LG 65 PINT PORTABLE DEHUMIDIFIER REVIEWS
The LG 65 Pint Dehumidifier (LHD659EL) efficiently removes up to 65 pints of moisture a day. Adequately equipped to handle massive sized living areas, This 65 pint dehumidifier is equipped to handle massive sized living areas. Featuring a wide variety of both useful and practical features, the LG dehumidifier includes a drain hose connection, massive water bucket, washable filter and easy-roll casters. Drain Hose Connection: This LG dehumidifier features a threaded drain hose connection for simple exter
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(out of 6 reviews)
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September 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 am
Review by smgsmc for LG 65 Pint Portable Dehumidifier
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LG makes similar units under it’s own label as well as others, including Sears and Comfort-Aire. When they work, they work great. But, overall, dehumidifiers fall into the category of “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” A service life of 10 – 20 yrs used to be common (I had a Sears that ran for 17 yrs). According to a service rep I spoke to, 3 yrs is now considered “good” (?!). Surf the net, and you’ll find a zillion unhappy people who replaced ‘ol reliable after one to two decades, and now find themselves replacing new fashion after one to two years.
One primary selling point of these units is the auto-restart feature. With the old analog controls (simple mechanical on/off switch), the unit would automatically come back on after a power outage. With many digital controls, the unit won’t automatically come back on. You must manually push the start button (even if there’s just a brief power glitch). I run the unit in my basement from ~June – Sept. If the unit is off for more than 4 hrs or so, the humidity rises to 80+%, so auto-restart is important for me.
I first bought the Sears version (2006, 50 pint unit). Died after 1 day. Exchanged it. Also died after 1 day. Got my money back. Bought a Comfort-Aire version (according to the sales rep, it’s made of higher-grade components). Ran great for the first season. Two weeks into the second season, it died. Fortunately, there was still two weeks left in the 1-yr warranty period. There’s an authorized service station close to me, so I dropped it off. Two weeks later, I got a call from an LG (not Comfort-Aire) service rep who told me they would ship me a replacement unit (free of charge). They shipped an LG branded unit. It had a 5-yr warranty, but my unit was covered only under the terms of the original Comfort-Aire 1-yr warranty, so the replacement unit essentially had no warranty coverage left. Ran well the first season and the second season. One month into the third season now, and it’s died. From surfing the net, there doesn’t appear to be any reliable brand. I’ve now resigned myself to settling for a service life of 1-2 yrs. So, I reluctantly bought the 65-pint LG unit at HD yesterday. *Buy the LG branded unit because it has a 5-yr parts and labor warranty.* The other labels have only a 1-yr warranty. If you live near an authorized repair station, you can bring it in as needed. That then works out to ~$50/yr; not too bad. If there is no station close by though, be warned that shipping may be pricey (unit weighs 54 lbs). Assuming it will hold up for at least one season, buy a second one a year later. That way you’ll probably have one unit working (I hope), while the other one is being repaired (or replaced).
Other negs (relative to the good `ol units of yesteryear, but comparable to other current units): (1) Fan cannot be operated independently of the compressor. In my ancient Sears unit, I could run the fan constantly to circulate the air. If you don’t, the compressor will cut on/off every 5 -10 min, which shortens the lifetime of the unit. I now run a separate fan. (2) Installing the hose adapter is tricky. Horrid engineering design. Once in, though, works OK. (3) Previous LG units displayed both the current humidity and the desired setpoint. The latest models display only the setpoint. This is no loss for me since I have a separate hygrometer. Also the reading right at the unit will always be lower than in the rest of the room. I set it at 40% to keep the basement between 60 – 70%. (4) LG units come in two temp ratings. The regular units are rated for operation only down to 65 deg F (fairly high in my opinion). If you use it in a basement, be sure to get the low-temp models (rated for operation down to 42 deg F). (5) If you use the bucket, it’s clumsy to install/reinstall. There’s a carry handle, but the manual cautions against lifting it solely by the handle when it’s full (too flimsy, you need to carry the bucket with two hands, so the handle really is totally useless).
