70 Pint Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump, 24 Pints DOE, 4500 Sq Ft, 2.2 Gallon Tank, 41 dB

A gravity hose only runs downhill, and in a finished basement the only thing lower than the dehumidifier is the floor it stands on. So the hose stays in the box and somebody carries a full tank up the stairs twice a day until they stop bothering.

There is a pump inside, with its own 6.5 ft hose, so water can go up into a laundry tub or out through a window well. The 2 ft gravity hose is there too for rooms that do have a floor drain, and the 2.2 gallon tank covers anywhere with neither.

Three routes, and both hoses are supplied

Pump drainage sends water upward through the 6.5 ft hose, which is the answer when the sink or the window is above the machine. Gravity drainage uses the 2 ft hose to a floor drain lower than the unit. Manual drainage means lifting out the 2.2 gallon tank. Most machines offer one or two of those. Having all three in the carton means the room you move it to next does not need a new purchase.

Read the small circles, not the big number

70 pints a day is measured at 95F and 90% relative humidity, which is hot and saturated. The figure that describes a Canadian basement is 24 pints a day at 65F and 60%, the 2019 DOE test condition. That is the number to compare against another brand, and it is a respectable figure for a machine of this size.

Quiet, and dark as well

41 dB puts it near the quiet end of the manufacturer's own scale, between a library at 20 and a car at 70. The screen off function is the other half: it kills the display so the machine is not glowing at the foot of the bed. The 1 to 24 hour timer can stop it before morning rather than running right through.

Moving it, and the cord that comes with it

Two handles on the tank rather than one, which matters when it holds 2.2 gallons of water. Four universal wheels take the 32 lbs across a floor. The cable clip on the back is a small thing that stops 6 ft of cord trailing across a basement every time you reposition the machine.

Sends water upward through its own 6.5 ft hose, so the machine does not have to stand beside a floor drain.

One of the largest tanks in the household range, detachable, with two handles and overflow protection.

70 pints a day at 95F and 90% RH, and 24 pints on the 2019 DOE test at 65F and 60%.

Switches the display off for night running, alongside the 41 dB noise figure and a 1 to 24 hour timer.

The manufacturer describes a washable filter with pre-filter, formaldehyde, silver ion and activated carbon layers, and states a filtration rate of 99.99% or better.

Defrost clears the coil in a cool basement, and the internal drying function dries the machine out before it is stored.

The panel locks against accidental changes and the machine stops before the tank can spill.

A clip on the back holds the 6 ft cord, so nothing trails when the unit is moved between rooms.

Ships from a Canadian warehouse. Free shipping on orders over $150. Some remote areas, PO boxes and surcharge regions may be excluded or charged extra.

Return within 14 days of purchase, unused, in original condition and packaging.

Covered directly by the manufacturer under their warranty terms for material and manufacturing defects.

This is the single best reason to pay for a pump. If the only thing lower than the machine is the slab it stands on, gravity is not an option and a tank means daily trips upstairs.

Tank, gravity hose and pump are all in the carton, so the same unit works in a bedroom, a laundry room and a basement without another purchase.

41 dB with the screen switched off is unusual on a machine that also carries a pump, and the timer can stop it before morning.

It is a compressor machine with auto defrost, so a heated basement suits it. An unheated garage near freezing calls for a desiccant unit instead.

What we stand behind

• Ships from a Canadian warehouse, with free shipping on orders over $150
• 14 day returns on unused items in original condition and packaging
• Covered by the manufacturer's own warranty for material and manufacturing defects
• The pump, both drain hoses and the washable filter are all included, with no separate pump to buy

Do I need the pump, or will the gravity hose do?

It depends entirely on your room. Gravity drainage only works if there is a floor drain, sump or downhill run lower than the machine. If the nearest drain is a laundry tub at waist height or a window well, the pump is what makes continuous drainage possible, and it has its own 6.5 ft hose. Both hoses are in the box, so you can try gravity first.

Why is the DOE figure 24 pints when the title says 70?

They are different test conditions. 70 pints a day is measured at 95F and 90% relative humidity. The 2019 DOE test is run at 65F and 60%, which the US Department of Energy chose because it reflects a real basement, and this machine returns 24 pints a day under it. Every brand's headline number is inflated by the same test, so compare DOE to DOE.

What does the filter actually do?

The manufacturer describes a washable filter with a pre-filter for dust plus formaldehyde, silver ion and activated carbon layers, and states a filtration rate of 99.99% or better. That figure and those layers are the manufacturer's own claims rather than an independent test result. Treat the filter as a useful dust and odour screen, and rinse it regularly because a clogged one slows the machine down.

Does it need a special outlet?

No. It is specified at 115V, 60Hz drawing 290W and 3.8A, on a 6 ft cord, so an ordinary grounded Canadian household outlet is correct. Plug it into the wall rather than a light duty extension cord, and keep other large appliances off the circuit.