Energy Star Dehumidifiers

[Wet1]

So after posting a few days ago on this topic, I found a need to revisit it - the dehumidifier I had croaked.

So I went shopping tonight - there where choices of small (35 pints water removal in 24 hours), medium (50 pints) and large (70 pints). Prices were $160, $200 and $299. All were Energy Star rated. I was all set to buy the smallest one thinking that if they were all Energy Star, the smallest one would likely be most efficient. Much to my surprise, when I located the power consumption label (pulled out the water pan, and there was a sticker behind that inside the unit) I found not only the power consumption, but also the efficiency in liters of water removed per kWh (L/kWh). The small unit was 1.3 L/kWh, and the medium and large were 1.7 L/kWh (more liters/kWh is more efficient, of course).

So, chastened, I bought the medium-sized unit for $40 more, and got ~30% better efficiency compared to the smaller model.

It does prove to me that the Energy Star label for a dehumidifier may not tell you much compared to, say, a refrigerator (where the label helps a lot), but if you look for the info, you can find it.

Good point DBoon,

Like yourself, I assumed smaller units would be more efficient. I thought I could get away with a 40 pint unit and initially searched for units in this class to conserve a little energy. After doing some reading, as you mentioned, the larger units generally remove more moisture with a given amount of power. With that knowledge in hand, I ended up going with the Soleus Air DP1-70, which is the 70 pint unit in my initial post. The energy star site (I think it was that site anyway) had a listing of models and their efficiency, it does suggest bigger generally equals more efficient. The larger units do consume more power while operating, but they more than makes up for it by removing even more moisture while doing so.

So far I'm very happy with the DH I purchased. It does make a little noise (fan noise mostly), but it can't be heard upstairs and it's not really bothersome downstairs. I'm glad I bought the larger unit. Given the amount of time my 70 pint unit is working, I don't think the 40 pint unit I initial was interested in would have done the job. Feeding the DH directing in the Little Giant condensate pump has been working excellent as well... it beats the hell out of emptying the DH every day like I was doing last year.

 

[Wet1]

Here's the link I mentioned above...
(broken link removed to http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dehumid.pr_basics_dehumidifiers#EnergyFactor)

Click on "product list" for the spreadsheet.

 

[mbcijim]

Good Topic, little late getting here. Great tip on the bigger units being more efficient. I would have never picked that up.

I'll throw a kill-a-watt on mine tonight and let you guys know how much power it uses in a few days.

I had a finished basement in the old house (same climate). My dehumidifier basically ran 5-6 months a year. There was no need to run it Oct-April.

In the new house I actually plumbed sewer drain lines for the dehumidifier and then did the washing machine hose thing. They are care free and no electric pump!

A little off topic: I was getting water in the basement in my brand new house. I had run gutters around the house, but the downspouts were just going onto the ground. I installed a collection system for the downspouts that ran about 50' away from the house, daylighted out a bank nearby. We have had absolutely massive rains since I did that and no more water in the basement.

 

[flyingcow]

The gutter thing is so important and easy to over look. A lot of square footage of rain dumped in one spot. Sometimes better off without gutters, if the spouts aren't drained away from the building properly.