Humidity here is usually above 80%. As I type it’s 91% and that makes both cold and warm temperatures suck. So I’m looking to reduce humidity, preferably in an apartment of about 1000 square feet but at least in a room of about 120 square feet.
What should I know about dehumidifiers? Any good brands/models/types?
Pick a spot where you can run a line from the unit right to a drain; with your humidity using the built-in bucket would be a pain.
Clean the filter at least every other recommended time. My two have timers built in and reset lights. I may not go every one but I never skip more than one.
Favorite brands I don’t have. The basement was wetter than heck and I keep it set around 50-55%. I’m getting 2-5 years per $250ish unit.
If you want the absolute lowest price, just keep an eye on the website slickdeals. I browse there about once a day looking for a deal, lowest I saw for one was $150.
I have a bathroom sink I rarely use, so if I install one, I’d put it in there and set up the drain. Do you have a place to install a dehumidifier that you can install the drain to permanently? Because the second most annoying thing besides 90% humidity would be having to drain the basin.
If electricity is expensive where you live, consider getting one with an Energy Star rating.
A good one will cost between $150 and $300. You will probably have to empty the bucket at least once a day. It’ll be good to run it immediately in the bathroom after a hot shower. And also it might develop brown mold-like stains in the bucket that you’ll have to keep rescrubbing (I never figured that out with my dehumidifier.) And watch out for refrigerant leaks.
Would something like this be insufficient for a room?
I’m fine changing the bucket 2-3 times a day. Can I not put the dehumidifier in a pan to catch any spillover?
Where should the dehumidifier be located in a room?
Total garbage. Get a dehumidifier that uses a refrigerant loop (aka an air conditioner). Thermoelectric ones have terrible performance and terrible energy efficiency. Yes, it’s gonna cost you more like $150-$300, but you’ll get a lot more water removed per hour per kilowatt hour consumed.
As for location, just put it somewhere there is good airflow in the intake and outlet vents. Totally fine to have it in a different room as long as the door is open, water vapor in the air will naturally equilibrate.
I recommend you put the dehumidifier either in your bathroom, if there is a spot on the counter, or on the kitchen counter near the sink. Run a bit of tubing from the drain to the sink. (such tubing and hose clamps can be purchased from a hardware store for under 5 bucks)
Something more like this and run a line if you have a floor drain anywhere in reach.
Would you consider a window mounted unit if you could have one?
A suitable sized window AC unit, set to low fan, and highest cooling setting
and one of these to turn the unit on and off Humidifier Controler
Water goes outside, warm air exhaust from unit goes outside, only runs when humidity dictates, takes no space except the window opening.
There are significant problems with this. I suspect the OP lives in a cold climate - if he lived in a warm climate, he could be running his air conditioner and dehumidifying his place as we speak. I just ran mine a few hours today, even.
In a cold climate, you can’t. Basically the problem is if the outside temperature is too cold, the unit won’t run because the refrigerant gets too cold. You need a closed loop system inside.
The second problem is window units tend to let in a cold draft of air from outside, which is a problem if the OP lives somewhere very cold.
The third problem is that you need a dehumidifier if you want to adjust your room humidity level independent of temperature. With an air conditioner run as a dehumidifier, you also cool the room down below where you want it. What you want are two separate systems - AC or heater set to the desired temperature, and then the dehumidifier set to the desired humidity. In some climates you may also want a humidifier.
Yes, I live in Canada and it’s still February so it might get a bit chilly to run an AC.
Move to Utah and you won’t have to worry about humidity any more.
In case you were thinking of buying a used unit, buyer beware: http://greedehumidifierrecall.com/ProductEntry.aspx
Many different brands and models are included.
If you already have one of these, my replacement came about 2 months after I filed for it. My neighbor got his 7-year-old unit replaced… for free 
Thanks for this. I checked one of my old dehumidifiers and it’s on the list for recall. The unit stopped working years ago and I never replaced it, opting for a large industrial unit. These little ones don’t last long and don’t seem to work well.
I’m glad I didn’t throw the old one away, now.
Mine has an autostop when it gets full. I hope you will have it on the same floor as a drain; mine is in the unplumbed basement and it is a pain carrying it upstairs to empty.
I bought one for the basement for about $200. It was rated for about 750 square feet. A hose ran from the dehumidifier to the floor drain.
I cleaned the filters about twice a year. I left it in the auto mode at about the 75% setting. It ran pretty much non-stop during the summer and about half the time during the winter.
It lasted for 15 years. I sold the house and left it behind. It was still running.
The floor drain is the best option if you can make it work for you.