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Hisense has replaced DH7019KP1WG with the equivalent 2021 model DH7021KP1G; we will soon test it and the innovative Midea Rubik's Cube.
If you have ever used words like musty, sultry, damp, sultry, damp, moldy, or terrible dampness to describe the air in your home, then you may need a dehumidifier. We have been testing dehumidifiers for many years, and after completing the latest round, we chose Frigidaire FFAP5033W1 as our first choice. This is a powerful machine designed for large spaces with a built-in pump that makes drainage particularly easy and complies with the latest Energy Star efficiency regulations.
This model is powerful and can accommodate 1,200 square feet of space. Its built-in pump provides multiple drainage options. The design details make it the easiest dehumidifier to use.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$340.
In other respects, the dehumidifier does not have a pump, which restricts you from manually emptying the water tank or passively sending water into the floor drain. It is also cheaper.
*At the time of publication, the price was $250.
Frigidaire FFAP5033W1 is strong enough to lower a damp cellar to less than 50% humidity-this helps to inhibit wood rot, mildew and other pests that can damage your house and cause allergies. Upstairs, it can maintain the humidity of 1,200 square feet of space under most comfortable conditions. It has an Energy Star rating and has several nice design details (such as a flat carrying handle and built-in rope storage device), which can be easily moved around the house and stored in the dry season. We like the versatility provided by its pumps: all dehumidifiers must regularly discharge the water they remove from the air, and the pump allows you to automatically direct the water out of the sink or window.
That is, if you don’t mind emptying the water tank manually (it may take several times a day), or you can send water into the basement drain via a gravity-fed garden hose, then the other same pumpless Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 is a cheaper option .
This GE matches the power of the preferred Frigidaire, but its bulky drain hose attachment and lack of cord storage make it less user-friendly.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$272.
GE's APER50LZ is almost the same as Frigidaire FFAP5033W1 in most important aspects: it has the same daily water removal capacity, Energy Star rating, and it has a pump to help you send water into the sink or window. Compared with Frigidaire, some of its minor disadvantages include narrow pocket handles, poor grip, and no place to wrap the power cord when you move the machine or store it. If this GE model is easier to find, or if you find it at a better price, then it is a good choice.
This compact, efficient and economical dehumidifier is designed for smaller spaces such as bedrooms and laundry rooms.
Frigidaire's FFAD2233W1 dehumidifier is more than 100 dollars smaller than our top choice—think handbags and suitcases. Its power is not great. But this makes it a better choice for smaller spaces, where stronger machines seem excessive in every respect. It has Energy Star certification, a comfortable pocket handle, and the same convenient rope storage as the larger preferred Frigidaire. But like all small dehumidifiers, it does not have a pump, so you must manually empty the tank or place the machine where it can drain into a sink or floor drain-this is rarely feasible in a home office or bedroom.
If you want to monitor and adjust your dehumidifier from a distance, we like this Frigidaire Gallery machine. Its application is easy to install and stable-but it does not have a pump.
*At the time of publication, the price was $274.
There are not many smart dehumidifiers available, but if you want to receive "tank full" and other notifications on your phone, or adjust the machine and turn it on or off when you are out, we recommend you Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1. In most respects the same as our first choice Frigidaire, it adds Wi-Fi connectivity and can be used with Frigidaire's app on iOS and Android. We thought it was easy to set up, we found that the alarm was accurate, and we were able to easily cycle through the settings of the machine through the phone. We hope it has a pump, but the Wi-Fi connection makes one missing one less problem: remote monitoring lets you know when you need to empty the tank manually.
This machine with a 50 pint pump is too loud for living spaces, but it is as effective and inexpensive as our first choice-it can be used in vacant areas up to 1,200 square feet.
*At the time of publication, the price was $300.
The pump-equipped Hisense DH7019KP1WG is as loud at the lowest setting as the preferred Frigidaires at the highest setting, which means it is really not practical in residential spaces. In other words, it is cheaper and has many of the outstanding design features of Frigidaires, such as folding handles and built-in rope storage devices. Its pump setup is actually better than Frigidaires, with soft (as opposed to hard) hoses and a user-friendly thumb-operated hose separation mechanism; Frigidaires have a difficult-to-operate collar detachment. If you need to dry vacant spaces, such as unfinished basements, garages or garden sheds, we recommend that you use it.
