Dehumidifiers are rated by how many pints of water they can remove in 24 hours. We tested 50-pint models, which are close to the upper end of the size range. For large spaces or very damp areas, you’ll need a higher capacity model.

Type:If humidity is a problem throughout the entire house, an integrated whole-home system may be the way to go. If your moisture issues are seasonal or confined to only some rooms of the house, a portable residential unit is your best bet. Smaller dehumidifiers tend to cost less and can be easier to move, but they can be less efficient when running at a constant rate. It's best to err on the side of caution by buying a larger unit than a smaller one and having the unit run less frequently.

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. Before joining GH in 2022 , Nikolas worked in the labs of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, working on projects ranging from chemical inventory and reporting to the development of bioassays. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University. Running costs vary widely depending on the amount of humidity your dehumidifier is dealing with. In our tests, we challenged the units with an extremely high humidity environment and ran them at their maximum fan settings. This should give a top-end estimate for energy use.

Low Noise Design - minimise noise and maximise comfort by optimising the refrigeration and air duct systems. The noise is as low as 39dB. The Dehumidifier also uses reciprocating compressor technology allowing less vibration to effectively reducing the noise level. This relates to how many speeds the fan has on the dehumidifier. The more speeds there are, the better as it gives you greater control and means excess energy isn’t wasted. We only test condensing models, since they capture more moisture than desiccant models (which use a water-absorbing material) or thermoelectric dehumidifiers (which use an electric charge to "attract" humidity).We placed data loggers to record humidity and temperature around the room. Once we’d hit our peak humidity target, we switched on the test dehumidifier. Medium-sized models, on the other hand, have been reduced from 50 pints to 30 pints capacities. Whereas small dehumidifiers have moved from 30 pints to roughly 20 pints. A medium humidifier removes 30 to 35 pints of moisture at 65°F, or 50 to 60 pints at 80°F (about 800 to 1,000-plus square feet).

A frost sensor will detect the formation of ice on the condenser coils. The dehumidifier will then shut off the compressor to give the ice a chance to melt. If it continues to run with frost on the coils, this can damage the parts and make the appliance work much harder to absorb any moisture. Midea are Introducing the MDDF-20DEN7-QA3 with room coverage up to 45 m2. Dehydrate up to 20 liters of water for a day to breathe freely at any time. Provide a healthy atmosphere without moisture and mold. Use the Dehumidifier day and night, even in the bedroom, as only 37 dB noise quiet.Each dehumidifier ran for two hours at its highest fan setting and set to continuous running mode. If that wasn’t available, we set the humidistat to the lowest possible relative humidity level. Smart Dehumidification Technology - automatically control room humidity in a comfortable range (45%-55% according to room temperature) which inhibits bacteria growth. Over time these filters get clogged and restrict airflow. Some can be vacuumed clean, and others are washable. Pull out the filter and vacuum or rinse it off every few weeks. It’s always useful to look out for Energy Star Certification as this guarantees savings in terms of energy and money.

Auto Restart- if the unit turns off unexpectedly due to the power being cut, it will restart with the previous function setting automatically when the power resumes. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy instituted new dehumidifier testing standards. Nowadays, dehumidifiers are assessed at lower temperatures to better simulate being placed in a real-life environment, such as the basement. Each dehumidifier ran for two hours at its highest fan setting and set to continuous running mode. After, we measured to see how much water it had collected.Any dehumidifier with a score above 1.8 qualifies for an Energy Star rating. All the dehumidifiers we tested are Energy Star products.