Dehumidifier Manuals & Owner Guides

Portable vs. whole-home dehumidifiers

Portable

Plug-in units on casters that drain into a bucket or through a hose. Best for a single room or an open basement.

Whole-home

Permanently installed, usually in a basement, crawl space or utility area, and often connected to the home's ductwork. They drain continuously and handle larger volumes with less noise in living spaces.

Understanding capacity ratings

Capacity is the pints of water removed per day under the DOE test procedure. Since 2019, portable dehumidifiers have been rated at 65 °F and 60% relative humidity — cooler conditions than the old 80 °F test — so the same machine now carries a lower number. A unit once sold as "70-pint" is typically rated at about 50 pints/day today.

DOE groups portable units into three size classes: up to 25 pints/day, 25.01–50 pints/day, and over 50 pints/day. Choose a larger class for very damp spaces, large basements or areas with frequent water intrusion.

IEF and running costs

The integrated energy factor (IEF) is liters of water removed per kilowatt-hour, including fan-only and standby power. Multiply IEF by 2.11 to get pints per kWh. A higher IEF lowers the cost of every pint removed.

Dehumidifier FAQ