Finally got my dehumidifier off the floor and the results are night and day

I went trough three Frigidaire 50-pint units in about four years before I realized the heat exchanger coils are just way thinner than they used to be. My old Kenmore from the 90s had thick copper coils that coud take a beating, but these new ones use cheap aluminum that corrodes the second any dust mixes with the condensation. I finally started blowing mine out with a shop vac every month to keep the gunk from sitting on the metal.

Putting it on a stand is a smart move, but I acutally found that the drain hose angle was my biggest hurdle. When it was on the floor, the water whould back up slightly in the internal bucket, causing the sensor to trip or things to get moldy inside. I moved my current Midea unit onto a heavy-duty plastic shelving unit about 30 inches up. Being able to run a short garden hose directly into my utility sink with a steep drop has stopped that wierd musty smell and kept the compressor from short-cycling. It's been running for two full seasons now, wich is a record for me.

My experiance with these newer units, specifically the GE models from Home Depot, is that the internal sensors are the first thing to go. I used to keep mine right next to the sump pump, but the constant high-humidity spikes right at the source were causing the sensor to misread and short out the whole control board. Instead of just lifting it up, I actualy started using a seperate Inkbird plug-in humidistat controller. I set the dehumidifier itself to the continuous run setting and let the external sensor handle the power cycles. This way, the unit's cheap internal components aren't constantly clicking on and off every five minutes when a slight draft hits the intake. It has saved my current 50-pint unit for three full seasons now, whereas the ones before it barely cleared the twelve-month mark. Keeping the humidity target at 50% or 55% instead of 40% also prevents the coils from icing up when the basement gets chilly in the autumn.

I'm brand new to this and just bought my first unit last month. I have mine sitting right on the concrete floor like everyone says not to do, so I guess I need to find a table or somethig fast! If I move it onto a shelf, does it matter if it's near my furnace? I'm worried about the heat or dust from the vents messing with those sensitive sensors.

Also, how do you even blow out those coils with a shop vac without bending them? They look so thin and fragile I'm honestly scared to touch anything inside.

You’re spot on about the elevation. If you want somethig that acutally lasts in a basement, stop buying those plastic consumer units and get an ALORAIR Sentinel HD55. I mounted mine on a wall bracket five feet up. It’s got a heavy-duty internal condensate pump and a bypass air sensor that doesn't freak out like the cheap GE or Frigidaire boards. Those big-box store models are built for bedrooms, not wet basements. The Alorair has epoxy-coated coils specifically to stop that corrosion and pinhole leaks you guys are seeing. Best investment I ever made for my crawlspace.