Dehumidifier Recommendations?

[PAToyota]

I'm curious as to what brands people are using that they have had good luck with. I used an old Montgomery Ward dehumidifier in my basement for years. Then a few years ago I figured that I'd "upgrade" to one I found on clearance at Sears as I was looking around for other things. Part of it was due to the things you hear about how refrigerators past a certain age are worth replacing due to energy costs and such...

The thing seemed to work well for a couple years and my electric bills in the summer were lower. But last spring the fan for it wouldn't run. Tested things out and found that the motor was fine and the switches were fine, but Sears (in their infinite wisdom) decided that it needed computer control and it was the circuit board that was shot... Yep, Sears no longer stocks that part...

I could go into a whole 'nuther rant about that old MW unit only needing a compressor, fan, a few switches, and a humidistat with no fancy printed circuit boards, chips, or such...

Anyway... What brands are people having success with? Need one for the basement in the house and plan on getting one for the woodshop while I'm at it.

 

[OldCarGuy]

In the past I always purchased Dayton dehumidifiers. They were a step above the store models. Their new home versions are made in China and their USA made industrial strength ones hover between $500.00 to over $1,000.00. I have since resorted to using whirlpool dehumidifier. Though they’re made in China, at least they are a name brand. The two smaller 1,000 square foot garages I us 50 pint models. The two 1,500 square foot garages I use 75 pint models. So far I’ve had no problems. They run almost year round for the past three years... they do have a limited five year warrantee..

 

[5wndwcpe]

I have a Dayton also, purchased at Graingers. Ran about $180 IIRC. Works well thus far.

 

[raffaelli]

I have an LG from sears in my 2.5 car garage. Does well.

 

[PAToyota]

I have an LG from sears in my 2.5 car garage. Does well.

My one from Sears worked well - up until it stopped working and you can't get parts for it...

 

[PAToyota]

Found W.C. Woods: http://www.wcwood.com/cgi-bin/ListModel.pl?loc=usa&prod=dehum&model=DHE40S

Traditional model like I am used to without all the electronic doodads and such. Anyone know anything about them?

 

[Dustoff 35]

I have two GE units, one in the garage, the other in the basement. Both are LOUD due to panels that don't fit together well on one unit and a collection pan/bucket that rattles on the other, until its half-full of water. It may not matter too much for garage use, but it is annoying. They are different models, one is two years old the other three. They just seem to be poorly built.

 

[MAD]

I have an LG from sears in my 2.5 car garage. Does well.

My one from Sears worked well - up until it stopped working and you can't get parts for it...

LG made the recent Kenmore units. You might want to try LG directly for the part before you give up on the old one if it worked well for you.

 

[StanBo]

We have a whirlpool in the basement. It works well and runs automatically. We have had it down the for a year now. It is a bit noisy but doesn't run constantly.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=253896-46-AD75UST&detail=&lpage=none

I am also interested in the draw during the summer when it runs the most. So I am getting one of these to monitor it:

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/SearchDetail.asp?productID=5382

 

[edl]

guys...how do you deal with the heat they generate (sorry if this hijacks the thread!!) - that is, you usually will run them during the hottest times, and the dehum exhausts pretty hot air - do you capture the exhaust and duct it out? - or...? - thanks! ED

ps I have a 50pint Whirpool - gulf coast - lots and lots of humidity!

 

[PAToyota]

LG made the recent Kenmore units. You might want to try LG directly for the part before you give up on the old one if it worked well for you.

Yep, thanks for the thought but I checked LG. Everything comes up "sorry, this part is no longer available" from every source I can find. And apparently these particular models were Sears Kenmore, Goldstar, and Friedrich - all with the same no-longer-available part...

 

[snorky18]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009RAVO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We have this in our basement and love it, been running continuous for longer than I can remember. It's extremely quiet, even on high. Pulls a maximum of ~2.7 Amps, so it's cheap to run as well. The fan runs all the time, but it has different humidity settings and the dehumidifier part kicks on and off as needed.

 

[April]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009RAVO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

We have this in our basement and love it, been running continuous for longer than I can remember. It's extremely quiet, even on high. Pulls a maximum of ~2.7 Amps, so it's cheap to run as well. The fan runs all the time, but it has different humidity settings and the dehumidifier part kicks on and off as needed.

I have this exact same dehumidifier in my basement as well - it's been running non-stop for about three years now. It's absolutely fantastic; quiet and pulls an unreal amount of moisture out of the air. Worth every penny and then some.

 

[GDA]

I have had this model (the same model before this one) for the past 3 years running in my house in Dallas. I have an old house that was built in 1921 and my hvac is well over 10 years old so this really helps out alot.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=253896-46-AD75UST&lpage=none

Empty the bucket every other day and never had a problem. In the rainy months of March and April I can usually empty the bucket once in the morning and again before I go to bed.

Two months ago I gave my old unit to my gf to run in her apartment and bought this new model for the house. Very happy with both of them.

 

[hangfirew8]

I'm curious as to what brands people are using that they have had good luck with.

