Jinxed myself, Dehumidifier died

[PCustoms]

So about a week ago I was looking at my dehumidifier next to the shop sink (short hose drains into sink) thinking man, that's getting kind of old....

This one is coming up on 8yrs, a GE I bought spur of the moment to deal with humidity when I started renovations. I bought a second unit, maybe 1-2 yrs later, that's been used less and is still going.

It's dead! I blew it out yesterday and left it off in case it was frozen, pretty sure no water has come out of it today and its humid as hell down there.

I'll put the other one on as backup, but I'm sure it's days are limited.

What's the best option these days for 1200sqft of basement shop?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Not really a dehumidifier persay but the portable AC unit I put in the garage is pulling gallons of water out of the air.

The other day in about 13 hours, it filled a 5 gallon bucket about an inch from the top.

 

[PCustoms]

Not really a dehumidifier persay but the portable AC unit I put in the garage is pulling gallons of water out of the air.

The other day in about 13 hours, it filled a 5 gallon bucket about an inch from the top.

Link?

The ones I've used in the past didn't have the dehumidifier feature...

Doesn't get too unbearable down there if the humidity is managed.

Today is horrendous, I think it was 92% outside when I checked at 6am. Hasn't improved, going between the porch and the basement shop and I'm drenched.

 

[Snapped-off]

I just bought a Midea dehumidifier for the basement. No clue how long it will last. Was seeing almost 70% rh, now it's around 40-45%.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Link?

The ones I've used in the past didn't have the dehumidifier feature...

Doesn't get too unbearable down there if the humidity is managed.

Today is horrendous, I think it was 92% outside when I checked at 6am. Hasn't improved, going between the porch and the basement shop and I'm drenched.

Pelonis® 8,000 BTU 115-Volt Portable Air Conditioner

This portable air conditioner cools and dehumidifies your home or office spaces quickly and quietly. The LED display shows the set temperature and is easy to use. With three fan speeds and five modes, you can choose a combination of desired settings from the control panel or remote. The Follow...

www.menards.com

Since it isn't a window unit, it needs a place to drain the moisture. Like I said not really a dehumidifier but it has been pulling a huge amount of moisture out of the air.

I was at work last night and in a 13-14 hour period, it overflowed a 5 gallon bucket. Wife was emptying it while I was at work but it got away from her.

I'm probably going to have to plumb in a drain like down through the crawl space of the garage and out the front foundation wall.

 

[PCustoms]

I just bought a Midea dehumidifier for the basement. No clue how long it will last. Was seeing almost 70% rh, now it's around 40-45%.

I've got the "backup" unit going, basement dropped from 65-70% down to about 45% overnight. Emptied the bucket once, need to plump the hose.

Old unit is definitely toast.

Not sure I want to chance another cheap unit, if it last 7yrs great, if it does in 1 not great.

Anyone have any experience with these? Might be able to get a deal on a few:

ALORAIR Crawl Space Dehumidifiers 120 PPD Moisture Removal, Energy Star Certified Crawlspace Dehumidifiers Commercial Dehumidifier for Basement, Auto Defrost, cETL Listed https://a.co/d/06wR4xtY

 

[slik560]

The previous dehumidifier was a nice GE unit [I thought] via Lowe's. The thing tanked exactly one month after the warranty expired. The replacement is also a GE, but this time I've opted for a 3-year extended warranty / replacement plan though Lowe's. I leave it on the auto setting in the basement and it does a great job of keeping the air at 45-50% humidity. Instead of the usual "bucket brigade", I ran a hose from the unit to the basement floor drain. Twice a year I disconnect the hose and flush it with hot water. You'd be surprised at what builds up in the hose.

 

[PCustoms]

Twice a year I disconnect the hose and flush it with hot water. You'd be surprised at what builds up in the hose.

