Dehumidifier made in USA

[Mike Archambeau]

Well my "major name brand" dehumidifier that was made in China lasted one season. The manufacturer wanted to buy it back from me. They seem to be regretting their decision to use a contract manufacturer in China.
I could not resist saying "you are only as good as your last product" but the customer service representative beat me to it.

So I began the search for a quality made in USA dehumidifier that will last more than a single season. I found a Aprilaire standalone dehumidifier made by some hard working people in Wisconsin. It is backed by a five year warranty and given this company's reputation I have reason to believe that they will stand behind it. The unit I picked out is model 1710A. It looks well made and started right up and is working it's magic. Not low cost but it is made in USA and hopefully built to last.

[Brian Elfert]

Buying "Made in the USA" does not automatically mean quality. We make junk here too. It is true that products made here are often better quality.

[John Coloccia]

I really hope it works out for you. I've been replacing dehumidifiers in my shop every 18 months or so. At this point, I'm afraid to buy anything higher end because I haven't seen any reviews on anything lasting more than 18 months these days. I remember that you used to buy a dehumidifier and it lasted 10 or 15 years, like air conditioners. When my new one dies in a year or so, I will look up Aprilaire but it really needs to last the full 5 years with no problems whatsoever to be break even with the junk I'm currently buying. I'd actually never heard of them. I'm going to have to do some research over the next year! :)

[Kevin W Johnson]

I'd venture to say that it's the strive to reduce material cost that is causing these things to die so quickly, namely the construction of the coils. My father in law just had one die on him, and it was freon loss. I could have added freon, but without finding and fixing the leak, it would have only been a short lived bandaid fix. I'd say the copper tubing used in the coils is the bare minimum to handle the system pressures, the other thing I would suspect is the solder being used to construct them.

[Mike Cutler]

You may want to try using an AC Unit in the DH mode. I have a portable Penquino AC unit, and a portable Sharp AC unit that both have DH modes that work pretty well.

The DH in the basement is something called a Dynasty 25. It's been down there for close to twenty years and it still works just fine. Haven't a clue who actually makes it.

[Dan Hintz]

Interesting... I've been using a small Whirlpool in the basement for the past 5 years without issue. I don't know how long it was used before I set it back up, but I believe it belonged to my wife's father. An oldie but a goodie...

[Joel Goodman]

So I began the search for a quality made in USA dehumidifier that will last more than a single season. I found a Aprilaire standalone dehumidifier made by some hard working people in Wisconsin. It is backed by a five year warranty and given this company's reputation I have reason to believe that they will stand behind it. The unit I picked out is model 1710A. It looks well made and started right up and is working it's magic. Not low cost but it is made in USA and hopefully built to last.

Please let us know how it works out -- the DH from Sears has not worked out for me -- hopefully this'll be a good choice!

[Kevin W Johnson]

Interesting... I've been using a small Whirlpool in the basement for the past 5 years without issue. I don't know how long it was used before I set it back up, but I believe it belonged to my wife's father. An oldie but a goodie...


Certainly seems to be a pattern here. Older ones working for many years, and new ones that quit after about a year to 18 months. The big question is whether it's just poor quality for the sake of making them cheap, or planned obsolescence.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I haven't even thought about a dehumidifier in years, but I mentioned this to my folks. They have the same one going in the basement, working fine. They don't remember when they got it, but seeing as I always remember emptying the same one, I'm going to say, like Mike's, it's been running at least twenty years, if not more.

[Jerome Stanek]

We bought a dehumidifier when we were first married and it has worked every year for 41 years.

[Brian Elfert]

Consumers mostly shop on price over all else these days so manufacturers are happy to comply by cheapening things up. The manufacturer wins because they can sell another one when the first one dies. The interesting thing is there are a good number of manufacturers who still make stuff that lasts and they stay in business without selling customers a new item every year or two.

I prefer to pay a little more up front to get something that will last. The problem is how do I know which items are made to last? Sometime the expensive product is just expensive and lasts no longer than the cheap product.

[Mike Archambeau]

The Aprilaire has a five year warranty and they state the product was designed for a 15 year service life. I would much rather buy a well made product that lasts than some disposable item that needs frequent replacement.