This model is powerful and can accommodate 1,200 square feet of space. Its built-in pump provides multiple drainage options. The design details make it the easiest dehumidifier to use.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$340.
In other respects, the dehumidifier does not have a pump, which restricts you from manually emptying the water tank or passively sending water into the floor drain. It is also cheaper.
*At the time of publication, the price was $250.
This GE matches the power of the preferred Frigidaire, but its bulky drain hose attachment and lack of cord storage make it less user-friendly.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$272.
This compact, efficient and economical dehumidifier is designed for smaller spaces such as bedrooms and laundry rooms.
If you want to monitor and adjust your dehumidifier from a distance, we like this Frigidaire Gallery machine. Its application is easy to install and stable-but it does not have a pump.
*At the time of publication, the price was $274.
This machine with a 50 pint pump is too loud for living spaces, but it is as effective and inexpensive as our first choice-it can be used in vacant areas up to 1,200 square feet.
*At the time of publication, the price was $300.
If you have a cellar or basement, or a garage—especially those with a persistent musty smell—you may need a dehumidifier. Due to groundwater penetration, these spaces tend to increase humidity, and humidity that is always higher than about 60% will promote mold, mildew and insect infestation, some of which can exacerbate certain allergies. These spaces also often lack air conditioning and heating, which helps keep the air in other parts of the home dry in summer and winter.
Above-ground space will also be affected by increased humidity. The laundry room is a common example, because wet clothes often appear. Enclosed porches can be a problem because they are often not sealed from external elements like other parts of the home, and like basements, they may not be connected to air conditioning and heating. The same applies to lofts, garages, walk-in closets, and any other spaces with poor air conditioning and heating.
Your nose can help you determine if you have a humidity problem: a persistent musty smell is a sign of mold and mildew, and indicates an increase in humidity levels. (Inexpensive hygrometers, such as the AcuRite hygrometer we used in our tests, will help you pinpoint any suspicious problem areas.) Even without olfactory indicators, in spring and autumn of the four seasons, when the temperature is mild and the heating is low There may also be problems or the use of air conditioners may mean higher humidity throughout the home.
There are restrictions on the type of dehumidifiers we are reviewing here. If your basement is severely damp for a long time, they are just a temporary way to relieve symptoms until you can make a large and expensive permanent repair to the underlying problem. (The basement moisture problem guide for this old house is very helpful.) They are not enough to overcome regular flooding in the basement or dry out saturated walls and floors after flooding or other major weather events; these jobs require large blowers and potential commercial grades Portable dehumidifier. (Both can be rented locally in many areas; look for flood restoration experts.)
The model in this guide draws air into the cooled metal fins, causing the water vapor in the air to condense and be discharged into the water tank, and then discharged from the water tank. The mechanism is similar to that of air conditioners (and refrigerators), but since dehumidifiers do not cool the air in a given space by transferring heat to the outside like air conditioners, they can work at cool temperatures—anything higher than A temperature of around 40° F-this is common in uninsulated spaces. But as an inevitable result, dehumidifiers increase the temperature of the room where they are located. If you want the room to be both dry and cool, then air conditioning should be your first choice, including running new ducts if possible.
We have been focusing on condensing dehumidifiers, which are by far the most common and practical type for homeowners. They are available in a variety of sizes to keep the air in large and small rooms comfortable and dry; just like air conditioners and refrigerators, they work similarly, and they are strictly regulated in terms of energy efficiency; like them, they are "one-time-for-all" Electrical appliances.
The U.S. Department of Energy changed the performance and efficiency test standards for condensing dehumidifiers in 2019 to make them more reflective of typical use cases than before. (The new test was conducted at colder temperatures-65°F vs. 80°F-which are similar to the conditions in a typical cellar.) This means that manufacturers must redesign their dehumidifiers, leading to 2020 Wholesale renovation of dehumidifiers sold in the United States.
