SPT SD-60E 60-Pint Dehumidifier with Energy Star

Sunpentown Energy Star 60 - Pint Dehumidifier. Removes moisture quietly and efficiently! Designed to remove excess moisture from your home quietly and efficiently. A necessity for those suffering from dust mite, allergies or simply for those who wants to keep their indoor humidity at a comfortable level. Air that is too damp can cause itchy skin and nasal passages, condensation on windows, water damage to materials, mold growth and rotting of wood materials in your home. Removes moisture from the musty air so you can enjoy year-round comfort in your home or office. Humidity level for this unit can be set as low as 35% with "normal" or "turbo" fan speed. Features a retractable lifting handle, washable air filter and casters for easy mobility. Fight mold, mildew and mites: Choice of continuous de-humidifying or 35-80% humidity settings (in increments of 5%); Full bucket indicator with auto shut-off; Washable air filter; Removable 10-liter bucket with handle; Drain hose connection option (hose not included); Casters for easy mobility; Time delay auto protection; Soft touch electronic control panel; Quiet operation. UL approved.; Power supply: 115V; Power consumption: 780W; Noise level (High / Low): 58 1/2 / 56; Applicable area: 500 sq. ft.; Rotary compressor; CFC free R134a refrigerant; 41-89 degrees F and 25% relative humidity or above working temp range; Measures 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 24 1/2". Weighs 55 lbs.; Order! Sunpentown Energy Star 60-pint Dehumidifier

I've had this dehumidifier for about three months. There are several things I like about it. It seems to dehumidify very well, pulling water out of the air quickly. It is quiet for a dehumidifier, not objectionably loud even on the turbo mode. The digital controls are (mostly) nice, the unit is relatively attractive, and I like the aesthetics of routing the drain hose out the back, out of sight, instead of off the side.

I also like the way this model exhausts upwards from the top, instead of blowing out the front or back. I think this should result in better air circulation as long as it is placed in the open. Be aware of this design if your situation requires placing it under a table, for example.

Those are the pluses. Where this unit really stumbles is unattended use. It has several serious design flaws making it ill-suited for continuous unattended operation.

The first problem is the connection of the drain hose. Unlike other dehumidifiers I've used before, this unit is NOT designed to drain with a common, screw-on garden hose attached to the outside of the collection tank. It instead has a smooth nipple inside to attach a hose of the correct inside diameter. For most people, this will mean one or more trips to the hardware store to find the right size hose. (It's 1/2" ID, by the way, something I couldn't find documented anywhere in the manual or on the manufacturer's web site.) I was lucky and had some leftover 1/2" vinyl hose in the garage.

While you're at the hardware store, be sure to buy a matching hose clamp. As mentioned, the fitting is smooth. This makes it easy to slide the hose on. It also makes it very easy to accidentally disconnect the hose, something you may not notice since it connects inside. The manufacturer should have included a clamp or used a textured fitting to reduce the risk of disconnects.

Another show-stopper for remote use is due, once again, to the novel design of the drain hose. Instead of draining the collection tank like most units, the hose attaches directly to the dehumidification section, ABOVE the tank. This seems like an effective approach, and it would be were it not for condensation. In high humidity, the underside of the top dehumidification section is cool enough to cause condensation. This condensation drips directly into the collection tank, bypassing the drain hose. This means the tank fills up anyway, eventually turning off the dehumidifier.

For the first couple of weeks after my basement flooded, I had to regularly check this dehumidifier and dump the tank about once a day, even though I had a hose connected. A nuisance for me, an expensive surprise for someone who installs this in a remote location, for example a distant vacation home.

Another design flaw limiting unattended use is the digital control system. Unfortunately, the dehumidifier settings are lost when it loses power. It must be manually reset and restarted. This is a nuisance at best, but completely unsuitable for remote installations. SPT could have prevented this problem by adding a 20-cent memory circuit to preserve the settings.

One final nit re. the digital controls. This model has a two character digital display to show problem and operating status codes. Unfortunately, you have to look up those codes in the owner's manual to see what they mean. There should be a list of the codes next to the display.

In summary, my rating is all about location, location, location. For someone who plans to install this in an accessible, well-traveled location, I'd rate this dehumidifier a solid 4 stars. The rating keeps dropping, however, as it moves farther and farther off the beaten path.

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One final note, contrary to the first review, the collection tank on this model is NOT 60 pints. As with all dehumidifiers, the capacity rating refers to how much water it removes in 24 hours (under specified conditions), not the size of the tank. I estimate the actual tank capacity at around 20-30 pints.

Normally I rely quite a bit on customer reviews. After moving into a new home with a basement, I realized one night after a few humid days, that mildew/mold had started to form on some items. I immediately rectified the situation and came back upstairs to finish researching dehumidifiers. I had been eyeing them in the stores (Big Box Stores, etc.) but they all seemed overpriced and I felt like I was settling. I had used a small dehumidifier in the basement previously but as a new homeowner I had NO idea that my little bathroom sized unit would not handle my basement!! Nonetheless, this 60 pint machine got my checkmarks through my list of wants...it was big, energy star rated and seemed to have a fair price for the size, etc., What it didn't have was any reviews! Ok so I'm sure you want to know... It's been well over a month and this thing is amazing. I plugged it in at 9:45 p.m. and by 9:00 a.m. I had a full 60 pints! It's VERY easy to remove the water (which also has a continuous mode if needed) I can simply slide it out from the front and bring it up the stairs and dump it. This is not heavy at all. It comes on wheels which makes moving it very easy as well. As I said I've had it for over a month and honestly, my electric bill is STILL less than what I was paying for at my apartment...so energy star rated is right!! I like the digital read and I can fluctuate the humidity level to what is needed for the day. When it fills up, it will auto stop and show an easy digital read to identify (along with the front water gauge.) This gets a thumbs up from me. It's been reliable and it's doing exactly what I need it to! I should also say, it's not very loud (Not 100% quiet) but I do have a roommate in the room next to where this is and he has yet to complain about it. I can never hear it until I go down the stairs and even still it's a very low sound...comparable to a fan or A/C on low fan mode. Oh and I should also say...there is no mold growth and it's completely dry down stairs now!