My first dehumidifier lasted 20 years. It was an Emerson Quiet Cool. When it failed I bought the chinese made unit that lasted one year. Somehow I can't believe that replacing a $200 unit every year is a good use of money. So instead I spent $1049 on one I believe will last for 15+ years. Stay tuned.....

[John Coloccia]

It's not a good use of money, but I've read nothing but bad things about every dehumidifier I could think to purchase, and some of the lower end ones just outright refuse to honor their warranties. Even the higher end ones had very mixed reviews. I do hope you found a good one as I could certainly use a good one that lasts 15 years. It seems like even larger appliances are disposable these days. I mean, unless you buy a brand like Miele, does anyone seriously expect their washing machine to last more than a few years without requiring some major service? How about a wall air conditioner? Doesn't work...oh well, just throw it out.

[Zach England]

You could move to Utah. Problem solved.

[Mike Archambeau]

It's not a good use of money, but I've read nothing but bad things about every dehumidifier I could think to purchase, and some of the lower end ones just outright refuse to honor their warranties. Even the higher end ones had very mixed reviews. I do hope you found a good one as I could certainly use a good one that lasts 15 years. It seems like even larger appliances are disposable these days. I mean, unless you buy a brand like Miele, does anyone seriously expect their washing machine to last more than a few years without requiring some major service? How about a wall air conditioner? Doesn't work...oh well, just throw it out.

John;

I have a Maytag washer and gas drier that I purchased in 1988. Both are still going strong, look great, and have required very little service. Proudly made in USA in Iowa.

I also own a SAAB that I have had for 20 years with 201,000 miles on it. Still going strong and still fun to drive.

I have a John Deere lawn tractor made in 1988 that still looks like new and runs like a champ. Back in 1988 when I bought it, it seemed like a lot of money, but after all these years of providing good service and requiring very little maintenance it seems like a bargain. I know it saved me a lot of money not having to pay a lawn service to cut my grass and blow the snow out of my driveway.

I like to buy things that are well made and then take good care of them to make them last. I just hope that there are some companies out there who are intent on building products that can reliably go the distance.


The quality is remembered long after the cost is forgotten......and you can quote me on that one!!!!!!!

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I was not aware that this model existed...... Last time i did an in-depth look at dehumidifiers, the primary advice provided was to look at the manufacturers warranty period because it tells you much about their expectations. In other words, a unit with a five year warranty is more likely to last longer than one with a one year warranty.

I opted for a Danby because it had a two year warranty when all the others had only a one year warranty.

The Danby has a digital display that shows the current humidity and for setting the target humidity. I can ste the range that I desire and I have feedback on how well it is working. Just because a unit appears to function and is pulling some water from the air does not mean that it is properly working. You can obviously achieve some of this by placing an external device that shows the current humidity.

Be sure to clean your air filter. I failed to do this with one unit, the filter plugged. This prevented air flow to the coils, so the unit worked like crazy with little effect. Running the unit continuously causes extra load on the compressor so it fails sooner and the electric bill is higher. Live and learn. Oops! There was an impressive load of "stuff" on that filter when I figured out where it was.

One thing I don't like about the Danby is that the fan run continuously. The stated reason is that it needs to move air over the sensor so that it has a better idea of what the actual humidity in the room is.

The Danby has a digital thermometer. Nice.

I expect that the Danby is not made in the USA, but, when I had a question about the unit, I was able to call and speak with a human in Findly Ohio.

[Brian Elfert]

Be careful with John Deere stuff at Home Depot. It is not the same quality as the "real" John Deere stuff. There are even rumors that those mowers are not even made by John Deere. I know that MTD makes a lot of the cheap riding mowers now days, but by no means all of them. MTD has about a dozen brand names and they make mowers for Sears too. MTD also owns Cub Cadet.

