A Powerful Yet Affordable Way of Fighting Humidity
I know a high level of humidity inside the home is something you don’t want for more than one reason. Personally, I’m extremely sensitive to high air temperatures and humidity, which makes me dread those summer months. While there isn’t much I can do about it while I’m outside, I’m not particularly keen on sweating constantly inside my own home. Let alone having to battle mold and mildew, so I decided to get a dehumidifier.
After doing some extensive research I managed to narrow down my selection to one of two, the Keystone Energy Star KSTAD70B 70 Pt. Dehumidifier or it’s almost “identical twin”, the Keystone Energy Star Dehumidifier KSTAD50B 50-Pint Dehumidifier.
For Starters
As indicated by its name, the Keystone KSTAD70B is able to remove up to 70 pints of water from the air during the course of 24 hours (50 pints in case of the Keystone KSTAD50B 50 Pint) in rooms of up to 3,800 square feet in size, making it ideal for basements which are generally the number one source for mold and mildew.
These particular dehumidifiers are also equipped with the necessary bells and whistles you might be looking for such as a transparent water level indicator, LCD, and an indicator which tells you when the water tray is full. The LCD panel is very easy to read, and is conveniently placed on top of the unit.
Adding to the list of useful features is the 24-hour timer which makes it easier to strike the right balance between performance and optimal energy consumption, and dust filters which can be removed. It’s because of the latter these dehumidifiers as an air purifier (of sorts) which is an added bonus. When positioning this unit, keep in mind that the intake is located on the front of the device, and the exhaust on the side of it. In other words, it will need some space around it.
Performance
Compared to similarly priced dehumidifiers available on the market both of these dehumidifiers fair well in terms of performance. In fact, that might be an understatement on my part because both of these demonstrate market leading performance. In order for a dehumidifier to be efficient it has to have a powerful fan, and this model ticks that box. If sound as an issue for you, don’t worry about it because this unit doesn’t omit anything higher than 54 decibels.
Another point I would like to make based on performance is energy consumption. Both of these dehumidifiers hold the prestigious Energy Star certification which means you get all the power without a hike in your electric bills!
Build Quality
Despite the affordable price, the build quality on both of these is quite good. I’m not saying this is the best built dehumidifier out there, but at this price range I don’t think you can really go wrong. That said if something does go wrong, you can rely on a full one-year warranty for parts and labor, as well a limited five-year warranty.
Notable Features
If you have multiple rooms you would like to “dehumidify”, both of these units are equipped with wheels for easy transportation. Another feature I like about them is the auto-restart option which saves the settings in case of a power outage. If you fall into the category of users who dread having to empty the water tray every time it gets full, don’t despair because these dehumidifiers allow for continuous drainage.
Other Things to Consider
Since the 70 pint version is equipped with a compressor, it may not be suitable in the bedroom 24/7, but since basements and kitchens are usually the main source of humidity, I don’t see this as much of drawback. The tray on this particular dehumidifier could do with some more heft, since it tends to bend when completely full, so opting for continuous drainage is probably best (another reason not to use it in the bedroom).
In Conclusion
I think either of these dehumidifiers is definitely worth considering if you’re battling high levels of humidity. As to which one you should consider purchasing? Well, it all depends on the size of your home or basement. Just remember that apart from the difference in capacity, they’re virtually identical.
You can find both the 70 pint and the 50 pint on Amazon at a price I couldn’t find better elsewhere!
