Bionaire BDQ24-UC 20-Pint Dehumidifier, White
From Holmes Group
The Bionaire Dehumidifier can remove up to 20 pints of moisture per day. The standard features include a digital humidistat which reads the relative humidity level in the room, two present humidity level options, an economy mode option, and a continous mode option. Additonaly the unit comes with castor wheels and a handle for easy portability.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #131624 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Color: White
- Brand: Bionaire
- Model: BDQ24-UC
- Dimensions: 25.30" h x 13.50" w x 15.10" l, 41.00 pounds
Running quietly and efficiently, this fully portable, 20-pint-capacity dehumidifier effectively handles room sizes up to 1300 square feet. The two systems for collecting condensation include either discharging moisture continuously with the water-reservoir bypass system or collecting moisture in the large tank. An audible signal and flashing LED alerts when the tank is full, while automatic overflow protection turns the dehumidifier off until the bucket is emptied. Other features include auto defrost and SmartTouch digital control, humidity display, and electronic sensor, which measures how much humidity is in a room then works just enough to counter it. A pivoting handle and durable castor wheels make this unit easy to store or transport from room to room. Filter Plus, a washable nylon filter plus odor-removing insert is included. The dehumidifier measures approximately 26 by 14 by 16 inches and carries a two-year limited warranty. --Catie Unger
No problems here!
I live in an old house outside San Francisco where there is no central air or heating. During the summer, we leave the windows open because the weather is perfect, but in the winter and fall, we close up -- unfortunately, this means having a damp house because the bathroom and kitchen never dry up. Humidity was a new problem for me and I had never purchased a dehumidifer before, so I crossed my fingers and bought the Bionaire BDQ24-UC.
My first impression was "wow, it's bigger than I thought" (of course, this was my fault for not reading the dimensions on Amazon before ordering). However, it really isn't all that imposing. It fits neatly into our tiny bathroom, and doesn't stick out at all.
Secondly, the thing works like a champ. The economy mode is great for us, because we'd like to keep utilities low AND let our towels dry at night. The first night we had it on, it pulled out about 2-3 cups of water, and brought the relative humidity down to 50% from about 78%, on a night where it was about 50 °F. From my perspective, this was an overnight fix.
As far as the noise, I'm a very light sleeper; a drip from the bathroom faucet next to our bedroom will keep me up at night. The Bionaire is pretty quiet-- it's similar in volume to a window-unit air conditioner. So it doesn't keep me up at night, and I can watch movies in the next room without really noticing.
I gave it four out of five stars because the humidistat lags a bit (~20 min) when in economy mode -- while this really is not a big deal for me, I could imagine that a different design might work better for those who need an instant response. I can't attest to its long-term reliability because I only have the experience of a few weeks, but if you're concerned about that, then it does have a 2-year warranty. It ships with a receipt from Amazon, so be sure to hang on to that. Best of luck!
UPDATE (Jan. 2008): Two years later, it works great. A month ago, it seemed like it wasn't sensing the humidity so well. It turns out the air filter was clogged-- oops, I hadn't cleaned it since I bought it! I washed the filter in the sink and put it back on the machine still wet. Works like it did on day one. I recommend it very much still, and if I could give it 4.9 stars, I would.
Works like a charm!
I can't begin the explain how great this machine is. I've had it for about a month and it has made a dramatic difference in my household. The style is very pleasing and fits into any room I place it in. The only minor problem I would say is the noise level. It can be a bit high, but I have gotten used to it and the noise just blends into the background.
I especially like the three humidity settings and the digital guage for the humidity level in the room. In addition, the unit comes with a built-in handle and casters to wheel it around. When the collection tank is full, the unit beeps once and flashes a light. Removing the tank and emptying it are much easier than I thought it would be. This unit is a pleasure to have and well worth the money. I think the Bionaire company has lived-up to its name with this machine.
As quiet as they get. Works faithfully.
Mine has been working non-stop for 14 months now. It is much quieter than other dehumidifiers, because it has a turbine-like fan and a new cooling technology. It also seems to produce less heat than other dehumidifiers, although it does warm up the air (that's unavoidable). The only problem that I have found with this machine is the placement of the humidistat. The sensor for humidity is located inside it and gets dried out pretty quickly. As a result, the dehumidifier underestimates the humidity of the room, turns itself off too soon, and then will not turn itself on once the humidity goes up in the room. This is not a problem for me, because I need it to run non-stop. However, it would be a nuissance if you require precise control of the relative humidity.