[Mike Cutler]

John;

I have a Maytag washer and gas drier that I purchased in 1988. Both are still going strong, look great, and have required very little service. Proudly made in USA in Iowa.
I also own a SAAB that I have had for 20 years with 201,000 miles on it. Still going strong and still fun to drive.
I have a John Deere lawn tractor made in 1988 that still looks like new and runs like a champ. Back in 1988 when I bought it, it seemed like a lot of money, but after all these years of providing good service and requiring very little maintenance it seems like a bargain. I know it saved me a lot of money not having to pay a lawn service to cut my grass and blow the snow out of my driveway.
I like to buy things that are well made and then take good care of them to make them last. I just hope that there are some companies out there who are intent on building products that can reliably go the distance.
The quality is remembered long after the cost is forgotten......and you can quote me on that one!!!!!!!

Mike
I hear where you're coming from, and know that you probably take a lot of flak for your position.
I gave up on buying the cheaply made mid range stuff also, and boy do I take some grief for it.
We're remodeling the kitchen and the appliances are Sub Zero, Viking, American Range, ASKO, GE Monogram, Bradford White, so naturally all of my friends are calling me a snob ( In good fun though), but I'm just tired of playing repairman on the weekends, or when I get home. I just don't want to do it anymore. I also have a John Deere Tractor for plowing and mowing.
You may try to find a DH unit that is more commercial in nature. It seems that some of the top manufactures have kept their commercial lines in the US, or under tighter quality control when it is being built overseas. The consumer stuff is getting pretty junky though.

Hey, I have a '95 saab 900se that finally blew up at 310,000 miles. Need any spare parts? ;)

[Kevin W Johnson]

Let me start by saying I don't fault you in looking for the quality DH. But this is an example of what I dislike in the current manufacturing scheme we see today. A cheap DH is $200-$250 or so. The unit you purchased is $1049? Why does it take $800 more to make a presumedly quality unit? To use quality materials in place of the cheap, shouldn't raise the unit cost anymore than 100% (including inceased profit) which would result in a $500 unit.

It seems to me, companies/stores want good money for junk, and extreme money for anything considered high quality.

[John Coloccia]

Actually, I think $1000 for a dehumidifier that lasts is quite a good price. If I could get 10 years out of it, that's $100 a year. I'll take it. I'm spending more now on junk that dies ever 18 months, but unfortunately a lot of the higher end units die prematurely too. I'll be looking into Aprilaire for when my current one dies. I'd never heard of them.

[Joe Isley]

I had Aprilaire humidifiers on my propane house furnaces that lasted about 15 years without any problems. So, maybe their dehumidifiers are just as good.

Joe

[Rick Moyer]

Be careful with John Deere stuff at Home Depot. It is not the same quality as the "real" John Deere stuff. There are even rumors that those mowers are not even made by John Deere. I know that MTD makes a lot of the cheap riding mowers now days, but by no means all of them. MTD has about a dozen brand names and they make mowers for Sears too. MTD also owns Cub Cadet.
although this is off the OP thread topic I felt I should respond to this:
The "box store" JD's are the same ones that John Deere sells (and manufactures). They are however low end products compared to their better models. the box store models are LAWN tractors, with transmissions adequate for flat lawn mowing, not suitable for heavier duty work like ground-engaging implements or very heavy towing. The LAWN tractor models LAxxx and Dxxx are suited for mowing and are made by Deere and are the same sold by Lowe's OR a John Deere dealer. If you need/want a better tractor you should consider a GARDEN tractor which will have a sturdier build in both frame and tranny. Repeating; The box store John Deere's are made by John Deere, just not the same quality as their better models.

[Kevin W Johnson]

MTD has also set about putting distance between the relationship of owning Cub Cadet. I remember when Cub Cadet was proudly listed on MTD's site as one of their brands. A visit to their site now shows no evidence of Cub Cadet.

[Mike Archambeau]

Mike
I hear where you're coming from, and know that you probably take a lot of flak for your position.
I gave up on buying the cheaply made mid range stuff also, and boy do I take some grief for it.
We're remodeling the kitchen and the appliances are Sub Zero, Viking, American Range, ASKO, GE Monogram, Bradford White, so naturally all of my friends are calling me a snob ( In good fun though), but I'm just tired of playing repairman on the weekends, or when I get home. I just don't want to do it anymore. I also have a John Deere Tractor for plowing and mowing.
You may try to find a DH unit that is more commercial in nature. It seems that some of the top manufactures have kept their commercial lines in the US, or under tighter quality control when it is being built overseas. The consumer stuff is getting pretty junky though.

