On 5/21/2013 10:58 AM, Mike S. wrote:
For years we have been using portable dehumidifiers in the basement
between May and September. This weekend I fired up the current one only to
note a return to the common pattern: the compressor runs but there is no
hot air exhaust or condensation because the tubing has corroded and
allowed the refrigerant to escape.

Over the last 10 years we've had perhaps 5 such units down there, making
the average lifespan ~ 2 years. Reading online reviews from actual
customers, it seems that for everything manufactured after the millennium
this is the usual pattern. And they all die in the same way.

We have usually been buying the most accessible brands; LG or the
LG-manufactured Kenmore units sold at Sears. Once Sears replaced a unit
when their repair depot deemed it to be beyond repair.

It occurred to me that perhaps we're buying the wrong brand. Web sites
that review these units seem to recommend Fridigaire, Danby, GE, or
Whirlpool. But then I read reviews from actual owners, and there are
similar complaints. Now most units are warranted for only a year, and the
cost of an extended warranty pretty much could be better spent on simply
buying a new unit every 2 years.

Are there ANY 70-pint portable dehumidifiers that last beyond 2 years, or
at least have a longer factory warranty?



I have no idea what you mean by 70-pint but I have a 30 litre Danby from
Costco/Price Club Canada that is in it's 5th year. I drain directly to
a floor drain so I don't empty a holding tank every day.

With the unit I keep the basement at 40% relative humidity. It's energy
factor is 1.80 L per KW-hr and it does about 30 L of water a day. I ask
it to do alot, and it's been pretty good. Has a timer and a remote
control (which we actually use sometimes) and draws about 6.5 amps with
compressor on.

Costco/Proce Club had by far the best price on Danby units at the time