Dehumidifiers...

[madteaparty]

Is anyone else having extremely damp weather? I have a room with huge windows and sliding doors to a deck that’s drenched in sunlight—-the (thick cotton) drapes feel wet to the touch! As does the upholstered chair. My friend states she is running central air non stop just to dry out the air. 

I don’t have (or want) central air but I want to invest in a very good dehumidifier that I can move room to room as needed. We don’t have this problem in the winter (because we run a wood stove and I think that dries the air). This summer is crazy!

[LadyR]

We recently purchased a 50 pint GE dehumidifier from Home Depot for our basement and we are extremely happy with it.  Right now, with all this humidity in the northeast, I'm emptying it about once a day! I also bought the same unit but smaller (30 pint) for my daughter's 400sf studio apartment and it's perfect.  Before she got it everything in her apartment felt damp.  It is on wheels so it is moveable and easy to empty.

[KungFuPanda]

They’re expensive but really work. I have one in my basement and it completely changed how the place feels. A portable AC unit costs about the same though and will dry and cool the air. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We have two 75 pt dehumidifiers that we run, plus our central AC unit. (We have to keep our humidity at a sweet spot for asthma reasons.)  A few thoughts:

1. The same two factories make all dehumidifiers which are sold under different labels.

2. Most dehumidifiers do not do well the second year if they are unplugged and left unused all winter.  Definitely buy the extended warranty. It has saved our bacon more than once.

[mumto2]

We run two dehumidifiers (our brand in made in Durham England) fairly constantly, one on each floor.  Dh empties them twice a day.  Our dampness problem seems to be typical England compounded by my drying racks for laundry.  They work so well our neighbor bought them too!  

[PrincessMommy]

I have this one for 2 yrs:

https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-70-Pint-Dehumidifier-Effortless-Humidity/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533814948&sr=8-1&keywords=fridgidare+dehumidifier&dpID=316rM8FWZvL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and have been very happy with it. 

 

I've bought a smaller one specifically for a small room and have been much less happy with it.  It works, but not that great.   It's the 2nd one I've tried for smaller spaces, so I wouldn't recommend going that route.  Get the big guns if you can afford it. 

[madteaparty]

Wow thanks everyone. I thought it was just  me suffering from the humidity!

[Acadie]

It's been a crazy humid summer here, too, but even with AC that dehumidifies the upstairs, we've needed a dehumidifier in our basement since we moved in 16 years ago.

I think we've been through 3 units in that time. I used to read reviews for the best model, but like a pp now I opt for a decent model with an extended warranty from somewhere I can return and pick up locally. That's Lowe's for us. The funny thing is this last unit, with the extended warranty, has lasted the longest. 

You need to clean the filter every couple months and I also vacuum or wipe the interior of the unit once every year or two. Just take it outside on a sunny day with the shop vac, rags and a bucket of water and clean whatever you can easily reach if there's a panel that comes off. 

We have ours hooked up to a hose that runs to the basement drain, so no need to empty the reservoir--we just run it continuously whenever our heat isn't on. 

We have allergies and asthma in the family and since one recipe for mold is simply dust + humidity over 50%, it's a health priority for us to keep the humidity in the house down.

Amy