Hey, I have a '95 saab 900se that finally blew up at 310,000 miles. Need any spare parts? ;)

Wow getting 310,000 miles out of that Saab is a great service life.

We updated our kitchen appliances about 8 years ago. Subzero refridgerator, viking gas cooktop, and Wolf double ovens. They have worked flawlessy and we have spent nothing on repairs. We also purchased a Bosch dishwasher, that did require a repair but it was a no charge repair and the repair person was the most professional repair person who has ever set foot in my house. Quality stuff!

[Mike Archambeau]

although this is off the OP thread topic I felt I should respond to this:
The "box store" JD's are the same ones that John Deere sells (and manufactures). They are however low end products compared to their better models. the box store models are LAWN tractors, with transmissions adequate for flat lawn mowing, not suitable for heavier duty work like ground-engaging implements or very heavy towing. The LAWN tractor models LAxxx and Dxxx are suited for mowing and are made by Deere and are the same sold by Lowe's OR a John Deere dealer. If you need/want a better tractor you should consider a GARDEN tractor which will have a sturdier build in both frame and tranny. Repeating; The box store John Deere's are made by John Deere, just not the same quality as their better models.

I asked my local John Deere dealer how he felt about the big box stores selling John Deere. He smiled and said that the extra advertising that is being done to promote the Deere brand has helped his business and that it has helped his parts business in a big way. He also said that it has helped him sell some Garden tractors after he showed the buyers the difference between the lawn tractors and garden tractors. The takeaway for me is that John Deere seems to have found a way to keep their full line dealers happy while still having a presence at the big box store.

I asked him how many of the tractors that John Deere sold 20 years ago are still around and he said most of them are still running. About the only time he sees them discarded is when people run them out of oil.....oops. Sounds like JD built them to last.

[Brian Elfert]

although this is off the OP thread topic I felt I should respond to this:
The "box store" JD's are the same ones that John Deere sells (and manufactures). They are however low end products compared to their better models. the box store models are LAWN tractors, with transmissions adequate for flat lawn mowing, not suitable for heavier duty work like ground-engaging implements or very heavy towing. The LAWN tractor models LAxxx and Dxxx are suited for mowing and are made by Deere and are the same sold by Lowe's OR a John Deere dealer. If you need/want a better tractor you should consider a GARDEN tractor which will have a sturdier build in both frame and tranny. Repeating; The box store John Deere's are made by John Deere, just not the same quality as their better models.

I never specifically said John Deere didn't make these. I said I read rumors they don't make them. I do read a great many complaints about the Home Depot John Deere products. No doubt some of the complaints are simply due to the volume of these products sold. Considering I have about 1/8th of an acre of grass I don't have a riding mower, but I keep up on them because I would like to move to a larger rural lot.

[Brian Elfert]

Sub-Zero, Viking, and the like make good stuff, but I could probably replace all of my appliances every two years for a long time for what the high end stuff costs. All of my appliances are 10 years old now and none are in need of replacement yet. I bought mostly middle of the road appliances. Not cheap junk, but nothing too expensive either.

If I actually liked cooking and did a lot of it I could possibly justify the high end appliances. Buying high end because you like to cook and the high end stuff works better makes sense to me. It doesn't make sense to me if you buy high end appliances just for fewer repairs and longer life. Most of the people I know with high end appliances tend to remodel their kitchens fairly often and replace the appliances long before they need replacement because they want new with a new kitchen.

[Larry Edgerton]

MTD has also set about putting distance between the relationship of owning Cub Cadet. I remember when Cub Cadet was proudly listed on MTD's site as one of their brands. A visit to their site now shows no evidence of Cub Cadet.

There is a huge difference between the HD Cub Cadet zero turn and the commercial zero turns sold by a real dealer. One example is the deck. Mine is welded plate steel, very heavy and the ones at HD are stamped steel. The dealer pointed out a raft of differences when I bought mine. It was more money.

