 Perfect arrival, installation, effectivenessMy basement was damp during the east coast winter of 2010; therefore, I devoted a whole evening to researching dehumidifiers online at Consumer Reports and Amazon, as well as other sites. The “70 pints” is talking about how many it can remove per day, not how large the two-gallon bucket is, and I learned that after getting through the hype. This should be made more obvious in any ads and reviews. If you have a high water table in your area and/or you have a basement that has French drains and block walls or any other room that tends to have condensation and standing water problems, you will need a highly rated unit that has the ability to cycle off and on automatically. If not, it is a huge waste of power. The drying rates and the noise were cause for concern by a number of reviewers; however, the Frigidaire FAD704TDP wasn’t rated by Consumer Reports. There is practically no noise whatsoever with this unit! The damp block foundation of the 40×60″ basement showed no standing water; however, it filled a two-gallon bucket in a very short period of time. The next day, there was a remarkable difference; it took two days to dry and it was acceptable for habitation without anymore odors. By setting it at 40% humidity (variable at different times of the year) and taking the amount of rainfall into account, you can expect it to cycle every -3- hours. I connected the HVAC for the house with a combination of a smaller hose (for piping water) and a clear vinyl hose that I constructed from parts I got at the hardware store, and was therefore, able to pipe the water. The machine must be put on top of an 8″ wooden box with casters underneath it so it wouldn’t roll off. You must hose the area out whenever grunge appears because, if you don’t, the dehumidifier will not work due to being blocked; therefore, it’s important to be able to visually inspect the hose water. There is an air filter but it is not made to get rid of mold spores and avoid this problem. I feel I can recommend this fine product with utmost confidence. |
Archive for June, 2011
Frigidaire Dehumidifier, 70-Pint Capacity, FAD704TDP by Frigidaire
June 8th, 2011Frigidaire Dehumidifier, 70-Pint Capacity, FAD704TDP by Frigidaire
June 8th, 2011| Worked great, but didn’t hold up. This dehumidifier did the trick, until it broke after a few months. I used the dehumidifier in the basement, connecting a drain hose to it so that it could continuously run. I could easily keep the basement around 50-60% humidity, and I only had to inspect and clean its filter occasionally. Since it was downstairs, I believed the level of noise was acceptable. It was somewhat tricky to take the bucket off, but since I’d attached it to a hose it wasn’t very problematic. I’m sad to say it seems as if nobody today is capable of making dehumidifiers that really last. This one hasn’t broken completely, however it looked like there was a humidistat malfunction or an electronics issue. The unit always says the humidity is 95% and it hasn’t shut off since the problems first started. I deduced that the compressor was working just as it should when I looked at the hose and found there was still a lot of moisture being taken out. I had to replace it because, even though I had an extended warranty from HH Gregg, they told me it was too expensive to fix it when I returned it to them for repair. Another Frigidaire might be worth the risk, or at least a Soleus 70 model. I gave this three stars because it did work at first but it died out early and I couldn’t repair it easily. What difference does that energy star rating make when these things are constantly being thrown out because of poor lifespan. REVISION 06-02-2010: I made up my mind to buy this unit to take the place of the Frigidaire 70 brand I previously had. FYI, the unit doesn’t really look like the one here. It really looks like this: http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-70-pint-Dehumidifier/dp/B001UH91OI/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1275532106&sr=1-20 When I first saw this, I thought maybe it was an old picture, but it was manufactured on March 10th, so that’s not the case. Because history often repeats itself, I am holding out hope that I have a transferable warranty. |