This also means that the "size" of dehumidifiers (expressed in the amount of pints they can condense per day) has changed. According to the new regulations of the Department of Energy, the 70-pint "large space" model is now about 50 pints; what is a "medium" 50 pint, now it is about 35 pints; the previous 30 pint "small space" model is now It's about 22 pints. However, in fact, the new pint grade is the same as its predecessor because there is less moisture in the cold air. In 2020, as in past guides, we will focus on the first and last categories: large space and small space models. The 50-pint model is enough to hold approximately 1,200 square feet; the 22-pint model can hold up to approximately 500 square feet. And all dehumidifiers are most effective in adjacent spaces; for example, don't expect a 22-pint model to dry the air in two adjacent but independent 200-square-foot bedrooms.
We eliminated desiccant and thermoelectric dehumidifier. The dryer draws in air through hydrophilic or water-absorbing materials. They remove less moisture per day than condensing dehumidifiers (usually 21 pints per day and 30 to 95 pints per day), and are generally suitable for environments with temperatures below 40 °F and 45% relative humidity. This combination can be found in any household Are rare. Thermoelectric dehumidifiers run electric charges through certain metal plates, causing one end to heat up and the other end to cool down, and moisture condenses on the cool side. But their effect is not good enough, they can only remove about 25 ounces (less than 2 pints) of water from the air every day.
We considered several other factors when narrowing down the selection, including:
The presence or absence of a pump: All dehumidifiers need to be emptied because their water tanks are filled with water condensed from the air. On each machine, you can do this manually by removing the water tank and pouring the water into the drain pipe. You can also passively drain the water by bypassing the water tank and using a short piece of garden hose to direct the water down to the floor drain. But a dehumidifier equipped with a pump adds a third option that we value very much: pumping water up into the sink or out of the window. This allows you to use them in almost any cellar or basement, even those without floor drains. In other words, the pump will increase the upfront cost and potential cost (such as repair or return in case of failure). None of the cheaper small space models we have seen include a pump. (You can purchase a separate condensate pump to add this feature to non-pump models.)
Easy to set up, maintain and operate: Dehumidifiers are heavy, so if they have comfortable, sturdy handles and smooth rolling wheels, so much the better. Simple, well-lit controls are also great, because you might be running one of these machines in a dark basement. We want a water tank that we find easy to remove and empty, which can be a recurring chore.
In order to narrow our selection and inform our standards, we talked with the dehumidifier manufacturer and conducted a thorough review of the available models. Because the new model has only been on the market for a few months, we did not rely too much on the comments of the car owner; we will monitor this content in the coming year and include it in the 2021 version of this guide.
Guided by our research and past tests, we selected 8 dehumidifiers from nearly 20 competitors for testing in 2020.
We have tested dehumidifiers many times in a variety of ways. In 2020, we will operate these machines in a sealed 135 square foot (10 ft x 13.5 ft) basement office at Wirecutter's New York headquarters. We use the Levoit LV600HH humidifier to increase the humidity in the room, and seal the air conditioning vents with tape and foil to minimize their influence on our readings. Then we run each dehumidifier twice, once to set both it and the humidifier to the highest setting, and the other time to the low setting respectively. This simulates the conditions in a very humid cellar and a moderately humid living space after a rain event. Each test runs for one hour, during which time we use a digital hygrometer to monitor changes in humidity. At the end of each test, we weigh the amount of water condensed in the dehumidifier. We also measured the noise output of dehumidifiers from a distance of 6 feet to understand their livability in the bedroom or living room. Finally, we conducted an overnight stability test on each machine under the environmental conditions of a 3,100 square foot basement test space to understand their expansion performance and check whether their automatic shutdown (triggered when the fuel tank is full) is working properly.
Both of our test models support Wi-Fi, which allows them to be controlled and monitored remotely via the app. We downloaded these two apps and ran them at their pace, whether in the New York office, the apps and machines were connected to the local network, or from the writer Tim Heffernan’s home a few miles away, at his own Run the application on the network.
For an earlier version of this guide, former Wirecutter writer Kevin Purdy ran four 70-pint machines a week in his 850-square-foot cellar in Buffalo, New York, and a similar Buffalo cellar by Wirecutter writer Nick Guy. High humidity. Kevin monitors the ability of each machine to maintain 50% humidity in wet weather, measures their noise output, and evaluates multiple usability factors, including the relative ease of connecting hoses, removing and reinstalling the water tank, and operating the control panel.
