Danby Premiere DDR5009REE 50 pint dehumidifier - Euro Grey Review

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We've lived in this house 22 years, and I just bought our 5th portable residential dehumidifier the Danby DDR5009REE for use in our finished basement. Without the use of a dehumidifier, the RH level can easily exceed 60% which is not good for all of the electronics we have in the basement, including those components located in one of our family rooms. The previous dehumidifiers in chronological order were: Sears Kenmore, Whirlpool, LG, and Fedders. Of the previous units, the one's with the best performance and longevity were the LG and Fedders.

The Fedders recently died, thus I had to replace it rather quickly. The two replacements under consideration were a Frigidaire and Danby. I chose the Danby DDR5009REE based upon the reviews, not only here on Amazon, but elsewhere. Here are my thoughts based upon only a few days of use:

Positive

Intuitive interface and LCD display. Two separate LCD displays... one that reads current temperature or on/off timer setting, and another that reads the current RH or set RH. Two fan speeds: Low and High. Two warning LEDs: Defrost cycle and bucket full. Anyone experienced with portable residential dehumidifiers will have this up-and-running in a few minutes after unboxing.

Nice size and easy to move about on the built-in casters.

Quiet compressor... just a noticeable hum from 10 feet away

Dehumidifies well in our 1,000 sq. ft. basement

Will operate down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit

Easy-to-remove water bucket with visible water level indication

Remote control (Why? Personally, I think this is superfluous)

Quite inexpensive to purchase

Negative

Fan runs continuously, thus does not turn off with the compressor when the set RH is reached. This is the biggest complaint that I have with the unit.

Fan (moving air dB level) is rather loud even at its low speed setting

Quite small bucket water capacity (comparing it to our previous Fedders 50 pint unit)

Only a two year full warranty. No 5 year "sealed system"/compressor warranty as some brands offer.

This unit is Energy Star rated, but it will cost more to operate than the Fedders it replaced which was NOT Energy Star rated. I measured the power use when the compressor and fan are operating (580 to 600 Watts) and when only the fan is operating (78 Watts). You can determine its cost of operation by calculating the kW/H used and multiplying that figure by your electrical utility's cost per kW/H. I find its Energy Star rating counter-intuitive, especially since when the compressor is off (not dehumidifying), it's still using as much electricity as a 75W incandescent light bulb!

It appears that practically all portable residential humidifiers are manufactured in China today. That's not always a bad thing I guess, but it implies that price is the most significant consideration than long-term durability and reliability. From my experience, four years is about all one can expect from the typical portable residential dehumidifiers available at most Big Box stores, or here on Amazon. There are better built and more durable ones available, such as the Santa Fe units manufactured by Therma-Stor LLC, but they come at a much higher price typically $1,400 to $2,000.

Am I pleased with the purchase?... a qualified yes. The major downside is the continuous fan operation. All else, I can live with on a day-to-day basis. Of course, the verdict is still to be determined on its long-term durability reliability. Most likely, I'll be in the market once again in a few years.

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This unit is pretty compact and well made, love the drainage hose.

It is quite but not whisper quite.Originally I was going to use in bedroom,however the quite noise did annoy me so I moved it to hallway between bedroom and bath. Now my heat pump does not run continuously,for air conditioning and a dry 75-80 is extremely comfortable even though I have health issues. I am very excited by this buy and big savings.

I live in the swamps of the DC metro area,so I am pleased.

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I bought this unit do to the auto on feature in case of a power failure. It is auto on but only restarts to the factory settings. Even worse is the fan runs all time! Even when it is not calling to dehumidify the air it sits there with the fan going. I will see see, so far I am not very happy.

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Worked good for a few months, then water started leaking out the bottom of the unit. Something internally is clogged and it is not draining into the bucket or through the external hose. I pulled out the owners manual for some troubleshooting advice, but that did not help. But what I did notice is that on the first page of the manual where Danby thanks you for buying there product they have in bold, highlight text the following warning: "Do not leave this unit unattended or operate in an area where people or animals may not be able to react quickly. A failed unit may cause over-heating, resulting in personal injury or property damage." I realize these disclaimers are written by the lawyers, but in order to own a Danby product I have to quit my job, stay at home, go on welfare, and watch for a fire. If the cat is not quick enough to jump out the window, he will die too. WTF are these people selling?

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We chose this dehumidifier because a friend suggested it. It has been a good choice so far with no problems or complaints. It does what its suppose to do. Living in Oklahoma can get very humid so it helps so much during the summer months. We like it alot.