When I bought my tractor I could not find one made in the USA. I ended up with a 45hp New Holland assembled in Georgia. The diesel motor was made in Japan though, not China. Has been good so far.

I grabbed some Fiskars pruners the other day without looking. Got them home and my wife pointed out they are made in China. Opps......Gotta watch these days.

John. There are dehumidifiers made for water damage cleanup that are industrail strength. Not pretty, but made to last. You may want to check that out. I see them come up for sale used occasionally.

Larry

[Brian Elfert]

When I bought my tractor I could not find one made in the USA. I ended up with a 45hp New Holland assembled in Georgia. The diesel motor was made in Japan though, not China. Has been good so far.


If it was made in Georgia isn't that made in the USA? If everything on/in the product has to be made in the USA you're going to be looking long and hard for an item like a tractor that doesn't have any foreign parts. It is fairly rare to find any product that doesn't have foreign parts unless it only has a few parts. Even a lot of American made stuff has foreign steel in it. There is at least one American company that make tools that specifically uses only American made steel, but that is fairly rare. Stanley makes some tools in the USA, but most of them say "Made in the USA with global materials".

[Matt Meiser]

My JD dealer won't sell the 100-series tractors. Too many repairs. Thats why they picked up Husqvarna. They are selling a lot of tractors to people who bought 100 series tractors at Lowes and Home Depot a few years back. Its an easy sell to show them the differences between the mass market stamped steel and plastic tractors and the "real" John Deere and Husqvarna lines they carry.

My JD compact tractor was made in Japan. As I understood, that's because compact tractors were a Japanese invention due to their terrain, etc. They just got adapted to US use. And of course Kubota which was was of the first on the market in the US is Japanese.

[Mike Cutler]

Sub-Zero, Viking, and the like make good stuff, but I could probably replace all of my appliances every two years for a long time for what the high end stuff costs. All of my appliances are 10 years old now and none are in need of replacement yet. I bought mostly middle of the road appliances. Not cheap junk, but nothing too expensive either.

If I actually liked cooking and did a lot of it I could possibly justify the high end appliances. Buying high end because you like to cook and the high end stuff works better makes sense to me. It doesn't make sense to me if you buy high end appliances just for fewer repairs and longer life. Most of the people I know with high end appliances tend to remodel their kitchens fairly often and replace the appliances long before they need replacement because they want new with a new kitchen.

Brian
Within all of those product lines there is a wide range of price difference, and lets just say that I am at the bottomish end of the range.;)

What's funny is that as we were looking at appliances we knew that were certain things we didn't want. I didn't want any electronic controls that weren't absolutely necessary. I didn't want an ice maker, a juice dispenser, a water fountain, TV or another clock, and I especially did not want any membrane touch pads on anything. Take away these feature and you eliminate more than a few complete product lines out there for the consumer,and you find that you are limited to the cheap appliances that Sears usually stores next to the bathrooms, in that oh so attractive white, or stainless steel commercial units that need three phase 480 to run. In between are the lower ranges of Sub Zero's Vikings, Wolfes. Appliances with knobs, that are too heavy for one person to carry up a set of stairs. (I'm sorry, but one person shouldn't be able to pick a washer, dryer, stove, or refrigerator by themself and carry them.)
I guess I'm a dinosaur. :eek:

[Zach England]

Brian
Within all of those product lines there is a wide range of price difference, and lets just say that I am at the bottomish end of the range.;)

What's funny is that as we were looking at appliances we knew that were certain things we didn't want. I didn't want any electronic controls that weren't absolutely necessary. I didn't want an ice maker, a juice dispenser, a water fountain, TV or another clock, and I especially did not want any membrane touch pads on anything. Take away these feature and you eliminate more than a few complete product lines out there for the consumer,and you find that you are limited to the cheap appliances that Sears usually stores next to the bathrooms, in that oh so attractive white, or stainless steel commercial units that need three phase 480 to run. In between are the lower ranges of Sub Zero's Vikings, Wolfes. Appliances with knobs, that are too heavy for one person to carry up a set of stairs. (I'm sorry, but one person shouldn't be able to pick a washer, dryer, stove, or refrigerator by themself and carry them.)
I guess I'm a dinosaur. :eek:


I agree with all of this except the ice maker part.