In 2019, we tested several dehumidifiers in a 228-square-foot room in our Los Angeles office. The ceiling of the room was unusually high, 14 feet-equivalent to a 400-square-foot room with a typical 8-foot ceiling. We ran the dehumidifier for four hours: two hours at the highest setting, then one hour at the medium setting, and finally one hour at the low setting. This process shows how quickly machines can reduce the humidity from over 70% to about 50%, and then whether they can maintain this level in a quieter environment, especially in the bedroom where it is easier to live.
This model is powerful and can accommodate 1,200 square feet of space. Its built-in pump provides multiple drainage options. The design details make it the easiest dehumidifier to use.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$340.
In other respects, the dehumidifier does not have a pump, which restricts you from manually emptying the water tank or passively sending water into the floor drain. It is also cheaper.
*At the time of publication, the price was $250.
Frigidaire FFAP5033W1 is a 50-pint machine equipped with a pump. It is our first choice among dehumidifiers. It is powerful enough to keep most basements and living spaces comfortable and dry, up to about 1,200 square feet. It is also very quiet. In the lower case, about 47 decibels, you can watch TV nearby. More importantly, the noise it makes is not harsh: where other dehumidifiers make intrusive noises, Frigidaire just hums. And the pump allows you to place it almost anywhere, because it can guide the condensate upwards and into the sink or outside the window. (We tested the pump with a vertical lift of 10 feet, which is sufficient to drain most basement water; this is no problem, and like all our pump-equipped competitors, it has a rated height of 16 feet.)
However, if you know that you don’t need a pump—that is, if you don’t mind emptying the tank every day, or you are sure that you can passively channel the water into the basement drain or safely place the machine above the sink—we recommend using the same Pumpless Frigidaire FFAD50331W as a cheaper option. Frigidaire is easier to connect passive drain hoses than most other manufacturers, placing the connection point outside the machine instead of within the fuel tank compartment.
FFAP5033W1 reduced the humidity of our 135 square feet test space by 12% in one hour, from 59% to 47%, while also fighting against powerful humidifiers that also operate at high altitudes-our response to challenging spaces Approximately, like an unsealed cellar in heavy rain. In low gear, the humidifier is also in low gear (approximately a less challenging space, such as a spare room or closed porch, connected to the air-conditioned space but not directly served by the HVAC system), it further reduces Humidity is reduced by 15% in one hour. An informal night test in a space of 3,100 square feet-it was a torture test because it was far greater than its design goal-during this period, the ambient humidity was about 65% and it completely filled 16.9 The pint (2.1 gallon) can is at a high position within 12 hours, indicating its long-term air-drying ability.
In actual use, the dehumidifier runs more or less 24/7, and it is expected that the humidity will drop even more. In our previous tests, the predecessor of the preferred pumpless FFAD5033W1 performed well in a pair of large, very humid, unsealed basements in Buffalo, New York, reducing humidity from above 70% to 45%, when set to high , And keep the humidity at the lowest setting of 50% to 55% thereafter, even in rainy weather. In a short confirmation test in Los Angeles, the predecessor of FFAP5033W1, the first choice equipped with a pump, reduced the humidity from 72% to 58% in just half an hour, which is equivalent to 400 square feet of space, even with a humidifier that constantly replenishes the moisture in the air . In short: we believe our current choices will behave similarly.
We tested the FFAP5033W1 pump by hanging the drain hose from a sprinkler pipe 10 feet above the ground. The pump can pump water up to that high without any difficulty—it is rated to push water up to 16 feet—and drain the entire tank in half an hour. And setting up and operating the pump is simple, once you manage the unnecessary tricky removal of the installed plug. The hose is automatically sealed and locked in place-no tools are required. Then activate the pump via the control panel. (Please note that the pump does not turn on immediately: it only starts when the water tank is full. It is also worth noting that Frigidaire connects the plug to the machine via a convenient plastic strap, which is a rare favor. You Need to reinstall if you later decide to turn off the pump and empty the machine by another method, and the belt means you won't lose it.)
The FFAP5033W1 measured 57.2 decibels for the treble and 47.6 decibels for the bass at a distance of 6 feet. When it is in a high position, you don't want to sleep, work or watch TV near it, but when it is in a low position, it is quiet enough that you can use it quite comfortably. Likewise, compared to some machines—even those that measure very similarly in decibel output—its compressor is much less obtrusive. The noise is dominated by the more pleasant whistling sound of the fan.
