If you feel a heavy wetness in your home, particularly in a damp basement or below-ground-level room, the furniture and storage items are feeling it, too. The ever-trusted Consumers Union tested 17 models of dehumidifiers and rated “Best Buys” for consumers in their June 2008 Consumer Reports magazine. Overviews of top-rated models are given.
Dehumidifiers pull in surrounding air over chilled oils so the moisture condenses and collects in a tank. All of the tested models automatically shut off when the tanks were full. If you have a floor drain, you can attach a hose to the humidifier and let the water drain away, saving you from lifting a full, heavy container that could spill.
Dehumidifiers use compressors, which can develop frost on their coils in cooler spaces, and will shut off the compressor to save energy since they’re no longer dehumidifying.
Some include a digital humidity display and have timers so you can program the units to turn off and on while you’re away.
CR tested 17 models in a 13 X 17-foot chamber and performed well overall. You can set the degree of humidity you want, and some units were more accurate than others. You can buy a $20 humidity reader and check the numbers yourself, if you aren’t pleased with your unit’s readings. Optimal relative humidity is 30 to 50 percent.
By comparison, desiccants claim to lower humidity by 50%, but whole buckets, costing $26 to $28, only removed 2 ounces of moisture in 24 hours, compared to the 25 pints “claimed” by the manufacturer of even the smallest dehumidifier. These might work in unventilated closets without outlets.
By simulating brownouts and a complete blackout, CR also tested whether units would turn themselves back on. The large-capacity # 1 Danby and # 6 Sunpentown, the medium-capacity # 13 DeLonghi, and the small # 15 Bionaire and # 17 GoldStar, all had to be restarted after a blackout; the GoldStar stopped when the power was dropped to 100 volts.
Although dehumidifiers can help reduce moisture levels and guard against mold and other allergens that thrive in high humidity, you will want to check downspouts, look for cracks in the home’s foundation, vent the dryer to the outside, and repair any leaks that create moisture in the area. Sump pumps can help move water outside, also.
Ratings Guide: “Overall scores” are based on “water removal, response, efficiency, and noise.”
“Water removal measures pints per day removed under 80 degree F. and 60 percent relative humidity as well as 70 degrees F. and 70 percent relative humidity.”
“Humidistat accuracy” = how closely the unit kept the level it was set for.
“Energy efficiency” = the watts needed to remove a pint of water from the air; fewer watts earned a higher score.
“Noise” = loudness, in decibels, at the highest setting.
“Tank size” = CR’s measured amount emptied from a filled tank.
“Claimed pints/day” = manufacturers’ claims at 80 degree F. and 60% relative humidity.
“Price” = approximate retail.
RATINGS:
Large Capacity for large wet spaces:
1. Danby DDR606 (did not restart after simulated blackout) cost $250; tank size = 15 pints; claimed pints per day = 60; score 87 = “excellent”; rated “excellent” for water removal, humidistat accuracy, and energy efficiency; rated “very good” for noise; includes digital display and frost control.
Danby is rated as a CR “Best Buy.”
2. GE AHK65LK cost $320; tank size = 18 pints; claimed pints per day = 65; score 79 = “very good” overall; rated “excellent” for water removal; rated “very good” for humidistat accuracy and energy efficiency; rated “fair” for noise; includes digital display and frost control.
3. Kenmore (Sears) 54701 cost $250; tank size = 17 pints; claimed 70 pints per day; score 77 = “very good”; rated “very good” for water removal; rated “excellent” for humidistat accuracy; and “good” for energy efficiency and noise; includes digital display and frost control.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are marked as CR “Quick Picks” for performance, value and frost control.
4. Comforte-Aire BHD-651 cost $300; tank size = 16 pints; claimed 65 pints per day; score 74 = “very good” overall; rated “very good” for water removal, humidistat accuracy, energy efficiency, and noise; includes digital display and frost control.
Among the large capacity units, the Comforte-Aire performed well, but its digital humidity readings were unremarkable.
5. Amcor AHD-65E cost $225; tank size = 22 pints; claimed 65 pints per day; score 69 = “Very good;” scored “good” for water removal and energy efficiency; scored “very good” for humidistat accuracy and noise; includes digital display and frost control.
6. Sunpentown SD-60E (did not restart after blackout) cost $250; tank size = 20 pints; claimed 60 pints per day; score 69 = “very good”; scored “very good” for water removal and humidistat accuracy; scored “good” for noise; scored “fair” for energy efficiency; includes digital display and frost control.
The # 7 Whirlpool AD50USS scored 64 (“very good”) and rated poorly for noise; the # 8 LG LDH65EBL scored 62 (“good”) and rated poorly for humidistat accuracy; and the #9 Haier HD656E scored 62 (“good”) and rated poorly for energy efficiency.
Medium-Capacity Dehumidifiers. These are good for medium-sized spaces which are damp to wet.
1. LG LHD45EBL cost $200; tank size = 17 pints; claimed 45 pints per day; score 73 = “very good”; rated “very good” for water removal and energy efficiency; rated “excellent” for noise; rated “good” for humidistat accuracy. Includes digital display and frost control.
The LG is rated a CR “Best Buy” for the medium-capacity category.
2. Kenmore (Sears) 54501 cost $200; tank size = 17 pints; claimed 50 pints per day; score 70 = “very good”; rated “very good” for water removal, humidistat accuracy, and noise; rated “fair” for energy efficiency; includes digital display and frost control.
Numbers 1 and 2 have relatively large tanks and are less noisy than many; the Kenmore has a more accurate humidistat.
3. The Whirlpool AD50USS cost $190 and rated very good for humidistat accuracy and noise;
4. The DeLonghi DE500p (did not restart after blackout) cost $330 and earned only “fair” for humidistat accuracy.
The Small-Capacity units are best for small, damp spaces that aren’t too wet.
1. Haier HD306 cost $140; tank size = 23 pints; claimed 30 pints per day; score 73 = “very good”; and it rated “excellent” for water removal, “good” for humidistat efficiency and noise, and “poor” for energy efficiency; no digital display; it includes frost control.
2. Bionaire BDQ25-UC (did not restart in simulated blackout) cost $140; tank size = 17 pints; claimed 40 pints per day; score 71 = “very good”; rated “excellent” for water removal and noise; rated “very good” for humidistat accuracy; and “fair” for energy efficiency; no digital display or frost control.
The # 3 rated Whirlpool AD25DSS scored “very good” and the # 4 rated GoldStar GHD30 (did not restart after blackout) scored “good,” but both rated poorly for energy efficiency and neither has a digital display, and both include frost control. Both retail for $140.
For the small units, the # 1 Haier scored best with a relatively-low price, but had poor energy-efficiency rating; the # 3 Whirlpool was less noisy; and both restarted after simulated blackouts.
Source:
Consumer Reports magazine, published by Consumers Union, June 2008. CU is an independent, nonprofit organization that accepts no paid advertising, tests thousands of products a year and publishes their results for consumers. They are based in Yonkers, NY.