[Brian Elfert]

Brian
Within all of those product lines there is a wide range of price difference, and lets just say that I am at the bottomish end of the range.;)

What's funny is that as we were looking at appliances we knew that were certain things we didn't want. I didn't want any electronic controls that weren't absolutely necessary. I didn't want an ice maker, a juice dispenser, a water fountain, TV or another clock, and I especially did not want any membrane touch pads on anything. Take away these feature and you eliminate more than a few complete product lines out there for the consumer,and you find that you are limited to the cheap appliances that Sears usually stores next to the bathrooms, in that oh so attractive white, or stainless steel commercial units that need three phase 480 to run. In between are the lower ranges of Sub Zero's Vikings, Wolfes. Appliances with knobs, that are too heavy for one person to carry up a set of stairs. (I'm sorry, but one person shouldn't be able to pick a washer, dryer, stove, or refrigerator by themself and carry them.)
I guess I'm a dinosaur. :eek:

I guess if you're dead set against clocks, membrane panels, and the like you're stuck with the higher end products. I looked at the website for a local appliance store and they charge $2,400 for the cheapest gas range I could find that is from one of the high end manufacturers. I paid $600 for my gas range so I can replace a lot of parts for $1,800. I suppose if you have had a lot of repairs in the past that you might think the $1,800 is worth it. Zero repairs on my range in 10 years so far knock on wood. One advantage of the high end gas ranges is I bet they don't need power to work. I was at a Scout camp last year and the staff cabin I was staying in had a really old propane range. It still needed power to run the oven at least so I couldn't use it when the power went out one day.

I know I sure as heck can't carry my 10 year old washer by myself. Two of us could barely carry it up the stairs.

[Larry Edgerton]

Ditto Mike's comments on the merits of simplicity. I always figure that parts generally break by percentage, so the more you have....

Anyone here ever owned an Elmira stove? I am thinking that it will fit in real well in my schoohouse, but at $5k it had better be dependable as a stone.

Larry

[Harry Hagan]

My brother is using a Kenmore dehumidifier our dad bought back in the late 50s. That’s over 50 years and still running strong with no repairs other than cosmetic. The last time I bought a Kenmore dehumidifier I purchased two—one to use while the other is sent away for repairs for three weeks so they can tell me a month later that it can’t be repaired.

I just unboxed the second unit after about five years and took the other one in to be declared dead. Usually they die after about six to eighteen months. Dehumidifiers were one of the few appliances I thought justified an extended warranty. Now most stuff is junk made in China.

[Terry Quinn]

I may be forced to buy a new dehumidifier, after my 36 year-old Emerson Quiet Kool recently started to malfunction.

I know of two other experiences with "modern design" consumer dehumidifiers. A friend had one that failed in about 3 years. My daughter had a Soleus (made by Gree, a Chinese manufacturer that makes most ofthe consumer market units sold today), and it failed a little after 2 years (1year warranty).

I was at Menards (where we bought the Soleus) and asked if they had anything better. Surprisingly,they offered to exchange it for a new one, even though it was out of warranty. That reinforced my thinking that the short life must be widespread, and Menards is managing customer dissatisfaction.

Does anyone know of any "modern design" consumer dehumidifier that has lasted longer than 3 years? If that doesn't exist, the idea of buying an Aprilaire at $1,000 plus makes sense.

I am going to a friend's house today to see if adding some more refrigerant will revive my old one. I'll let you know what happens.

Terry

[Harry Hagan]

I may be forced to buy a new dehumidifier, after my 36 year-old Emerson Quiet Kool recently started to malfunction.

I know of two other experiences with "modern design" consumer dehumidifiers. A friend had one that failed in about 3 years. My daughter had a Soleus (made by Gree, a Chinese manufacturer that makes most ofthe consumer market units sold today), and it failed a little after 2 years (1year warranty).

