Dehumidifier Review

Durability is a key factor when evaluating dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from the air, which is a common problem in basements, homes without air conditioning during warm summer months, crawlspaces and small storage areas. A relative humidity above 50 percent makes the home's environment feel uncomfortable and can cause mold and mildew to grow. In addition to a telltale musty smell, mold and mildew can trigger allergies and draw insects into the home. While dehumidifiers are most often used during warm months, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping the relative humidity in your home between 30 and 40 percent in the winter to prevent condensation from forming on windows.

Most of today's humidifiers contain built-in fans that blow humid air over a refrigeration system with cold and warm coils. Drier, warmer air is then released back into the room, decreasing the space's level of moisture. Manufacturers classify dehumidifiers by the maximum amount of condensation they can extract from the air in a 24-hour period. Home dehumidifiers generally have a capacity in the range of 25 to 70 pints per day, although some models can remove more than 100 pints of water daily.

The majority of dehumidifiers have a container to collect the condensed water, which needs to be emptied when it becomes full. All dehumidifiers turn off when the container is full so you may want to look for models with a hose hook-up. This allows you to connect a hose that carries water to a floor drain continuously. A few models feature a pump (or have one as an option) that will push the water up to a sink or out of a basement window. These options allow the unit to run without interruption until the desired humidity level is reached, unlike collection container models. If you can't hook up a drainage hose, a larger collection container won't need to be emptied as frequently, but it will be heavier to carry when full.

All the dehumidifiers covered in this report have an Energy Star label that signifies the model has met the EPA's standard for energy efficiency. Energy Star products consume 15 percent less energy than non-certified dehumidifiers. The Energy Star website provides a list of all the Energy Star-certified dehumidifiers and assigns each an efficiency rating. Although all dehumidifiers also automatically shut off when the desired humidity level is reached, many models' internal fans continue to run to keep air circulating. This can increase energy consumption and create a continuous background noise that some owners find bothersome in bedrooms and other living areas.

In terms of professional reviews, ConsumerReports.org has the most comprehensive comparison of dehumidifiers. Editors evaluate 17 dehumidifiers that they classify into three groups: large-capacity (60 to 70 pints), mid-capacity (45 to 50 pints) and small-capacity units. Each dehumidifier is rated by effectiveness at three room temperatures -- 80, 70 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit -- relative humidity levels. Editors also evaluate humidistat accuracy, energy efficiency, operating noise and control frost on the condenser. Testers recommend two to three units in each size category.

Good Housekeeping also conducts a thorough review of 11 dehumidifiers, ranging in capacity from 50 to 70 pints. Extensive testing criteria include ease of use, how long the collection container took to fill and even the manufacturer's customer service, but there's no clear ranking of the models. Rather, the magazine presents the pros and cons of 11 top dehumidifiers.

A Washington Post article includes some expert advice about buying dehumidifiers. Jura Koncius interviews a home-environment products buyer for Sears and Kmart, so the recommendations are limited to models carried by those retailers. Still, the article nicely outlines new innovations and shopping tips.

Another helpful source, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), is an independent lab that conducts objective and standardized testing to verify the performance of dehumidifiers and other products. The organization's dehumidifier testing verifies manufacturer claims for water-removal capacity and energy used. Consumers can use this site to check how many pints of water a particular model removed in a 24-hour period at 80 degrees and 60 percent relative humidity. However, this organization doesn't test models for any other factors.

There's no shortage of dehumidifier reviews posted by owners, as many online retailers sell them. We found the most owners reviews on a wide number of models at Amazon.com as well as two electronics and appliance retailers -- Sylvane.com and ABT.com. A more limited number of owner reviews are available at Sears.com, Walmart.com, DehumidifierExperts.com, Newegg.com and AJMadison.com. Two websites that specialize in allergy-related products, AllergyBuyersClub.com and AchooAllergy.com, provide both expert and user feedback on dehumidifiers. Owner reviews of dehumidifiers at Epinions.com were too scarce to be really useful.

In analyzing professional and consumer reviews of dehumidifiers, we were surprised to find considerable disparity between what professional reports focus on and what owners discuss. With most dehumidifiers costing more than $200, the sticking point for owners is durability, something professional reviewers typically don't discuss. For instance, among brands, few have better name recognition than Kenmore, a Sears exclusive. However, even though two of the professional sources we consulted recommend several Kenmore dehumidifiers, which are manufactured by Winix, consumer reviews at Sears.com complain about poor durability.