But the fact is that in our tests, most dehumidifiers of a given capacity performed roughly the same—not surprisingly, because they all must meet the same stringent standards of the U.S. Department of Energy. For this reason, most consume roughly the same power, 545 watts. (According to the US Department of Energy’s current dehumidifier standards, this is the weighted average of the suction volume of energy-intensive compressors when only the fans are running during the on and idle periods.)
Therefore, in addition to consistently good performance in our tests, Frigidaires is also some user-friendly design elements that we choose other dehumidifiers to lack.
Both FFAP5033W1 and FFAD5033W1 have a sturdy folding handle on the top of the machine. This makes them easier to move than other similar dehumidifiers, and most dehumidifiers have shallow pocket handles on the side. (A fifty-pint humidifier usually weighs 45 to 50 pounds.) And both Frigidaires have built-in power cord storage—again, they are almost unique. Being able to bypass the power cord makes them easier to move, and can be stored neater in the closet when not in use.
Frigidaires makes it easier to connect garden hoses for passive drainage than most other manufacturers: the connector is located outside the main body of the machine, so it is very easy to tighten the hose. This seems to be a simple design, but all other dehumidifiers we have tested have the coupling placed inside the machine, within the narrow confines of the tank pocket. Connecting the hose (or in some cases, connecting the plastic joint extension) there is a cumbersome, knuckle scratching trouble.
The Frigidaires air filter is installed on the outside of the machine and needs to be flushed every two weeks to keep the condenser operating in its best condition, so it is easy to see, disassemble and reinstall. Some competitors hide their filters inside the machine, making them more difficult to repair, and more importantly, keeping them out of sight. (Filters do not have any air purification capabilities-they are only used to catch pet hair and dust to prevent them from clogging the condenser.)
Finally, the control panel on Frigidaires is well laid out and clear, with a minimum number of clearly marked single function buttons. Other dehumidifiers have multi-function buttons, cluttered layouts, and sometimes strange labels. (For example, the runner-up GE below shows a red Empty when the water tank is full. Of course, this means "it's time to empty the water tank", but it will be clearer to display Full directly.)
The extra versatility provided by the pump makes the FFAP5033W1 the best all-round dehumidifier of our choice. But faulty pumps are also a common source of complaints from owners. Please see the flaws, not the spoilers, below, to understand our views on this and other issues. If you only need to dehumidify a single bedroom, laundry room or other small spaces, check out our smaller and cheaper 30 pint Frigidaire options below.
Many owners of each brand of pump-equipped dehumidifier reported that it was difficult to remove the plug from the pump socket when the pump was initially set up for operation, including the case where the plug was disconnected after repeated use of force. Their frustration is understandable: you have to press down a small collar to release the plug, which is almost impossible with your fingers. The collar was too thin to hold, and it was blocked by the plug itself. A coin or flat-head screwdriver can enter the narrow gap behind the plug and press down the collar, then the plug comes out easily. But these acrobatics just highlight the crappy design. Once again, crappy designs are common—not unique to Frigidaire.
Another common complaint in negative reviews of pump-equipped dehumidifiers is that the pump itself fails within a few months. It is worth mentioning that many customers have left negative comments on the genuine failure of the previous Frigidaire model pump, saying that they can get a replacement device within the Frigidaire warranty. We will test FFAP5033W1 for a long time to see if we ourselves encounter pump failures.
Finally, emptying Frigidaire's water tank manually is a bit sloppy. The water tank has a lid that prevents water from splashing out when you bring it to the sink-but it also means that there is only one small hole to pour water. When you tilt the water tank to do so, a lot of water will also leak from the edge of the lid to your hands. Bring a towel.
This GE matches the power of the preferred Frigidaire, but its bulky drain hose attachment and lack of cord storage make it less user-friendly.
*At the time of publication, the price was US$272.
GE's APER50LZ is similar in almost all respects to the preferred Frigidaire FFAP5033W1: it is a 50-pint machine with the same options, which can be pumped, passively drained or emptied manually. It has also received Energy Star certification; it measures a similar height of 56.2 decibels and 47.2 decibels (compared to Frigidaire's 57.2 and 47.6); its compressor noise is also suppressed. GE, like Frigidaire, lowered the humidity in our test space. It filled its water tank during our informal night test, and its pump can lift water up to 10 feet above the ground. Like the Frigidaire 50 pint model, it is suitable for spaces up to approximately 1,200 square feet.
