Frigidaire FAD704DWD Dehumidifier Review

This particular dehumidifier looks exactly like what it is, with a large grille in front and little effort made to make it fit in with the rest of your décor. We won’t go so far as to call it ugly, but many people will prefer an appearance like that of the Vacplus 1901 or hOmeLabs.

What it does have going for it, in contrast to many machines with similar characteristics, is that it’s manufactured by a company you can expect to know all about domestic appliances, given that they have just over a century’s experience of building them. Furthermore, it comes standard with a 1-year all-inclusive warranty and a 5-year guarantee on the cooling system. Whether this advantage outweighs its somewhat crude and dated styling is up to you to decide. In terms of performance and price, it’s pretty much on a par with the hOmeLabs and Vremi.

Movable but Not Really Portable

Compressor-driven dehumidifiers’ inner workings have a lot in common with those of refrigerators. As a consequence, the more powerful a humidifier you have, the heavier and bulkier it’s going to be.

This range of Frigidaires is comprised of three different models: the smallest weighs 34 pounds while the largest clocks in at 45. This, as well as their overall size, is comparable to options like the Vremi and hOmeLabs, but is definitely worth keeping in mind if you’re planning to drag it up or down any ladders. They are also pretty bulky and, due to the requirement for free airflow, can’t be crammed into any convenient nook.

As long as stairs aren’t involved, however, you shouldn’t have any problem carting it from one room to another. Swiveling wheels are mounted on the bottom and the case has handles on the top and sides.

Easy and Convenient to Use

None of the dehumidifiers you’ll find here, it should be said, are complicated to operate. Still, unlike small, economy products like the Afloia, the Frigidaire allows you set the desired relative humidity to precisely the level you find most comfortable.

The compressor shuts off when this level is reached. The fan continues to blow for a few minutes to dry the condensation coils and take care of any ice that may have formed on them. Alternatively, you can set it to run continuously to extract as much water from the air as possible.

If you choose to let it run all the time, you’ll be happy to know that you can attach a drain hose (not included and you may need to buy this part[/linkto] to make a leak-proof connection). If you want to use it in a basement without a sump drain, you’ll also need a [amazonlink asin="B000SM342Q"]condensate pump designed for quiet, low-power operation that kicks in automatically whenever liquid is detected.

Alternatively, you can leave the drain hole plugged and rely on the 2-gallon no-spill bucket with its carry handle. This is fairly easy to slide in and out without splashing or jamming even when full. The water level can be seen from outside, and the machine turns itself off automatically when this tank is full.

Okay Value for Money, But Not All that Special

Other features include a timer and the choice of two fan speeds. Even on the “High” setting, the Frigidaire is pretty quiet compared to other, similarly sized dehumidifiers, making it a good choice for placing in a bedroom. It also has a rudimentary filter you can easily vacuum and rinse clean; this is described as anti-bacterial but won’t be nearly as effective as a real air purifier.

At the end of the day, though, there are few features that can be tacked on to a dehumidifier that will truly enhance the user’s experience. The Frigidaire, like the hOmeLabs and Vremi, is Energy Star rated. Each shares similar performance, controls and features, and they all cost approximately the same. Still, there’s a lot to be said for buying from a company trusted by numerous families around the world.

Decisions, Decisions

Note again that you can also buy this appliance in a 50 pint/day version, which is very much the same except for being somewhat less powerful, or a 30 pint/day model which is 5 inches shorter. The difference in price as well as bulk isn’t huge, though.

Also, their big brother only consumes 745 watts when going full blast (as opposed to 420 W for the 30-pint model). Assuming your electricity costs are roughly average, this means it costs only around $10 a month to run the 70-pint model for three hours each day. In any case, the stated coverage areas of 1,500, 3,000 and 4,500 square feet only represent the manufacturer’s best guess of how they will work in most environments, so we recommend getting the large one for best value.