Does anyone make a decent dehumidifier?

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Flechette

Flechette

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I am trying to keep my guns from rusting. I got a can of desiccant but that required me to bake it every so often. Then I put an electric dehumidifier (basically an air conditioner with a bucket) and that worked well...for awhile. It stopped working. The compressor and the fan still worked but no water collected in the bucket anymore. Humidity gauge showed that the humidity did go up after the bucket started to be dry.

So I got another one. It lasted a few months. Same thing.

I changed brands. Same thing. Good for a few months then dry bucket.

Now on the fourth one and it just stopped. I am now in full PO'd mode. Doesn't anyone make descent hardware anymore or is everything designed to break after a few months? I'll happily pay double as long as the thing doesn't break...
 
First, if you bought a new dehumidifier and it died inside a year, you should be seeking replacement from the retailer or manufacturer. Having 4 died in a row sounds suspicious; where are you buying them?

My setup is a Frigidaire dehumidifier for my basement (set to 55%), and a couple nightlights inside my safe to raise the temperature a few degrees (exactly the same as a GoldenRod). It works well in Upstate SC.
 
I also have a Frigidaire unit , it doesn't run much this time of year . The room is staying at 50% now . It runs the most in the fall before I turn on the heat and the AC is not running much either .
 
@edwardware & @red rick - would you mind posting the model #'s of your units? (So I can order one from Amazon!) :D I have had the same experience @Flechette has with dehumidifiers... I've only personally messed with one (malfunctioning) unit, but reading reviews online, it sounds like almost no dehumidifiers available nowadays last for more than a year or two (at most) before failing. This is simply unacceptable! :mad:
 
I read the same thing about them when I was looking at them , so I did buy the extended warranty . I have not had any problems with mine so far . It use to run more when I first got it , but now it hardly comes on and the room is usually 45 % . It is raining today and it is up to 50 % . It runs more during the fall when it is to cool for the AC and to warm for the heat , but even last year it didn't run as much as when I first got it . I put down plastic under my house during the spring also .

Model # FAD504DWD
 
edwardware said:
First, if you bought a new dehumidifier and it died inside a year, you should be seeking replacement from the retailer or manufacturer. Having 4 died in a row sounds suspicious; where are you buying them?

My setup is a Frigidaire dehumidifier for my basement (set to 55%), and a couple nightlights inside my safe to raise the temperature a few degrees (exactly the same as a GoldenRod). It works well in Upstate SC.
Click to expand...


I also have the Frigdaire and mine has been working for about 3 years now....it has turned yellow somehow...but it is still working.

It runs about non stop during the summer here in missouri where our dewpoints are just horrid in the summer.
 
I bought one from Walmart 3 years ago. I regularly run it during the spring and summer. In Iowa the humidity can be real high during these times. This summer has been relatively dry so it's only ran a couple of weeks but it's still going strong. I have to dump the bucket everyday and I have it set at 60% RH.

I tape the receipt onto the bottom or backs of items like this so I can find them if they stop working after a couple of months.
 
My dehumidifier runs 24/7 all year long. My first dehumidifier was a used metal cased Kenmore model from the 70s. I got it in 1992. I used it 15 years. Over the past 10 years, I have had 3 different brands of modern dehumidifiers. From my experience modern units are good for about 3 years on average before dying.
 
Flechette said:
I am trying to keep my guns from rusting. I got a can of desiccant but that required me to bake it every so often. Then I put an electric dehumidifier (basically an air conditioner with a bucket) and that worked well...for awhile. It stopped working. The compressor and the fan still worked but no water collected in the bucket anymore. Humidity gauge showed that the humidity did go up after the bucket started to be dry.

So I got another one. It lasted a few months. Same thing.

I changed brands. Same thing. Good for a few months then dry bucket.

Now on the fourth one and it just stopped. I am now in full PO'd mode. Doesn't anyone make descent hardware anymore or is everything designed to break after a few months? I'll happily pay double as long as the thing doesn't break...
Click to expand...

Another vote for Frigidaire midrange models. Last one, bought at Walmart online and had shipped to store for pickup free. Had problems with GE and Kenmore brands only lasting a short time. However, any of the cheaper dehumidifiers simply do not last that long even in a controlled environment such as a basement. Three to five years is about the lifespan. They lose their refrigerant charge and die. If they are outside the main house, in a garage, storage building, or room, or something, they will have even shorter life (have to clean the coils). Depending on your location and needs, you might want to investigate a heat pump water heater--it dehumidifies when it draws the heat out of the area to heat the water or whole house dehumidifiers exist but they are very pricey additions to an hvac setup.
 
With such short lifespans, it makes one wonder if a more robust system could be made by a skilled technician, either from scratch or modifying common parts so that regular maintenance (cleaning coils, replacing freon, etc) could be performed and keep it going for a decade or two... seems absolutely insane that a person would need to spend $150-200 every 2-3 years on these things...
 
