Kenmore dehumidifier-recommendation

[Michael Muderick]

In 2003-4 I bought a kenmore dehumidifier. AFter less than a year, I took it for warranty service- fan motor replaced. Now, 2 years later, it's just not pumping out any more water. Sounds like the compressor is running, but I haven't taken it apart to check it. I keep it on a shelf with a drain into the sink and the humidity level in the basement requires it to run almost full time. I'm thinking that, if it is a fan motor, I'm ready to replace the whole unit because I want one with greater reliability. Thoughts? Recommendations on a good model? Does pint capacity matter since it's on a drain system, rather than the tub? Thanks.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Thee is not a large difference in reliability in any brand. The fan motors are rather cheap and running almost constantly, it will wear out after the four years or so that you've had it. Depending on the cost, it may be worth replacing, but that is a decision only you can make. You can get a price at

or your local parts dealer.

Capacity does matter. It is not the capacity of the reservoir that matters, but the capacity to remove a stated amount of water from the air. One that removes 50 pints a day will keep the basement drier than one that removes only 30 pints. Unless of course, you only have to remove 20 pints to keep things dry, but sounds like you need high capacity.

Higher capacity may last longer because it runs less too.