For the above design elements, we prefer Frigidaire machines to GE's corresponding machines. Although the 50-pint Frigidaire dehumidifier has a large and easy-to-grip top handle, GE has small, shallow pocket handles on the side. We found that when moving this 45-pound machine around the room, they were more difficult to grasp. GE also does not provide a way to wrap the power cord when storing or relocating it. Its air filter is hidden behind the air intake grille, which is more difficult to clean than the Frigidaire machine installed outside. Finally, connecting a garden hose for passive drainage to a GE dehumidifier is tricky because the connection point is located in the narrow water tank compartment. Frigidaire places the connection point outside the machine-easier to use.
Both have a bad design element: a drain plug that is difficult to remove. But Frigidaire puts the plug on the small belt connected to the machine, so if you turn off the pump function and need to seal the drain hole again, it will be convenient for you. GE's are loose and easily misplaced. (We recommend to stick it on the back of the machine when not in use.)
But these differences are not deal breakers. If you can find GE machines more easily or at a better price, then this is a good choice.
This compact, efficient and economical dehumidifier is designed for smaller spaces such as bedrooms and laundry rooms.
If you need to dehumidify a small space (up to about 500 square feet), such as a laundry room or a bedroom, a 22-pint machine is enough, and the upfront and operating costs will be lower. We chose the Frigidaire FFAD2233W1 dehumidifier among the 22 pints machines. It performed well in a test space the size of our office, and the low and high humidity dropped by 6% in one hour (while the humidifier kept adding moisture to the air). This is about half the performance we get from the more powerful first choice Frigidaire, which makes sense: the dehumidification capacity of the FFAD2233W1 is only about half of the larger machine. But it shares some design details that give the larger 70-pint Frigidaire model an advantage over similar products, such as the user-friendly external drain hose attachment. There is no 22-pint machine with a pump; you need to empty the water tank manually or passively drain it into a floor drain or sink. (A separate condensate pump can provide you with another option, because you passively drain the dehumidifier into the pump's tank and let it move the water away.)
FFAD2233W1 has an Energy Star rating, which means it meets federal energy efficiency standards. When the compressor is turned on, it consumes 260 watts of power-less than half the power used by its 50 pint cousin-so you can save a few dollars in electricity bills. It is not as loud as the big Frigidaires, at 57.6 decibels and 47.6 decibels respectively. The low setting is quiet enough to sleep nearby. You mainly hear the white noise of the fan, not the mechanical hum of the compressor like other machines.
Like the larger Frigidaires, the FFAD2233W1 also has convenient wire storage hooks on the back, which means you can bypass the wires when moving or storing them. It also has a convenient external drain hose attachment, which we like to use on larger machines. However, it does not have a foldable top handle on the side, but a pocket handle. We prefer the former, but the pocket handle provides enough grip to move it safely (weighing about 35 pounds). Unfortunately, it is as clumsy as a large machine for manual drainage: the splash cover on the tank also makes the water poured out a bit splashy. But if you don't need the higher power of a 50-pint machine, this is a reliable and economical choice.
If you want to monitor and adjust your dehumidifier from a distance, we like this Frigidaire Gallery machine. Its application is easy to install and stable-but it does not have a pump.
*At the time of publication, the price was $274.
The smart dehumidifier can alert you when the bucket is full, or you can control it remotely, which can be attractive when you use it in a home you don’t go to often, such as that creepy corner of a cellar Where the whitebait lives. But few smart models are available. In 2020, we tested Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1 and LG UD501KOJ5, both of which are 50-pint machines with Wi-Fi controls. Frigidaire was the choice between us because it is quieter, more compact, and its application proved to be more stable. However, Frigidaire does not have a pump. You need to empty the bucket yourself, or use a garden hose to passively lead the water into the floor drain. We don't think this is a major flaw, because Wi-Fi is most useful when manual drainage is the only option: the machine will alert you when the water tank is full.