I was at Menards (where we bought the Soleus) and asked if they had anything better. Surprisingly,they offered to exchange it for a new one, even though it was out of warranty. That reinforced my thinking that the short life must be widespread, and Menards is managing customer dissatisfaction.

Does anyone know of any "modern design" consumer dehumidifier that has lasted longer than 3 years? If that doesn't exist, the idea of buying an Aprilaire at $1,000 plus makes sense.

I am going to a friend's house today to see if adding some more refrigerant will revive my old one. I'll let you know what happens.

Terry

I've had better luck with the Whynter brand when purchased through Costco using Costco's is lifetime guarantee: https://www.costco.com/Whynter-70-pint-Elite-D-Series-Energy-Star-Portable-Dehumidifier-with-Pump.product.100167998.html

[Terry Quinn]

I've had better luck with the Whynter brand when purchased through Costco using Costco's is lifetime guarantee: https://www.costco.com/Whynter-70-pint-Elite-D-Series-Energy-Star-Portable-Dehumidifier-with-Pump.product.100167998.html


From the outside, that looks a lot like the Soleus, which is one of the ones that has short life. See http://www.homedepot.com/p/Soleus-Air-45-Pint-Portable-Dehumidifier-DS1-45E-101/300260345?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|google|D29+Appliance s&mid=sajDSpLdn|dc_mtid_8903tb925190_pcrid_175121829 044_pkw__pmt__product_300260345_slid_&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgb3OBRDNARIsAOyZbxDZikZxYlkMII2hMO0C 1eDFKdbtCWEet2CMFIUfL4_hsIuzkvHst9kaAopdEALw_wcB

But if you can get a Costco lifetime warranty, that might be a good solution.If it fails in 3 years, does the lifetime Costco warranty extend to thereplacement unit(s)?

[Terry Quinn]

I may be forced to buy a new dehumidifier, after my 36 year-old Emerson Quiet Kool recently started to malfunction.

I am going to a friend's house today to see if adding some more refrigerant will revive my old one. I'll let you know what happens.

Terry

We added some R12, and the old dehumidifier is running fine again. We'll see for how long.

[Marc Jeske]

Did not read entire thread, probably already mentioned, but check out Santa Fe brand dehumids.

VERY good reputation. Marc

http://www.santa-fe-products.com/

[Sam Murdoch]

What concerns me is how safe it is to leave these things running unattended? My kenmore DH is still going strong after 16 summers. I don't worry about leaving it running if we are out of the house but these new ones you are discussing would cause me concern.

[Stan Calow]

Sam, I would have never given safety a thought, until the big recall they had in last few years over fire hazards from several dehumidifier brands. I got a $135 check from Frigidaire for mine (which was fairly new). It was hard to replace it with something with a familiar brand name.

[Terry Quinn]

Did not read entire thread, probably already mentioned, but check out Santa Fe brand dehumids.

VERY good reputation. Marc

http://www.santa-fe-products.com/


I was happy to see your post indicating that there might be another high quality (albeit high cost) dehumidifier. And it does seem like it does make it to 3 years, unlike so many others.

But skim/read these 23 owner comments. Seems like the Sante Fe is a mixed bag.

https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Dehumidifier-Basement-Dehumidification/product-reviews/B008D7HZ6O/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_3?reviewerType=all_rev iews&pageNumber=3 (https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Dehumidifier-Basement-Dehumidification/product-reviews/B008D7HZ6O/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_3?reviewerType=all_rev iews&pageNumber=3)

[Terry Quinn]

Sam, I would have never given safety a thought, until the big recall they had in last few years over fire hazards from several dehumidifier brands. I got a $135 check from Frigidaire for mine (which was fairly new). It was hard to replace it with something with a familiar brand name.

Here is one of the recall notices for the dehumidifier fires. If you look down the list, you'll get the impression that nearly every dehumidifier made is produced by the Chinese company Gree.

This fire problem has been resolved, but there is no way to tell whether or not Gree still makes so many of what is on the market. I suspect that they are still the prominent supplier.

