about the other things...like our lungs!  I want to keep those pesky spores out of the house. 

[Patrice Ebel]

A man at the Boquete Tuesday Market sells the Air Oasis air purifier.  It is not a dehumidifier but a state of the art, energy efficient technology that is advertised to DESTROY mold, mildew, viruses, bacteria and other aero-allergens.  The little research that I did on-line informed me the unit is made in the U.S.A. and the technology involved came from NASA.  I also found a site that told me studies had been done at a university which verified that it, indeed, did kill mold, mildew, etc. 

Some years ago I lived in the California desert and because of all the pollens related to the many fruit trees, etc. in the area I purchased a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze, which seemed to do a fairly good job of cleaning up the air in our home.

Now, this Oasis air purifier is suppose to be superior technology. And while the Ionic Breeze will kill some mold the Oasis is suppose to be 98% effective.  BUT, much of the info I am stating comes from sites which sell the Oasis.  Hence, my concern about spending around $500 for something that, from all accounts I find, seems too good to be true.  Everyone we have spoken to in the Boquete area agree that mold & mildew are a definite problem.  So, I want to ward off any potential health issues given the fact that I already have some allergies.  It would be nice to hear if anyone is using this Oasis unit and how they like it.