I had a 2-year-old Frigidaire until (70pint) that died after only ~2-3 years. I contacted Frigidaire and there was a recall/buyback process in effect for that model ... apparently they discovered a fundamental flaw in the units and decided to do the right thing.

They sent me a check to reimburse the total that I had originally paid for the unit. :what:

I bought another Frigidaire and used it until last summer when Mother Nature tried to wash White Sulphur Springs off of the map. I have a farm juuuust enough upstream in that valley to have not experienced a wash-out so I sent my DH with my sister & BIL to the WSS place and ordered another Frigidaire (FAD704DWD12) for here.

For reference, I operate my basement-located DH manually, starting it before bedtime when the RH creeps up to about 55% (knowing that if I do not run it the RH in the morning will probably be close to 60%).

In the past few years running the DH overnight during the warm/damp months 4-6 nights per week has guaranteed me an RH of no more than ~55% during the humid periods.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
I have used a Goldenrod heat element in my safe for 20 years. I don't think I've ever replaced it. Never found any rust on any guns.
Click to expand...
Thanks. There are many, many threads on dehumidifying safes, only, and Goldenrods (and similar) seem to work very well for that particular application. Unfortunately, I'm attempting to dehumidify a room which isn't tied into central HVAC, though it does have its own small heater and window A/C, which do help significantly since the dehumidifier isn't pulling its weight at all.

It is unfortunate that one of the few models that worked reliably is unavailable due to recall. :oops:
 
If this is for a safe and not an entire room, I recommend a Goldenrod. I’ve been using one for 4 years now with my safe in the basement and haven’t had any rust issues. Living in the Ohio valley it gets pretty humid here and my basement is connected to my garage, so that outside air is constantly getting in to where my safe is. But like I said, I trust the Goldenrod to work.
 
I'm trying to keep the whole room (maybe 7'x8' at the most) below 45% humidity throughout the year. Not sure about the OP, but based on his use of dehumidifiers, it sounds like he is going for a room rather than safe-only solution, as well.
 
Flechette wrote:
Doesn't anyone make descent hardware anymore...
Click to expand...

The answer to that question is, yes, decent hardware is still made.

Part of the question of durability is whether it is being properly employed.

But nobody can advise you on your particular situation without adequate facts.
  • Where are you located in the United States?
  • What are you trying to dehumidify; a safe or a room?
  • How big is the space?
  • Is it located in an area serviced by central air and hear?
  • What is typical ambient temperature?
  • What are the moisture sources in the space?
You correctly described a dehumidifier as "basically an air conditioner with a bucket" and like any conventional air conditioner, if it operated at too low a temperature it will fail, so the answers to the questions above will provide a starting point for a proper analysis of the failure(s).

One of my early engagements as a forensic engineer was a building where the multi-story lobby was generating its own rain clouds. Turned out the air conditioning system was grossly oversized and was not running often enough to provide adequate dehumidification. It would run for a few minutes, drop the temperature the required 4 degrees and shut off again. Strangely enough, the most economical solution turned out to be to place a gas fired heater in the return air plenum to warm up the return air so that the air conditioner would run long enough to adequately dehumidify the air.
 
Flechette wrote:
I am trying to keep my guns from rusting.
Click to expand...

Since I graduated college, I have always lived in locations with high humidity. I have never used a dehumidifier or heater in my safe to protect my guns from rust and I have never had any problem with rust. I keep all of my guns well oiled with Sears Roebuck & Co Household Oil (basically their brand of 3-in-1) and I have also used very thin applications of heavy weight motor oil to the barrel of my Mini-14 and 5.7mm Johnson rifles under the handguard.
 
keep one running in my sail boat (Florida) all summer at 55% got 4 yrs out of the last one.... have a small hose to drain out sink thur hull. i close it up and go north to escape the worst part of summer.... i am interested to see if any of you find a better product..... dirt
 
GBExpat wrote:
Mother Nature tried to wash White Sulphur Springs off of the map. I have a farm juuuust enough upstream in that valley...
Click to expand...

To quote The Simpsons, "Elmo knows where you live!"

I'm a Virginia native, but don't tell anyone. I've finally perfected the art of "passing" as a Texan and I don't want my cover to be blown. :)
 
everydefense said:
I'm trying to keep the whole room (maybe 7'x8' at the most) below 45% humidity throughout the year. Not sure about the OP, but based on his use of dehumidifiers, it sounds like he is going for a room rather than safe-only solution, as well.
Click to expand...
Yes, basically it is a walk-in safe.
 
+1 on the Fridgidaires. I bought two at least 5 years ago, and they are both still going strong.
(So I guess that should be +2)

I set one to 5% higher than the other, and that way they will operate in series if I forget to empty the bucket on the lower one.
 
You're lucky to get five or more years from a portable dehumidifier, I too have had good luck with a Frigidaire, an LG was short lived and two Hair units are going strong so far. I have one in my shop, another in the crawlspace and I just installed one in the attic to reduce AC duct sweating. Our area is prone to lightening strikes so installing a surge suppressor help extend their life.
 
That is what started mine...my water inlet sweats like mad...drips all over everything.
 
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