If you are looking for a dehumidifier for your basement then you will find there are a lot of options on the market. Figuring out which one is the best solution for you depends on a variety of factors including how large your basement is and how humid it gets from both indoor activities (i.e. using a washer and drying machine), as well as the normal atmospheric humidity in your area.
Other factors like the number of doors, windows, vents and sun exposure all play roles in how humid your basement can get. Today I want to look at four models of dehumidifiers from Frigidaire, Friedrich, DeLonghi and Eva-Dry that are commonly used in basements and storage rooms.
Frigidaire FAD704DWD 70-pint Dehumidifier
This is an Energy Star qualified appliance that is capable of circulating 70 pints per day of water. When attached to a suitable drain it offers continuous performance.
The unit features full electronic controls which are far more precise than the mechanical ones that are seen on some other models. It also has two fan speeds which allow the user to further adjust the power of the dehumidifier based upon the conditions of their basement.
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On top of all this it has a 24 hour timer with auto shut-off making it a “set it and forget it” system that takes very little user interaction to control. This is a nice and quiet dehumidifier that offers a tremendous amount of performance in a rather small package (24.65″ x 16.08″ x 11.32″)
Friedrich D50BP 50 Pint Dehumidifier
This dehumidifier comes in at around the same price point of the Frigidaire discussed above, but it is a 50 pint unit instead of a 70. Despite the smaller size it still offers a tremendous amount of performance and has some features that make it desirable for a wide variety of settings.
This model is Energy Star qualified and offers continuous drainage, but also has the ability to dial in a humidity level target percentage from somewhere between 30% – 90%. This gives the user a tremendous range to work with in order to get the basement humidity to the ideal level. It has a digital control with a 24 hour timer and a variable 2-speed fan. It has a working temperature range between 41°F – 95°F and it all comes packaged in a space saving 15″ x 23 1/4″ x 12″ form factor.
DeLonghi DD45 45 Pt. Energy Star Dehumidifier
The DD45 comes in at a lower price point than the models talked about above and has a 45 pint capacity. Like the other models mentioned it has a digital control panel for increased precision. The water tank can be attached to a drain, or manually emptied if a drain hookup is not available.
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Water levels are easy to monitor because the tank is transparent and located toward the front of the dehumidifier. This is a solid Energy Star qualified appliance that is a little less powerful than the other ones mentioned here, but still packs a good amount of performance into a very small and portable form factor.
Eva-Dry Edv-2200 Mid-Size Dehumidifier
This model of dehumidifier is the cheapest, smallest, and least advanced type discussed in this review. It uses something called Peltier technology. Basically it works by using a heat pump to create a cool surface for the water in the air to condense on.
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One of the big advantages of this unit is that it is extremely quiet and very hard to break because there really are not any moving parts involved in the condensing process.
The big drawback of it is that Peltier technology is not power efficient. This means the capabilities of this unit compared to the others discussed in the article are greatly diminished. Another drawback to this dehumidifier is that the water reservoir must be manually emptied when it gets full. Fortunately the EDV-220 does have an auto shutoff to avoid overfilling.
Conclusion
So which one of these units is the best dehumidifier for a basement application?
From a pure processing power standpoint the Frigidaire has the greatest capacity due to its 70 pints per day size, however this much power could be more than is necessary for a lot of situations. The Eva-Dry is the least efficient and offers the lowest level of dehumidifying capability, but on the flip side it could be all the power necessary for a basement that is either small or only has a very minor moisture issue.
The point is that purchasing a dehumidifier requires someone to first carefully look at their environment and specific needs in order to determine the type and size that is best for them. Getting one that is too large means that a lot of power will be wasted on a unit that is overkill for the situation, likewise getting one that is to small will result in moisture building up to unacceptable levels.