Basement Dehumidifiers

Large-capacity or continuous-drainage dehumidifiers

If you plan to place a dehumidifier in a less-used space like a basement or an attic, you might prefer a larger unit that can collect more water before being emptied. Most of these so-called basement dehumidifiers also have a drain, so you can run a hose to floor drain.

The 70-pint Frigidaire FDF70S1 (*Est. $200) is praised for its power by several owners on Amazon.com and Sears.com. Reviewers also say the electronic controls are easy to program. It can be set for a humidity range of 35 percent to 85 percent and has two fan speeds. Water can be emptied into the 17-pint collection container or -- for continuous use -- it can be drained through a hose to a floor drain. We found one user complaint -- a defective unit that keeps switching on and off -- and most reviewers agree that this dehumidifier is too loud to be used in an occupied room. Overall, however, most owners are pleased. This unit weighs about 44 pounds and sits on casters.

Danby offers dehumidifiers at several different capacities, including two 60-pint models and one 70-pint model, but we found few consumer reviews of those or other Danby products. The Danby PHD Silhouette DHCC6020 3-in-1 Dehumidifier (*Est. $250) is a combination 60-pint dehumidifier, humidifier and air purifier that receives a handful of negative owner reviews. Two reviewers at Amazon.com give this model one star; both say it stops working for one owner after one month and for the other after four hours. The Danby DDR606, a 60-pint model that won praise in professional reviews, has been discontinued.

We found dozens of reviews for the Haier HDN455 45-Pint Capacity Mechanical Control Dehumidifier (*Est. $170), which has a large 25-pint drainage bucket and comes with a 3-foot hose for continuous drainage. It automatically regulates humidity and stops when the water bucket is full. It has a mechanical dial instead of digital controls and is Energy Star-rated. It works in temperatures as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's a good choice for a basement. This dehumidifier receives a good rating from more than 60 reviewers on Amazon.com. Many people say it works well in a basement, although it is loud. However, several owners complain that the unit stopped working after about a year or never worked at all. There are also a few reports of rude, unhelpful customer service. Haier makes several other dehumidifiers with different capacities: the 30-pint Haier HDN305 (*Est. $200), the 40-pint Haier HDN455E (*Est. $230) and the 65-pint Haier HDN655E (*Est. $390), which receives mostly poor reviews from owners at Amazon.com.