Dehumidifier recommendations -- how expensive is it to run a 70 pt? (Lowes, installed)

[Bhaalspawn]

I want to dehumidify a basement, so I'm thinking of purchasing a 50 pt or a 70 pt dehumidifier. How expensive is it to run the new ones? Are the "Energy Star" compliant ones much better? I'm thinking of purchasing a Frigidaire, is that a decent brand?

[rubytue]

Check out the yellow label, it should tell you how expensive it will be. Think of it like running a 2nd refridgerator.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by Bhaalspawn

I want to dehumidify a basement, so I'm thinking of purchasing a 50 pt or a 70 pt dehumidifier. How expensive is it to run the new ones? Are the "Energy Star" compliant ones much better? I'm thinking of purchasing a Frigidaire, is that a decent brand?

As previously stated, read the big yellow label.



A couple years ago I bought a dehumidifier based not only its capacity, but on its warranty. 5 years. I'm glad I did, because my previous 2 had lasted just 1 year each - and that was what their warranties covered.

Our basement is 1100 square feet, and my smaller dehumidifier handles it just fine. In the summer, I empty 2 gallons of water every 2-3 days.

[sgresident]

we just bought a new dehumidifier. we use one all the time, so I don't really know the actual cost. we did buy the energy star model, I don't think it was frigidaire. we got it at lowes. once you get the humidity to the proper level, you can put it on the lower setting and it doesn't run as often. as an extra bonus, take the full container outside to water your plants! a great way to recycle.

[thecoalman]

Check the wattage then use a calculator like this one:

Costs Calculator

[TFW46]

I love my 25-pt energy-star dehumidifiers but each one costs @ $25-30/month in electricity.

[sacredgrooves]

My company has installed a couple hundred Frigidaires. They are fine, especially for the price. They have 5 year warranties on the sealed system and draw 4.5 amps at peak. You can buy commercial level dehumidifiers like Santa Fe, or Horizon. They really do not work any better though, and they cost 3-4 times the price.

[prodrying]

Sacredgrooves,

There is a difference in how a Santa Fe works versus a frigidaire. You are talking about a standard dehumidifier in the frigidaire and the Santa Fe's are low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers. A low-grain dehumidifier will in essence process the air twice which will allow it to pull out more water. This will cause the unit to run less. Another feature you should have is a dehumidistat, which will shut the unit on/off depending on the humidity within the space.