Initial impression was outstanding... but time has proved me wrong...
UPDATE 05/19/12 - I attempted to disassemble the unit yesterday evening, but the bucket would not come out, and there was a silver dollar sized patch of ice on the outside of the unit near where the gravity drain nozzle is on the interior. I turned off the unit and left it to thaw overnight. This morning, I went down and removed the housing and everything appeared to be normal. So, I reassembled the unit, but left the left hand hold insert out, so I could see inside the unit. I plugged it in and let it run for several hours, and it became apparent that what is happening is that the defrost function is no longer working (which is the same problem that my previous dehumidifier developed), so ice is forming and blocking the drainage through the elbow that either drains into the bucket, or the gravity drain hose, depending on if the drain hose is connected. The design of the unit is such that, if the normal drain path is obstructed, there is an "overflow" drain hole on the opposite...
Effective, quiet, well-designed
This is my newest Sunpentown dehumidifier. I got my first (an SD-60E) almost 2 years ago. I've used many home dehumidifiers (Hampton Bay, Maytag, Fedders, Amana, Whirlpool) over many years. My two Sunpentowns are the most effective by any measure. Their water buckets are bigger, yet need to be emptied as often or more, even when used in the basement where temperatures are lower and many dehumidifiers lose effectiveness. I can now keep my whole house under 45% with only two dehumidifiers where I used to need three. Also, they're quieter, which is very important. At first I worried that they occasionally seemed to run unnecessarily, but I now realize they're smart devices and sometimes move air (with compressor off) just to monitor it better. They don't need to be reset after a power failure. The filters are easy to remove and vacuum. Also, readings are more accurate than on older models. One very minor complaint: I could wish for a pause button (off for an hour, then...
Sunpentown vs. Frigidaire
In the past I have purchased several dehumidifiers of varying brands, including Frigidaire. Unfortunately, the Frigidaire units are no longer of good quality and the company is refusing to honor the warranty on them (see my review at [...] for details). So I bought this one.
The Sunpentown, although rated five-pints per day less than my last Frigidaire, removes the moisture from the air MUCH more quickly. The Frigidaire ran almost continuously in my cellar trying to maintain a 40% humidity level. The Sunpentown brought the humidity down from 66% to 40% in just a few hours, and now only runs occasionally to maintain this level despite the extremely wet weather we have experienced the last few weeks.
The Sunpentown, like the other, has two speeds. Sunpentown calls the higher speed "Turbo." There may be a logical reason for this -- at this speed it almost sounds like a turbojet. It is pretty darn loud. The "normal" speed is not bad. Unfortunately, when the unit goes...
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment