Frigidaire FAD704DWD Energy Star 70-pint Dehumidifier

The last 5 dehumidifiers I have purchased (3 Kenmore dehumidifiers and 2 Frigidaires) have all failed within 5 years of purchase and 2 of the 4 have failed within a year of purchase. In my experience the reliability of dehumidifiers in general has diminished greatly over the years. So every time I have to purchase another, I do the research all over again and I find myself going in circles. All brands seem to have similar complaints having to do with longevity.

Consequently, I always purchase an extended warranty now. For the $40 or so that they cost, it gives you some peace of mind that at least you will be able to get a replacement if the dehumidifier should break down outside of the manufacturers warranty period.

My first Frigidaire dehumidifier was the FAD704TDP, purchased in April 2011. That lasted just slightly over a year before breaking down. The compressor failed. I was in luck because even though the 1-year warranty had just expired, the compressor was warrantied for 5-years. Whew, dodged a bullet there.

I had read elsewhere that Frigidaire was notoriously difficult to deal with regarding warranty repair/replacement. In my experience, what Frigidaire does instead of sending you a new unit is to "buy back" your old unit. You don't return it to them, they just send you a check. Fortunately Frigidaire "bought" my defective unit back from me and using the proceeds I was able to replace it with the FAD704DUD. Contrary to some peoples hassles with Frigidaire warranty issues, I had no problem whatsoever with my interaction with Frigidaire. The check was sent to me promptly and with no problems.

I did a lot of further research and decided that all manufacturers had their share of disgruntled customers so I decided to give Frigidaire another chance and purchased my second Frigidaire dehumidifier, the FAD704DUD 70 pint dehumidifier to replace the defective. That one was purchased June 2012 and is still working. However, I live in the North East and right now it's the tail end of winter so the dehumidifier, although it is plugged in and turned on, hasn't actually had to operate since the Fall of 2012. I'm assuming it will work just fine come spring and the ensuing damp weather. But given the history I've had with dehumidifiers, they seem to work no longer than 3-5 years before breaking down, I had an opportunity to get this FAD704DWD and did so even though the dehumidifier I bought last year seemingly still works fine.

The outward appearance of this dehumidifier is identical to the FAD704DUD. The only differences between this 2013 model: FAD704DWD and the 2012 model: FAD704DUD are some minor changes in the specifications:

FAD704DWD (2013) FAD704DUD (2012)

Amps (Cool): 7.8 vs Amps (Cool): 7.2

Horsepower (Cool): 1.00 vs Horsepower (Cool): 1.03

Watts (Cool): 745 vs Watts (Cool): 765

So as you can see, the FAD704DWD uses 20 less Watts of electricity. But as you'll also notice, the Horsepower has been reduced slightly so I'm not sure if the operation of the unit will be quite the same. I do noticed a very minor change in the tone of fan blower. It sounds like it might be running just a touch slower than the last years model. Very minor, but maybe that's all it takes to reduce energy consumption by 20 watts.

When I received the new dehumidifier and removed the tape that secures the collection tank to the unit, I discovered that the float assembly was not attached where it was supposed to be attached and was just flopping around in the bottom of the tank. There was also a broken piece of clear plastic that I still haven't quite figured out where it came from yet. But I plan to take the entire thing apart to find out where it broke off from. I carefully reattached the float assembly and was good to go.,

I like the profile and appearance of this dehumidifier. It's exactly the same dimensions of last years model. It is not very deep nor wide, but it is somewhat tall. It measures roughly 16" wide, 11" deep and 24.5" tall.

The cord length is 6' 6" and there is a cord wrap on the back of the unit. The plug is a 3-prong grounded plug.

The fan is not exceedingly loud but it's not whisper quiet... perfectly tolerable though. If it's in your basement and not in your direct earshot, you probably won't ever hear it operate at all. The fan blows the exhaust out of the top of the unit which I feel it circulates the air better than blowing it out the side which is where some units have the fan output.

The collection container hold 16.3 pints and has a handle to help you carry it over to a sink. However, It just does not have a decent way to tip the bucket easily to pour the water out. I am always sloshing and spilling water all over the place when I try emptying the full bucket. It's awkward. Plus, 16.3 pints may sound like a lot of capacity but it fills rather quickly in my climate so I use the "continuous operation" method. My dehumidifier is located near my sump pump in my basement. I attach a hose to the dehumidifier and route that right into the sump pump. It's a great way to do it because I do not have to be bothered with emptying the dehumidifier and it is able to run continuously.

Overall I'm very pleased with the Frigidaire FAD704DWD 70-pint dehumidifier. I withold 5 stars simply because of the longevity issues I've discussed. Should this prove to be long-lasting, I will update my review and provide an update.

I decided to do a quick initial review of this 70 pint dehumidifier since everyone will be looking at getting one for the summer season soon. I will update durability in future months. I received this May 2013. It came delivered in its original box very quickly (2 days) shipped UPS. It says on the box not to lay on its side. I recommend upon receiving this unit to leave it sit for 24 hours before plugging in when you get it in its final resting spot just in case someone along the way shipped it on it's side to let the compressor oil drain back down. The shipping box seemed sufficient, however It did come with a crack in the plastic back due to an impact. The box appears to be able to flex on the backside enough and there is only foam protection on the ends. Amazon of course took care of me on this. On to the initial review. The design of the cabinet is tasteful and has a few features I liked over my past Fedders unit. Thoughtful features like an integrated handle that hides away at the top when not in use. The unit rolls easily on its caster without tipping. The bucket has a red ball in it to show you water level and a flip down handle to assist in the emptying process. I also liked the way the hose outlet was molded into the cabinet with a screw on plug. Past units I have owned seemed the hose connection was an afterthought. The only feature I thought was oddly placed was the reusable filter which can only be accessed when the bucket is removed. The control panel is nicely layed out and includes power, fan speed, humidity control and a handy timer function in which you can program it to come on in so many hours from now when the energy costs are lower. Very legible 2 digit readout for humidity and can be adjusted in increments of 5% down to 35, or continuous operation. When you are adjusting the levels the readout reflects your setting and when you release the buttons it then reads the room humidity. There is also a filter reset on the top panel. After so many hours of operation it will remind you to clean it.

I set the humidity to 50 and turned the fan on high. The compressor does not start right away and seems to take 5 min to kick in. I played with the high low fan speed. There is a noticeable lower noise between the two, but not enough to make me want to leave it in low. On to the energy use. When the unit is plugged in with nothing running it appears to use about 2 watts of power, but not continuous. I noticed it reads 2 watts intermittently, maybe coming on to check the humidity level. If this is the case, it would only need to do this once every couple of minutes instead of every 20 seconds or so like it does. When the fan is in the low position with the compressor off, it uses 58 watts and when it is in high it uses 66 watts. Not a lot of energy savings, but a bit of payoff (slight) in noise. The air is sucked in the front and ejected out the top vents. When the compressor kicks in the noise does not increase by much at all and can hardly be heard over the fan noise. Initially with the compressor running and the fan on high the wattage consumed was between 630 and 591, fluctuating. As the unit ran for a couple of days this seemed to drop to a steady 578, well below the wattage in the spec, possible the compressor breaking in?. Instead of water dripping continuously out of the hose connector, it seems to be ejected at regular intervals. This interval initially was every 16 seconds. The amount of water ejected was 7.5ml. The water being pulled out was well over the 70 pints a day, somewhere just over 90 pints. This continued for the first couple of days and now seems to be ejecting about 7ml every 35 seconds. I will continue to monitor this as time goes on. It may just be that the humidity was so high it was taking more out than the rated average.

Overall I am satisfied with it so far. I highly recommend using the hose end as you will be dumping that 16.3 pint bucket a few times a day. If you do not have a floor drain, maybe look into a model with a built in pump for a few dollars more to pump it up to a sink. Something notable about the noise. I did find it quieter than my fedders model and since it is in my basement I don't care much. If you are watching TV beside it you may be annoyed. Thanks to John M Yelton, I can now confirm that the fan DOES shut off when the dialed in humidity has been reached. On average it takes about 7 minutes after the compressor shuts off for the fan to go off. This is a bit annoying, but perhaps it will eliminate rust issues I noticed my fedder unit had after a few years as the coils get a chance to air dry after they start to go back to room temp. I did notice though that the unit doesn't stay off for long. Between the 7 min fan cycle it give the sensor a bit of time to activate the compressor so it seems that it just shuts off, then the compressor kicks in again 5 min later to take some more moisture out of the room and it just repeats itself. Mind you, I am drying a 2000 square foot basement and this will probably slow down as it drys out. Keep in mind this is the first few days of operation, and since I am on "time of use" hydro billing, it has been off much of the day since that is the expensive time to operate.

I have an idea for mine to be turned on only when my hydro is at its cheapest (7pm to 7am) For those of us with home automation you could say run this unit 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and all weekend (cheapest energy rate times). This unit could be controlled remotely by utilizing the bucket full contact switch.

UPDATE May 11 -2013. The wattage consumed continues to drop. I monitored it again for an hour and it has dropped below 500 watts, in the 480 range (A far cry from the 745 Watts they rate it for) so this is a pleasant surprise. I will continue to monitor this. It could be the compressor loosening up an not having to work as hard (hopefully) and not something else.

I also noticed the time between moisture ejects has increased from 7.5 ml every 16 seconds to 7.5 ml every 60 or so seconds. A sign my basement is getting drier I suppose.

Happy so far.

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Going on my 3rd unit in a 10 days! First unit leaked water from the back panel right away. Called Amazon and got another one sent out (UPS call tag sent for defect) Second unit came in 2 days and also leaked from the back panel, but the drain outlet on the back was pushed in and cracked! Called Amazon and they sent out a third unit (UPS call tag sent again). All was well and working for 2 days, AND again leaking from the BACK! Many state this is a wonderful product and I have had earlier models, with no problem. There must have been a bad run at one time and something is not right inside with the run-off. There may be insulation missing on the piping or just not properly applied. Will call a service center and find out if there is a known issue with these units. If not, I will call Amazon for perhaps the FAD704 DUD (earlier model) It's not Amazons fault and they have been great in handling this situation (shipping and returns) Will advise.

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This Dehumidifier is great! It really sucks the moisture out of the air in my entire basement and since I ran a hose to the utility drain it runs continiously and keeps the humidity at the 40 percent setting (you can set it for whatever percent you want to maintain) pretty darn accurately. It's much quieter than other units I have had and I've been wanting another one for upstairs and lo! Vine offered me one to review. The exact same model I now have. I can vouch for it's functioning as described and 70 pints is 8.75 gallons of water if you don't have the facilities for running the drain hose...so unless you're in Florida...you won't be running to empty it every few hours. The basement in my house has always had a moisture problem and this is the only unit I've found that you can run constantly that does the job and is quiet enough it won't interfere with your other activities. As one reviewer noted however you wouldn't want it in the room with you watching Television...fortunately there is a door on the entertainment room that can be closed while we watch movies.

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I'm just thrilled with this dehumidifier. It replaces an 10 year old Whirlpool, and provides a number of key benefits for my needs:

1. Quiet even at full fan speed the noise level is remarkably low. You can easily have a conversation standing next to it. Unlike the Whirlpool, I can't hear it running in the basement when I'm upstairs.

2. Water container easy to remove and pour out without any splashing or messes. I often use the water to water my plants, so being able to carry and pour the container without drips is wonderful! Although I don't use it with a drain, it comes with a drain connector so it can discharge the water into a floor drain or sump if you don't want the water to collect in the bin.

3. Space conservation the air intake is on the front and the outlet is on the top, so I can position the unit to be flush against the wall. Takes up far less room than units with the fan outlet on the back. While this is tall, it sticks out only about a foot from the wall. It rolls easily over hard surfaces and low-pile carpet.

4. Controls I love that I can set the unit to a specific humidity level rather than guess with a dial-type humistat. It cycles off when it hits the set level, and cycles back on when the humidity creeps up.

5. Filter it has a washable mesh filter that is easy to remove and clean. Since I have cats (and the unit is in the basement which is dusty to begin with) that will save me from having to clean the coils as much as I have had to do with the Whirlpool to remove dust and cat hair.

6. Ease of use the control panel is well laid out, clearly marked, and simple to use.

This is one of those rare products where I can't come up with a single negative. The only thing I can't speak to yet is durability. I'm hopeful it will be reliable as other Frigidaire products I have (AC, oven, washer/dryer), and will update the review should there be any reliability issues.

Highly recommend!

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Hamilton Beach True Air Allergen-Reducing Air Cleaner

A brief video of the sounds of this air purifier at different speeds.

Overall, works well as many have stated. Hope this helps. Peace.

I bought this product for my son. He's eight years old and suffers from allergies. He woke up every morning sneezing, and with a stuffy nose. I was looking for an alternative to giving him allergy medication every day. We keep it on the desk, right next to his bed. It's incredibly quiet and it has helped his allergies a lot. After about a month of constant use on the medium setting, I vacuumed the filter. It was filty. I was very impressed with how much dust it pulled from the air.

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Our daughter has allergies and we've tried several different air purifiers. This is by far the best we've tried. It is much quieter than others, compact size, the filter is permanent, and it works great. We are getting another one for another room.

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I received my item (though late, Thanks Amazon), and apparently all my research into an air cleaner has paid off. This little guy does exactly what it says and works like a charm.

Here's why I bought it. I wanted an air cleaner for a medium to small sized room where I keep my cat's litter box. Normally, it doesn't smell, but about the day it's time to change it, I can smell it. Now, I don't want to smell it ever, though I keep my kitty box schedule in tact. Anyway, this air cleaner is so quiet on Whisper Mode that I literally cannot hear it. I even put it in my roommate's bedroom, just to see if she realized it was in there, before moving it to its final destination. She had no clue.

The model has 3 speeds, but the Whisper Mode is fine for continuous daily use. Sure, you can turn it up, and you'll hear it's low whirrrrrr, but that's to be expected.

Another reason I bought it is that it IS a HEPA quality cleaner. But I don't have to buy replacement filters--ever. This one has a "permanent" filter, which I didn't even know existed. To clean it, it says about once every 6 months to just use your hose and brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner and suck it out. Really? That's awesome! Why don't ALL HEPA filters do this. That feels like such a waste. I'm not allergic to anything, but my purpose for this is to keep the area near my kitty box smelling like air, and not horrid ammonia. Cats are so gorgeous, but like newborn babies, they sure can produce some of the foulest smells!

So: I am in love with this baby. Thanks Hamilton Beach!

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Wanted a small appliance like this air purifier to use in seperate bedrooms to stop dust/pollen/dander/dust mite poop or whatever debris lingers in the air from being inhaled during my loved ones sleep, this one works great and appears to really remove debris from the air. I am sure that higher priced air purifiers with expensive replacement filters work much better but we did not want to pay $$$ plus $$ for replacement filters three or four times a year.

On low the fan can barely be heard, medium is like a normal fan noise and is not bothersome at all (all of us stated we actually enjoy this white background noise), high would be too loud for most sleepers. Each of us that has one in their bedroom merely turns it on high an hour before bed, then turn it to medium for actual sleep time.

Can be layed on its side or stood straight up which is a nice choice to have based upon personal preference.

Filter is easy to remove and clean, just wish HB would have made the material surrounding the filter a bit more sturdy as it is just thin cardboard so you have to be careful not to damage it when cleaning. I use the brush attachment on my vacuum cleaner and it works great. I highly doubt this filter would be permanent like HB claims after many repeated cleanings so we expect to replace it every couple of years just for good measure!

Overall I gave it 5 stars but it surely would not compete with a much more expensive winix or austinaire, regardless, IMHO, it is an exceptional value for the price.

Edited to add: FYI, to dramatically enhance the effectiveness of this unit, go to a Lowe's or Home Depot type store and purchase a sheet (hammock filter) of the 3M filtrete filters (about $18 bucks, the good ones, the type used to put over window airconditioners to trap allergens/dust). Cut a square large enough to put above/over the permanent filter on this unit, the filtrete filter then takes most of the particles before it even hits this unit's permanent filter. I have done this for 4 months, it does not damage or negatively affect the unit's motor and you will be amazed how much stuff these little units take out of the air (with two filters, a filtrete one and the one that comes with the unit). Best part of all, after two months, merely discard the 3M homemade filter and replace it with a new cut-out. I also discovered that I can merely lightly tap the unit's permanent filter on a hard surface outside and it is ready to go for an other two months. I think you could get about 16-18 cut-outs per sheet at $18 per sheet, it is enough to last 32-36 months (approx 6 dollars a year).

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Humidi Wick Humidifier Filter For Lasko

• L8-C HUMIDIFIER FILTER
• HUMIDIFIER FILTER

The box claims "Micro free" and that it traps water impurities. Depending on water hardness and how long the humidifier runs, you may get a whole winter season from this or not I usually do.

Perfect fit for the Lasko humidifier. Towards the end of the season I can eek out another month or two by soaking in a light vinegar solution, followed by a light bleach.

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Holmes HWF75PDQ-U Wick Humidifier Filter

This filter is just as good as the original. I have been using one of these filters for over 4 months now and there is no evidence of deterioration or mold whatsoever. I will offer two helpful hints to potential consumers: (1) Make sure you use an antibacterial additive in your humidifier every time you refill your reservoirs and (2) Always rotate your filter upside down each time you add water. This will GREATLY increase the lifetime of your filter. Also, the twin pack is a great buy!

For those of you getting only a week or two of usefulness from these filters, on a whim I ran one through my dishwasher using regular detergent and a few dishes. I let it go through the hot dry cycle, but think it might be better to pull it out before that. Some of the plastic screen was distorted, but not badly. The webbing was disturbed a bit but not badly. I put it back in the machine on the next filter change and it has been acting like a brand new one. I have the little humidistat gauge on my unit, so as the filter goes bad it shows up on the gauge. My next test is to see how many times it can survive the DW. Will shorter cycles work? For those with high amounts of calcium in their water vs the manganese I have, maybe some vinegar instead of detergent. And maybe save up 2-3 filters and run a dedicated cycle. Those with aluminum cages on the filters might not like the DW detergents. Try it and add an opinion about it. I do think the engineering of these units where they rely on capillary action to pull water up into the filter is ridiculous. My water doesn't have mold or mineral deposits aside from the orange maganese, it just gets dirty with dust kicked up by our traffic and the dog. The filters do get a brown tinge on the top as they stop working. I'll also get a colorless, odorless bioslime in the reservoir and presumably in the filter. This may be what is being washed out as much as anything. But I'm going with the DW for now, otherwise I would go through 12-15 filters a season. I tried the silver nitrate balls in the reservoir, but they didn't help.

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I don't know what's wrong with these, but they need changed every few days, they will not wick the water!! I'd rather pay a little more & get the better ones. Bought a case of these last year & they lasted no time. Very disappointed!!

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I bought three of the Holmes HWF75 filters and they lasted for less than a month. The top of the filter will dry out and not wick water. I hate to say it but I think they are designed to fail.

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Cheaper option for my humidifier, but the quality isn't as good (sometimes splits apart a bit), and doesn't last as long.

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MISTIQUE Portable Travel Mini Office/Bedroom/Spa Ultrasonic Humidifier

if you're looking for a small humidifier, this little thing is the one to get. i bought this to keep in my car to try to combat the dry heat during the winter. it fits in the cup holder. i also use one in my study. it runs for well over 5 hours and has two settings. since buying my first one, i've since bought two more. all of them are working well.

Have it for a week now. Works great, looks nice, and seems to be doing it's job of humidifying my dorm room. In comparison to the other product I have seen, I would say this is one of the better deals.

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I haven't had a chance to test this little fella out on a long car trip yet (my purpose in buying this, as the interior of my car is soooo dry on the long trips I take), but it does operate as it should and I'm hoping for the best. It's exactly what I was looking for. The shipping was fast & it was well packed.

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Tried it out once and it worked the next time nothing waist of money. I was not happy with this product.

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BestAir L11-C Lasko N. Cascade Humidifier Filter

The filters fit perfectly. They are slightly different than the original, in that they have an aluminum mesh on one side. I assume this is to help the filter keep it's shape, and is thus a good idea. Shipped pretty fast. I'm not sure what else to say. They're filters.

I bought these for my Lasko humidifier. Its really dry up here in the mountains. Well, these Bestairs don't hold together as well as the Laskos. You can only use them once. If you try to wash them a second time thay fall apart!

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Fits my Natural Cascade Super Humidifier perfectly ... but it would have been nice if there were instructions some where on the box. The filter comes silver on one side but no where does it say how to install it. Silver side to the air or to the machine? I couldn't find these replacement filters in any local store ... so I'm very happy to have found them here.

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These filters are bigger and sturdier than the ones that came with the filter. However, just like the ones that came with the filter, they shrink upon use. Once a week, soak them in vinegar and turn them over. Soaking them prolongs their usefulness. They should last a season.

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Venta Airwasher Llc 5044536 Lw44 Wht Airwasher

I just bought the double unit because I've always loved my first one, but now live in a bigger house (still small by the Venta sq footage. I've discovered that if you use a much bigger Venta than your room needs for the airwashing, it will also humidify to some extent. The only thing I never liked about the system was the expensive accessory fluids you had to buy to "soften" the water and to clean the inevitable deposits. Can you say disgusting? The "sheeting/softening" stuff is like some kind of water soluable oil/kerosene product that will coat the finely ribbed plastic inner wheel and sticks all the gunk that it has taken out of the air and it CANNOT be scrubbed off. So when I used the Venta Airwasher Cleaner, it mostly came off, but I ended up buying way too much of that stuff and washing it more often than they specified because I could not bear to know all that gunk was in there circulating! I used it without the "sheeting agent" and some kind of naturally occurring orange colored algae stuff started appearing after 3 days. Still hard to clean.

Finally, desperately, I discovered was that the water tub unit and the finicky plastic inner wheel could be put into my dishwasher, run at regular warm temperatures (I use a natural powdered dishwashing detergent) and no more gunk and no more orange algae! I run it once a week and other than that the unit works great. I can see all kinds of things in the water that it takes out and then inexpensively and happily, a clean Airwasher without any scrubbing.

Well the company won't like this, and maybe they will say the unit isn't really doing anything, but I feel it does and now I love this unit (and it's smaller older cousin)

I wish it did not cost so much but this is a great design. It both humidifies and cleans the air. There are no filters to get dirty. What more do I need to say?

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So far this unit has been flawless, quiet to operate, easy to keep clean and to fill, humidifies well even though our room is much larger than its largest capacity, so despite it being quite expensive like a Mercedes it seems to do everything very very well and user friendly

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No more filters, no more fine white dust -just an easy to use, easy to maintain, clean, quiet, efficient humidifier! Why this should be such a rarity should be a question for all the OTHER really bad humidifier manufacturers out there.

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Old Mountain Cast Iron Pre-seasoned Tea Kettle

This is a very heavy attractive tea kettle. Really good for my purpose, which is to use it as a humidifier on top of my pellet stove. Thanks

If you like us on the river with a wood burning stove and need that extra moisture in the air this is you best bet! This is in no way to be used for anything consumable however... Within a week of water being inside and on the stove the inside rusted out.

Again, perfect for what it needs to be used for

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