Setting up FGAC5044W1 for Wi-Fi is simple: we downloaded the app (to the Android phone) and followed the steps it gave to connect the dehumidifier to our office network, and then the dehumidifier and the app were automatically connected. As with all smart appliances, some owners report problems with settings and errors, but Frigidaire's online customers seem to respond quickly. We found the app to be easy to use and stable, while LG repeatedly disconnected. GE sent a "full box" alert during our night test, and we were able to remotely control all its settings (such as target humidity and fan speed) without problems.
FGAC5044W1 is quieter than the model it replaces, the discontinued Frigidaire FGAC7044U1 (our preferred choice in the smart category). Several owners noticed this in their comments, and we directly measured this change: FGAC5044W1 produces a high decibel of 57.2 decibels and 47.6 decibels, which is almost the same as the non-Wi-Fi first choice FFAP5033W1, which is much lower than 61 and 59 decibels. High and low, we measured its predecessor. The results show that it is much easier to live and sleep nearby. In terms of dehumidification performance, it also matches the first choice, reducing the humidity by 12% high and low by 15% within an hour, and humidifiers have been fighting against it.
In addition to dehumidifying machinery, FGAC5044W1 also contains an ionized "air purifier". As we have done with the ionizers in some air purifier selections, we recommend not to use them because their effectiveness is questionable. (You can only control the ionizer through the app; there are no physical buttons on the control panel.) Frigidaire also plans to release an upgraded physical filter for the machine later this year, but it will not be a real HEPA.
If you don't believe that you need the full bucket alarm or remote control function of the smart dehumidifier, you may not need it. "Dumb" dehumidifiers can take good care of themselves-they all monitor the humidity and turn on and off on their own to maintain the target dryness. If you passively drain or pump out the condensate, even a single dehumidifier basement requires little intervention . If you are draining water manually, most of them will sound an alarm when the bucket is full, which is sufficient notification for the dehumidifier in your living space. Wi-Fi increases convenience, but it also increases cost; only pay when you know you need it.
This machine with a 50 pint pump is too loud for living spaces, but it is as effective and inexpensive as our first choice-it can be used in vacant areas up to 1,200 square feet.
*At the time of publication, the price was $300.
If you only need to dehumidify a space where you will not spend too much time, we recommend Hisense DH7019KP1WG equipped with a 50 pint pump. Its performance is as good as the other 50 pint dehumidifiers we recommend, and it's usually cheaper-but it's also much louder, especially at its low settings. The low frequency of all other models we tested was around 46 or 47 decibels, while the clock frequency of Hisense was 57.2. In other words: it is as loud when it is low as other machines are when it is high. This makes it a poor choice for any living space. Similarly, when the compressor is activated, it will produce a rattling roar of the machine—enough to wake you up from sleep or interrupt a Zoom chat. And the fact that it is sold exclusively by Lowe's may limit its availability.
In other words, it does a good job of dehumidifying our test space, and in terms of design, it is a clone of the first choice Frigidaires in several respects. It has a foldable handle on the top of the machine and a convenient wire storage hook on the back.
In some respects, the design of DH7019KP1WG is better than the preferred Frigidaire. The drain hose is made of a soft tube, which is easier to unfold and pass through the window than the hard plastic tube that comes with Frigidaire (and all other pump-equipped models we tested). Likewise, it is connected via a thumb-operated quick release system, which is easier to detach than the hard and small release rings on other machines. If you only need to dry the air in an unfinished basement or garage without spending too much time, then its powerful function is enough to accommodate about 1,200 square feet of space, and it can quickly reduce the humidity of our test space at high places 16% and 19% are low.
This is not a phrase we expect to use, but we are excited about the new (ish) dehumidifier. The Midea Cube series is different from other dehumidifiers on the market in terms of design and operation. At first glance, the difference between its U-window air conditioner and other products seems very clever. This video of Midea shows how in detail, but the key points are as follows.
The Cube dehumidifier has a large independent water tank (4.2 gallons) and a separate machine unit instead of a small drain tank located inside the machine. A larger water tank means that it does not need to be emptied frequently, and the machine unit only needs to be lifted when you need it.
Because a complete 4.2-gallon water tank is heavy-over 35 pounds-the Cube dehumidifier can be set to fill the water tank only halfway before it automatically shuts off, so you can choose the amount of water that can be lifted comfortably in the following situations you need to drain.
