Are You Looking for Great Whole House Dehumidifier? You’ve Found It!
Excess humidity inside your home or basement can create a world of problems. Trust me, I’m speaking from personal experience! I chose to ignore the humidity in my home then the mold that followed in my kitchen and bathroom. Before I knew it, it was all over my basement. On top of that, my allergies were worse than ever. So, I decided it was time to get a dehumidifier. The only regret I have is that I wish I’d done it sooner.
That way, I would have saved a ton of money in order to fix damage caused by the moisture. For those among you who prefer to have their whole house and basement protected from mold by a single device, I have singled out not one, not two, but three great dehumidifiers: the Whynter RPD-702WP 70-Pint Portable Dehumidifier with Pump, and the Whynter RPD-501WP 50-Pint Dehumidifier, also with pump, and the pumpless Whynter RPD-302W 30-Pint.
While these are different, they are similar enough to find themselves in a single review.
Basic Features
All three dehumidifiers feature an Energy Star certification which means they’re energy efficient while being powerful at the same time. Here is a quick rundown for the units mentioned above.
The RPD-702WP has the ability to collect up to 70 pints of water over a 24-hour period, while the RPD-501WP will collect up to 50 pints and the RPD-501WP 30 pints during the same time period. The first one has an 18 pint water reservoir, the second one 14 pints, while the latter can store up to 12 pints.
There are some slight differences when it comes to setting the humidity levels. The 30 and 70 pint versions allow you to set the humidity level from 30% to 90%, while the 50 pint can control from 35% to 85% relative humidity. For me, this would be a reason to forget about the 50 pint model, because I like the air to be truly dry plus I simply like to have some slack.
All models have auto-restart and auto-shutoff features but the 50 pint lacks auto-defrosting. Most users don’t need this, but if you live in a cold area and intend to use the humidifier in your basement this might be a deal breaker.
The Numbers
Whynters are exceptionally quiet, operating at fewer than 56 decibels which makes them ideal for bedrooms. Of course, if you’re going to place it in the basement you’re unlikely to care about the noise it makes, but it’s good to have some flexibility regarding the location of the device.
Incidentally, the 70 pint is said to be good for rooms up to 3,800 square feet. And although I doubt if this number is 100% accurate it does tell us you can use it in larger homes.
Drainage Options
As is the case with most large dehumidifiers, the devices allow you to choose the manner in which it will dispose of the water collected. There is the manual drain which means you have to empty a water container, and a continuous drain where the dehumidifier is hooked up to a drain. The 30 Pint does not have a pump though, so if you need to drain to higher areas you may run into problems.
Bells and Whistles
The larger of these dehumidifiers looks like the Starship Enterprise with all the lamps and button located on the top of the device. In short, you have an indicator lamp which lets you know when it’s time to empty the water reservoir, and an indicator lamp which informs you the dehumidifier is in defrosting mode which works as low as 40F. Two LED panels show the room temperature and the relative humidity percentage.
There are buttons that allow you to set the fan speed to high or low, and the other electronic controls allow you to manipulate the timer and humidity level. Since I mentioned the timer, you can set it to turn the device on or off at any time over the course of 24 hours.
All in All
All Whynters dehumidifiers are great in their own right, with main differences in capacity and reservoirs. The slight differences in areas such as humidity levels and defrosting are basically a matter of personal preference and usage.
If you’re interested, take a closer look at the 30 pint version, the 50 pint version or the 70 pint version on Amazon, where you might be able to save some money on the list price.
