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For example, basements over 2,500 square feet that are very wet will need a model that pulls over 100 pints per day. When it comes to the different drainage types for dehumidifiers, buckets and hoses are the most common. “With portable units, water will accumulate in a bucket so the homeowner will need to dump it periodically or locate the unit close to a drain so that a hose can be used to route the water,” explains Bergman. If you don’t want to frequently empty the water bucket, consider a model with a continuous drainage function.
Dehumidifier Installation Costs
Keep in mind that if you have very high humidity levels in a small room, you may want to size up to a larger unit. The water collection tank has an orange indicator that tracks the water level, but it’s a little hard to see. This dehumidifier includes a drain hose port but doesn’t come with the actual hose. New dehumidifiers should come with a manual with a cleaning guide, and it’s best to follow these instructions to keep your device in good condition.
Best Dehumidifier for 2024 - CNET
Best Dehumidifier for 2024.
Posted: Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:42:44 GMT [source]
Smart Features
Use once, then bring it back - no maintenance required and you won’t need to store it either. It’s the largest model that the brand makes, so you probably won’t want to be moving it around too much. Thankfully, it automatically shuts off when it's full so you won’t have to constantly check in on it—just set it up in the cellar/attic/crawlspace and go. You can also opt to attach a drain hose for continuous draining (which is sold separately). This option also provides multiple speed settings based on your needs as well as a smart dry option, which automatically detects the humidity in the room and actively adjusts the fan speed based on it.
A Smart Gadget That Adjusts Its Fan Speed Based On Humidity Levels
The trusty devices remove excess water in the air that can lead to the growth of mold and mildew on walls, floors and other surfaces, which can then cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks, according to the U.S. Plus, they can diminish that clammy, sticky feeling that humid air brings, along with any musty odors. To help you find the right dehumidifier for your needs, we turned to the experts for shopping tips and sought out highly rated options based on their guidance. Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity levels in your home, because with high humidity comes moisture, which can do serious damage if not addressed. To avoid this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping humidity levels in your home as low as possible — no higher than 50%. Typically, the more water-removing capacity and tank capacity a dehumidifier has, the larger it will be.
Best Dehumidifiers (2024 Review)
We eventually switched over to the continuous drain system for the humid months—we had to empty the tank every 2 to 3 days, and it was shutting off for several hours before we noticed. After switching, we found that the dehumidifier didn't have to work as hard (because it kept a consistent humidity level versus having to start from scratch each time), and we liked not worrying about the bucket. If you do choose to use the bucket instead of the continuous drain, it's a pretty easy process. Just like other Frigidaire models in our list, this one wasn't difficult to set up at all.
Its auto defrost function means it's safe for use in basements or other cold rooms. That’s why dehumidifiers are on our list of continuously tested products, though our testing kicks into high gear ahead of the summer months. For this report, we tested more than a dozen dehumidifiers from leading brands, evaluating their performance, efficiency, ease of use and noise level. After all the numbers were crunched, the following models earned hard-won spots on our list of the best dehumidifiers. Like the other ducted dehumidifiers in the lineup, the Honeywell installs on the home’s HVAC system.
A Sleek But Powerful Device With Remote Capability
So not only does the Ultra98 remove unwanted humidity, it also banishes airborne pollutants. Every other dehumidifier we’ve looked at over the years—even those we’ve made our top recommendation—has had a worrisome number of complaints about short service life and catastrophic mechanical failures. On retailer comment boards, the majority of dehumidifier owners have reported themselves as happy with their machines, but a steady 8% to 12% have reported that their dehumidifier went kaput within a year or so. The Midea Cube lineup has been available for several years at this point, and reports of such failures for the Cube models are much less frequent. We found its alerts to be accurate, and we were able to cycle the dehumidifier through its settings with a touch of the screen. Lighter and less expensive than the 50-pint Midea Cube, this is a solid and reliable dehumidifier for spaces up to about 600 square feet.