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2014/Gree-Reannounces-Dehumidifier-Recall/ (https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2014/Gree-Reannounces-Dehumidifier-Recall/)

[Marc Jeske]

I was happy to see your post indicating that there might be another high quality (albeit high cost) dehumidifier. And it does seem like it does make it to 3 years, unlike so many others.

But skim/read these 23 owner comments. Seems like the Sante Fe is a mixed bag.

https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Dehumidifier-Basement-Dehumidification/product-reviews/B008D7HZ6O/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_3?reviewerType=all_rev iews&pageNumber=3 (https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Dehumidifier-Basement-Dehumidification/product-reviews/B008D7HZ6O/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_3?reviewerType=all_rev iews&pageNumber=3)

Obviously, personal due diligence is to be applied to anybody's suggestion.

Good info you got there. Marc

[Scott DelPorte]

I have had a similar problem of burning out dehumidifiers every year or two. After going through three, and on the recommendation of someone on this forum, I looked into and then bought an Oasis brand dehumidifier. I think it was in the $400 range. It has lasted 5 years so far. The other thing I like about it is that it's only control is a manual knob. So if the power is disrupted or it is unplugged, you don't have to reset it. Worth looking into. Not sure if they are the same now as they were 5 years ago.

[Terry Quinn]

I have had a similar problem of burning out dehumidifiers every year or two. After going through three, and on the recommendation of someone on this forum, I looked into and then bought an Oasis brand dehumidifier. I think it was in the $400 range. It has lasted 5 years so far. The other thing I like about it is that it's only control is a manual knob. So if the power is disrupted or it is unplugged, you don't have to reset it. Worth looking into. Not sure if they are the same now as they were 5 years ago.

I looked on Amazon for current comments from owners of the Oasis, and here is the link to those:

https://www.amazon.com/Oasis-D-165-HG-GST-Commercial-Dehumidifier/product-reviews/B005E1DB4M/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_4?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&pageNumber=4 (https://www.amazon.com/Oasis-D-165-HG-GST-Commercial-Dehumidifier/product-reviews/B005E1DB4M/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_4?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&pageNumber=4)

While comments aren't all positive, in total it reads better than the low cost models.

Also interesting is that it's control simplicity, its overall shape, and the evaporator coil (viewed from rear) all look very similar to my 36-year-old Emerson Quiet Cool dehumidifier that only recently gave me problems. It is mid-priced at about $650, but if the recharging of my Emerson doesn't hold up, I'll probably buy this unless I find something better in the meantime.

Thank again for sharing information. It is very helpful.

Terry

[Harry Hagan]

From the outside, that looks a lot like the Soleus, which is one of the ones that has short life. See http://www.homedepot.com/p/Soleus-Air-45-Pint-Portable-Dehumidifier-DS1-45E-101/300260345?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|google|D29+Appliance s&mid=sajDSpLdn|dc_mtid_8903tb925190_pcrid_175121829 044_pkw__pmt__product_300260345_slid_&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgb3OBRDNARIsAOyZbxDZikZxYlkMII2hMO0C 1eDFKdbtCWEet2CMFIUfL4_hsIuzkvHst9kaAopdEALw_wcB

But if you can get a Costco lifetime warranty, that might be a good solution.If it fails in 3 years, does the lifetime Costco warranty extend to thereplacement unit(s)?




My first one failed after 6 years. I ordered another online and took the failed unit back to my local Costco. A Whynter CSR told me they should last at least 8 years.

[Terry Quinn]

My first one failed after 6 years. I ordered another online and took the failed unit back to my local Costco. A Whynter CSR told me they should last at least 8 years.

Sounds a lot better than the Soleus.

[Steve Peterson]

I read through this entire thread and don't think there is any mention about efficiency. The reports fall into 2 categories, old designs that have lasted over 20 years, or new models that barely last a year.

Somewhere about 15-20 years ago, all household refrigerators needed to be re-designed to meet higher efficiency standards. The changes were fairly dramatic. Home air conditioning had similar efficiency requirements added recently. Aren't the guts of a dehumidifier very similar to a refrigerator or air conditioner. All of the old (and still running) dehumidifiers must be using a lot more electricity than the newer ones. Is this a factor for anyone?

Steve