You know what, I have 2 thoughts after your post:

1. I'm going to blow/flush the hose out later
2. My parents setup is the same as yours. I'll have them clean the hose and make sure there's is actually drawing moisture and not just making noise (as mine was) and "working"

 

[toolmiser]

I was at a garage sale last week and they had one for $15.00. I almost bought it but figured it was probably beyond it's lifespan and I would have to pay to dispose of it.

 

[PCustoms]

I was at a garage sale last week and they had one for $15.00. I almost bought it but figured it was probably beyond it's lifespan and I would have to pay to dispose of it.

Probably wise. I think it's $15 to dispose of them around here.

 

[johnre]

The ones [AC units] I've used in the past didn't have the dehumidifier feature...

Anything that can take a surface temperature down below the dew point is going to have condensation form on the surface, and thus can produce a dehumidifier function - AC heat pumps, thermoelectric Peltier devices, etc. For an AC heat pump, this just isn't the primary advertised function.

A heat pump is much more efficient at transferring heat - Watts in to Watts out - and because of it, it's the one that is used for cooling air.

But if all you need is to dehumidify, the thermoelectric Peltier device is cheaper, albeit very inefficient. So it's the one that gets used for small dehumidifiers, but the inefficiency means a shorter life span. Here's the one I use in my small shop; I consider it throwaway:

 

[mike93lx]

I have two from midea that are working great and are 4 years old.

I have an aprilaire in my crawl space, about 2 years old. It was about $1200, but it's quieter and moves a lot more air

 

[PCustoms]

I have an aprilaire in my crawl space, about 2 years old. It was about $1200, but it's quieter and moves a lot more air

Seems to be the gold standard?

I looked quick the other day, they look to start at $2k right now.

 

[mike93lx]

Seems to be the gold standard?

I looked quick the other day, they look to start at $2k right now.

This is the one I have and the place I bought it from. Just checked, I paid 1300 not 1200. Either way, they are up a bit

Aprilaire E070 Dehumidifier

Efficiently dehumidify up to 2,200 sqft with the Aprilaire E070 Dehumidifier. Features 70-pint capacity, washable MERV 8 filter, and ductable design.

crawlspace-diy.com

 

[PCustoms]

This is the one I have and the place I bought it from. Just checked, I paid 1300 not 1200. Either way, they are up a bit

Aprilaire E070 Dehumidifier

Efficiently dehumidify up to 2,200 sqft with the Aprilaire E070 Dehumidifier. Features 70-pint capacity, washable MERV 8 filter, and ductable design.

crawlspace-diy.com

Guess I needed to look closer, supply house has similar pricing. $1500 is more then I want to spend, but closer then $2k

This is where I though, that unit says 70 pints per day, but then this smaller, cheaper unit is 120:

ALORAIR Crawl Space Dehumidifiers 120 PPD Moisture Removal, Energy Star Certified Crawlspace Dehumidifiers Commercial Dehumidifier for Basement, Auto Defrost, cETL Listed https://a.co/d/06wR4xtY

So what's the difference? I can buy 3 cheaper units...

Edit: sanity check, 70 pints is 10.5 gallons

 

[mike93lx]

Guess I needed to look closer, supply house has similar pricing. $1500 is more then I want to spend, but closer then $2k

This is where I though, that unit says 70 pints per day, but then this smaller, cheaper unit is 120:



So what's the difference? I can buy 3 cheaper units...

Edit: sanity check, 70 pints is 10.5 gallons

Seems like any normal cheap Chinese option vs American made. The alorair may work fine

 

[FlaGman]

I’ve this one for several years now, it drains to the condensate pump for the air handler in the basement. This works much better than the portable dehumidifiers that I tried previously

ALORAIR Commercial Dehumidifier 113 Pint, with Drain Hose for Crawl Spaces, Basements, Industry Water Damage Unit, Compact, Portable, Auto Defrost, Sentinel HD55 https://a.co/d/06pFmt2O

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Our GE unit lasted about 7-8 years, and we've been running a Midea from Walmart for the last three years. It runs most of the time during the summer, in the winter it basically never runs.