HomeLabs 4,500-Square-Foot Energy Star Dehumidifier
It will beep once the tank is full, so you can be sure that your room's dehumidification isn't interrupted for too long. We also appreciated the built-in timer, with 2- and 4-hour settings, and the built-in fan, which helped cool down the room, especially on medium and high. It also has an auto defrost (for cold climates) and filter reset button to help you remember when to clean the filter.
How We Chose the Best Whole-House Dehumidifiers
Wi-Fi connectivity or app controllability is a nice feature as it allows users to monitor the unit as it operates and turn the desired humidity level up or down as they choose. From an industry leader in heating, cooling, and air purification comes our top pick for a whole-house dehumidifier for smaller homes. This Honeywell model dehumidifies living spaces up to 1,800 square feet and has a 65 ppd removal rate. The dehumidifier can be positioned over a floor drain if one is convenient, or a hose can be run from the unit to a floor drain. If no drain is available, a separate condensate pump will be required to pump the collected water to a suitable drain. The E080 offers a high level of climate control for a fairly affordable price.
It also has a sleek design with an easy-to-use digital display, and the filter is easily accessible for removal and cleaning. Hands-on testing begins in our Lab under controlled humidity and temperature conditions. The key performance-based test measures how much water each dehumidifier collects in a 48-hour time period. Our engineers also use a decibel meter to assess how loud each machine is when running at its highest fan speed. Usability is another important part of our evaluation; it happens in the Lab, as well as in the homes of consumer testers, allowing us to test the dehumidifiers under real-world conditions. A drain hose can be connected to the unit’s built-in drain port and run to a nearby floor drain.
Nikolas Greenwald, Lab assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute, led the latest round of dehumidifier testing. Nikolas works with all of our Labs to develop testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis. In past reports, our experts tested Midea's Cube 20-Pint Dehumidifier and found it to be an excellent option. The only issue is that it's been a little harder to find this season, but keep an eye out for it if your goal is a compact unit that packs plenty of dehumidifying power. Keep in mind that units with high airflow ratings may be noisier than those with lower ratings, so the goal is to balance coverage, capacity, and airflow. Dehumidifiers pull water out of the air, creating a more comfortable and breathable environment.
Or you can just ask Alexa to handle things remotely while you’re lounging on the couch, since it works with her, too. I'll be honest, the fact that it's also not an eyesore earns it extra points from me. Aside from not being overwhelming in smaller spaces, it comes with comfortable pocket handles to more easily move it about your home, a nice bonus if you happen to have moisture issues in multiple rooms. That said, it does weigh in at just over 36 pounds, so may not want to carry it that often (though it's still nice to have the option!). The best dehumidifiers are easy to operate and pull excess moisture from the air so you and your ...
But with so many types of dehumidifier available, it can often be tricky to know which one is right for your needs. If you have a particularly large or humid room, you may benefit from a machine with a higher capacity and a pump, to make disposing of the water easier. Also, if you have several rooms that need a dehumidifier, it may be worth buying a smaller, more portable unit or on wheels. Lead author Rachel Rothman has extensive experience conducting hands-on testing of dehumidifiers, leveraging her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. In her former role as chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, Rachel helped develop the testing protocols for the category.
In terms of long-term efficiency, modern, fully installed ducted dehumidifiers are more energy efficient than portable-room dehumidifiers, but they come with higher upfront costs. For midsize homes up to 2,300 square feet, the Santa Fe Ultra98 offers a whole lot of humidity reduction. It can remove as many as 98 pints of water in 24 hours when operating at full capacity, and water drains via a hose into a nearby drain—no tank to dump. Thankfully, the instruction manual offers clear guidance on all of the settings and control panel functions, since this has a bit of a complicated design. While we were initially confused about how this model sits on its water bucket, we quickly realized there are helpful guide stickers to line up the correct sides.
However, we’d prefer if there was a light or a different indicator in case we weren’t close enough to the machine to hear it. We also didn’t like how loud it was, because we had to raise our voices when speaking when in close proximity to it. At one point we did move it to an upstairs dining room area, but found that the dehumidifier was more effective in the basement.
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