We went through Sears brand dehumidfiers every 5-7 years. In the older ones the fan key would shear or the fan motor would go up. Parts were either unavailable or just didn't fit. The last one iced up, I took it apart and found, though it had a plaque with high and low pressure ratings, there was no service port (schraeder valve). They filled it and then just crimped the copper line. Seems they are all made that way now.

Since none of them last very long, and no brand name is meaningful any more, I shopped around for the absolute cheapest I could find. I found it at Big Lots, refurb LG's are currently there now, 50 pints for $110 and 60-some for $130. The 50 pint is plenty big for most houses. Warranty is only 90 days.

It's been running for a month now, and I empty it every 24 hours. It is energy star and draws 3.9 amps (Kill-a-watt) better than the old one at nearly 6 amps.

When it dies, I will either get another refurb, or something pricey like a Santa Fe.

-HF

 

[PAToyota]

Well, broke down and bought one of these:

http://www.frigidaire.com/products/roomair/dehumidifiers/dehumidifiers/prod_FDF70S.asp

Local place had it for $180. So far it is working fine. Took my basement down from 75% RH to 50% RH in a matter of hours.

In the older ones the fan key would shear or the fan motor would go up.

My old Montgomery Ward one lasted for decades. I did oil the motor every spring. And I "repaired" quite a number of them for people by doing only that - oiling the motor.

 

[Nebsmnt]

A dehumidifier will definetly work but it has some issues. Some one already mentioned the heat it generates for one thing. Second the cost to run a unit is costly per month and worst it isn't maint free. The multi-vent is a maintenance free unit installed in the garage that by means of air movement will reduce the moisture in the garage. It has a humidistat built into it that controls the use. It's easy to install and is reasonably priced. Check it out www.multi-vent.com

 

[PAToyota]

Sorry, but I read through that whole website and to the best I could figure out all the multi-vent has is a fan that's vented to the outside... That is not going to take the place of a dehumidifier to condense water out of the air...

 

[kbs2244]

EDL, you are doing what is called “over engineering.”
Yes, they do put out heat.
Is it enough to worry about?
No.

 

[kbs2244]

Pat:
I really cannot help you with buying new.
They are such simple machines that the 2 I use all the time and the one on the shelf for back up where all picked up at the curb.
The fans were not working.
Less than an hours work on each, meaning a spray of WD40 and some oil, and they worked fine during a one week test in my basement.
The humidistat you are talking about are pretty generic.
If you cannot find the exact replacement, something similar should work.

BTW, I have had some luck, when Sears told me the part was no longer available, with asking who the vendor was. (Sears doesn’t make anything. They buy it all from other mfg.s) I then call the OEM and ask them about the part.
I have gotten it more than once.

 

[99E36M]

I just got one from Sears last week (the $200 one). It has been amazing so far! New construction so I thought I wouldn't have to worry about moisture problems (not sure why since I live in MA and humidty is around 70% in the Summer). I had mildew on the walls and everything I picked up off the floor was sopping wet!

Well the 50 pint tank filled up within a couple hours for the first two days. Now I need to empty the tank twice a day. The air is so much drier and the mildew is already gone. It is really amazing how much water these things pull out of the air. I'm mildly concerned with reliability since most Sears products tend to get bad reviews but I'm hoping I'll be able to exchange it in the future without too much hassle. If not, I'll just go to Costco and buy one since they stand behind every product they sell.
________
VAPORIZERINFO

 

[PAToyota]

KBS: Mentioned earlier in the thread is the fact that it is a rebadged LG and every source shows the PC board unavailable - LG and everyone that rebadged it (check post #11).

Like you mention, the one I had before the Sears/LG was decades old. Compressor, fan, humidistat. Pretty simple. I'd oil the fan motor every spring and it worked fine (see post #16). But it finally got to the point where it gave up the ghost. And when I went to the Sears/LG I did notice a significant drop in my summer electric bills.

I've save the Sears/LG and am going to see about re-wiring it up to bypass the PC board and just use the basic control setup of the older one without all the electronic geegaws. But right now I just didn't have the time to play with it.

 

[PAToyota]

I'm mildly concerned with reliability since most Sears products tend to get bad reviews but I'm hoping I'll be able to exchange it in the future without too much hassle.

In shopping around, every place I went said that they were basically "disposable" and not worth the price to fix. I could go off on a whole 'nuther rant about quality of anything you buy these days. Personally, I'd think a $200 appliance should last you more than two years. And just as an aside, the dehumidifier was plugged into a surge protector plus the whole house has a surge protector in the main panel - so it is unlikely that it got zapped like that.

The one I bought has a five year warranty on the compressor and "sealed system" and a one year warranty on everything else. The problem is that it is the "everything else" that is more than likely going to go bad.

The PC board that went bad on mine was $57 if you could get it and was the only part listed that wasn't available. My guess is that it has something to do with that being the part that went bad on most of them.

 

[kbs2244]

If you are the type that is not ashamed to pick up other peoples trash, grab the next one you see at the curb and test out the humidistat.
$200 for one of those things is crazy. You are paying more for where housing and transportation the product.

 

[PAToyota]

I'm with you.