If you only need seasonal dehumidifiers, Cubes are smaller than other dehumidifiers: the machine units are located in the water tank, effectively halving the space they take up.
They also have WiFi connections and apps that allow you to remotely monitor, control, and receive alarms from them. And, like other dehumidifiers, they can be set to passively drain themselves directly into the sink or floor drain. But there is no model with a drain pump, if you can't drain the drain passively and can't or don't want to do it manually, then this will be a spoiler.
We will test a Cube soon-their clever design is only useful if their performance matches.
We tested two LG's current models, the UD501KOJ5 with pump and Wi-Fi and the similar UD501KOG5, neither. We have high hopes for the former because the combination of Wi-Fi and pumps is rare. But LG's shortcomings outweigh this. Both are 50-pint machines, and their performance in terms of raw dehumidification is similar to our top pick Frigidaires and runner-up GE, but they also stand out for an unnecessary reason: compressor noise. Although LG's measurement results in terms of decibel output are similar (or even lower), their compressors are more audible, with a constant mechanical hum, which is easily heard in the white noise of the fan. We like the unique design of their tank, which allows you to easily grasp the handle and pull the tank out; on all other machines we tested, you must first pull out the fuel tank before grabbing the handle. But of all the machines we have tested, their passive drain hose connection is the most difficult, requiring you to remove the extremely hard cover from the main body of the machine, and then screw the adapter into the narrow range of the fuel tank compartment. Connecting the pump of UD501KOJ5 also adds an extra step: install the siphon inside the machine, and plug the pump hose into an external socket. Finally, its application is worse than our Wi-Fi choice Frigidaire Gallery FGAC5044W1. During our testing, it often disconnected.
The 35-pint Hisense DH5020K1G lacks the pump that makes his 50-pint big brother useful in uninhabited basements and other infrequently used spaces, and the power is also low, but the sound is just as loud.
We looked at and rejected the Homelabs dehumidifier. The square feet rating they claim is exaggerated. Their "1,200 square foot" model is 22 pints, which may be suitable for 500 square feet-and their requirements for "3,000 square feet" of 35 pints and "4,500 square feet" of 50 pints are further out of proportion to reality. They have been highly rated on Amazon--but Fakespot only gave them a C rating, and the evaluation quality is very low. Finally, we have never been able to contact the company representative, nor can we obtain any useful information about the machine from Homelabs’ customer service. We think that well-known brands will provide you with better services.
Similarly, overly exaggerated statements and dubious customer support led us to reject dehumidifiers manufactured by Tosot, Vremi and Midea. In the past guides, it was difficult for us to obtain customer support from Whynter; similarly, we believe that well-known brands will provide you with better services in terms of warranty and repair. Toshiba (exclusively provided by Home Depot) only provides a 50-pint machine without a pump, and it has received a large number of complaints about freezing of the condenser, leaking water tank, overheating of the motor and failure of the control. In the end, we dismissed the many miscellaneous brands that can now be found on Amazon. They may save you a few dollars, but we strongly doubt whether they have the quality and customer service of a well-known manufacturer.
If you have ever used words such as damp, damp, hot, damp, or terribly humid to describe the air in your home, then you may need a dehumidifier.
Yes, the working principle of a dehumidifier is to remove moisture from the air. This system is similar to a refrigerator or air-conditioning system, but does not cool the space.
The size of the dehumidifier is determined by the size of the room. If you are not sure, you have several reasons to choose a larger machine—namely, faster performance, the ability to handle more space, and the risk of oversized devices for space is minimal.
All dehumidifiers need to empty the water tank regularly, but to do this, you can continuously drain the dehumidifier into a sink or window (models equipped with a pump) or passively drain into the floor drain. Otherwise, you must dump the water tank manually.
The smart dehumidifier can alert you when the bucket is full, or it can let you control it remotely, which can be attractive when you use the dehumidifier in a home location that you don't frequently visit.
Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer for Wirecutter and a former writer and editor for The Atlantic, Esquire, and other companies. Since 2015, he has been working on our unparalleled coverage of air purifiers and water filters. In 2018, he established a continuous partnership with Wirecutter with Smarter Living of The New York Times. When he is not here, he will ride a bicycle.
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