Believe me, I've been keeping my eye out but since you aren't allowed to put anything with a refrigeration system at the curb they aren't showing up anymore. You have to dispose of them at an appliance store or they have a couple days a year that you can take them to the county. I'd almost guarantee you that I could get at least half of the older ones dropped off working again...

 

[Blue]

Nothing really of substance to add, except that if you have a basement and don't have a dehumidifer, GET ONE!

We bought one at Menards awhile back, think it was a Westinghouse. Stuck it in the basement, and ran a hose from the tank into the floor drain (so you don't have to empty it).

What a world of difference. No more "basement smell," I can store stuff down there without it smelling all mildew-y, and just makes my basment more usable. So far, it's been relatively maintenance free. Inthe spring, I set the humidistat, plug it in, and let it do its thing, then turn it off when winter comes.

 

[larry4406]

Do they make dehumidifiers that mount to the hvac ductwork and use the existing condensate drain? We leave our fan on 24-7 to circulate air and this would seem like a nicer solution than the POS free standing unit which I have which is loud and has to be emptied all the time.

 

[April]

Yes, they do make whole house dehumidifiers, although I rare see them used - especially compared to whole house humidifiers. I think that's probably to do with the fact that central A/C units accomplish largely the same thing, in addition to cooling the air.

 

[kbs2244]

I am with Blue on his advice, with these 2 add ons.
First, I never turn it off. That is what the humidistat is for.
Second, at the other end of the basement, hang a 20 window fan fron the celing, point it at the dehuminfier, turn it on low and never turn it off.
The continous air curclation will dry out ALL the air down there.
When we bought our current place the lady befor us was hanging clothes to dry in the basement. "Just a little musty" was the RE ladies term.
The above setup has been running for 7 years and my hypo alergic D inlaw has no problems down there.

 

[Rob Hughes]

What do you guys set your dehumidifiers at in your basements? How about your garages?

 

[PAToyota]

I set mine about 55~65%. I try to keep it at 55%, but if it is really humid and it seems to be running all the time I bump it up to 65%.

 

[havi]

I have a 60 pint in my 2 stall garage set at 55% humidity. It basically runs all day everyday, and I empty it every morning before I go to work. I use it to water my tree seedlings...especially when rain has been scarce in these parts.

 

[Torque1st]

The thing seemed to work well for a couple years and my electric bills in the summer were lower. But last spring the fan for it wouldn't run. Tested things out and found that the motor was fine and the switches were fine, but Sears (in their infinite wisdom) decided that it needed computer control and it was the circuit board that was shot... Yep, Sears no longer stocks that part...

I could go into a whole 'nuther rant about that old MW unit only needing a compressor, fan, a few switches, and a humidistat with no fancy printed circuit boards, chips, or such...

After having similar experiences with "unobtainium" circuit boards I don't buy anything with computer **** in it if I can avoid it. Don't even get me started on cars... My furnace has a computer, -but I have a spare board. The day that spare goes in I will be building up a relay panel to replace it. Forget buying a refrigerator with a computer. That is a horrible environment for computer circuits.

 

[JScott]

I'll check on the brand on mine. Just bought it - I think it's a Delonghi. Best dehumidifier I've had. It has a pump that can send the water up about 14 feet through a clear hose. I have that hose in a drain. No more emptying buckets - ever. The basement never felt so dry and no musty smell.

 

[vinculum]

I realise this thread is about dehumidifing a basement, but what about a large garage?

I noticed some mildew on my car this past summer, and I don't want to go through that next season. I have a fully insulated 2400sq ft pole building. I put several windows in and plan on loading them with AC units that I used in my home until I got central AC installed. I haven't used them yet, but I wonder if they will be cost effective enough to keep the humidity low? If not I'll have to use one of these basement units. I have a Samsung from HD/Lowes in my basement and it works great. I set it to 55%. Then I use the water to clean my aquarium filters, then dump it in my garden.

 

[PAToyota]

So far the Frigidaire is still working nicely - but it has more electronics than it really needs and I'm sure I'll be SOL if any of it goes out.

I have the Sears/LG sitting in a corner until I can find some time to play around with it. I'm thinking rewiring it with a simple humidistat and solenoid for the fan motor will get it back in operation.

 

[kbs2244]

The big problem with dehumidifying a garage is the same as heating it, only worse.
It is those big doors.
And the fact that a lot of us like to work with the doors open.
That makes a far cry from a “controlled” space.
But, even to most dedicated shop guy will have the shop unoccupied more than occupied.
So, go with some fans to circulate the air and a dehumidifier or two to dry it after you have gone in for the night.
Nice thing about this type of machine is they work while you sleep.

 

[acer66]

Old thread resurrected, I need a dehumidifier for our basement, I am looking for a quiet unit which I can plumb into a drain.

Thank you

 

[acer66]

I pulled the plug after looking at consumer reports rating and got the Frigidaire FAD704DWD Energy Star 70-pint Dehumidifier.

 

[mdameron]

I love the idea of a dehumidifier in the garage but we park a car in ours and a single opening and closing of the overhead door would negate 24 hours of dehumidifying.