Noise level is about the same as a window AC. Fan has hi/lo switch. Quieter on lo. Compressor cuts on/off with a jolt. Rattles develop with age. OK in basement,can’t hear it upstairs. No unit this size will be “whisper quiet”, in case you’re planning to put it in a living area.
Summary: (1) Check to see whether you have an authorized LG repair station close-by. Buy the LG unit for the 5-yr warranty and the auto-restart feature. Be sure to keep copies of your receipt. I talked to the tech at the repair station. Out-of-warranty repairs probably are not worth the $. Especially when they charge $50 or so just to look at it. Repair could end up costing as much as (or more than) a new unit. (2) If humidity control is important to prevent a moldy basement, have a second unit on hand. (3) When you first get it, run it non-stop for a week (set it for 35%). Most vendors will exchange it if it dies within a week (check on return shipping charges if you buy online though). HD has good prices and a very easy-going return policy. (4) If you need it only during the summer months, check it out in the spring to make sure it works properly before the start of the season. (5) Be wary of rave recent reviews. When they work, they work great. The big question is whether they still work after a year or two. I’m hoping that quality has improved. Mine is still alive after running overnight. Bucket-full cut-off switch worked OK; no water on the floor. I’ll provide updates.
Note added 8/22/09. Lots of rain here this summer. Unit has been running non-stop and is still working fine.
Note added 10/3/09. Now that it’s fall, I’m set to turnoff the unit for the season. We’ve had a lot of rain this season, and this unit’s held up. So this is one good data point. I’ll let everyone knows whether it works for a second season.
Note added 4/20/10. I’ve fired it up for a pre-season checkup. Glad to report it’s been working OK for the past 4 days.
Note added 7/18/10. More good news to report. Very muggy summer so far. Unit has been running non-stop for the past 6 weeks. Still working fine. I’d be interested in reports from others who have purchased this unit.
September 2nd, 2010 at 8:37 am
Review by Jerry Sanchez for LG 65 Pint Portable Dehumidifier
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I am giving this product four stars because I do not know how it will perform over the long term. But I am pleased with it so far. After finding a small amount of mold in our stuffy basement, we went out right away to buy a dehumidifier, knowing that the cost of the unit and constantly running a dehumidifier all hours of the day is still cheaper than replacing walls and all of our stuff due to mold from the humid New York summer. I am continually amazed at how much water this thing collects. I make sure to empty it twice a day and it’s full of water each time. I can’t imagine having that much more water floating through the air in our basement. The unit is not the quietist, but it is not annoying either and has an option to turn off every two or four hours until the humidity level increases. We picked up this unit at our local Home Depot for about the price advertised online by Amazon, but I would gladly buy it again. I just hope it lasts for years to come.
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:31 am
Review by Carlos Kennedy for LG 65 Pint Portable Dehumidifier
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Just bought the unit not from amazon though. Would have been cheaper but my location is near the equator and on the otherside of the globe and getting it when I wanted it would have been only a pipe dream. So needless to say, so were my choices. At any rate I have been running the unit in my upstairs main hall which covers the entrance to 3 bedrooms and 1 master bedroom. Each room runs split AC units so the house stays very humid unless you run every unit. Not a good idea when electricity is so expensive here. At any rate the unit is an energy star but when the compressor is running it still draws its weight in energy so not quite sure how you would calculate the costs to run it but this region is humid and it cycles consistent and maintains almost the entire upper level at a comfortable level. It does not quite control the master bedroom even with all the doors upstairs open. Square footage wise I would say about 2000. Easily holds about two thirds of it (3 bedrooms and a main hall when doors are open). When its on, you know it because it runs quite loud when the compressor kicks in so houses with bad acoustics will really sound about the same as a outdoor AC compressor when running in my hall way. It is not too annoying. Drainage is easy using the handle and container. It does drip a small amount onto the floor when you change it but this is minimal. The unit has wheels so its easy to move on hard floors and rotate to preference. You have to keep a fair amount of wall clearance (12″) for the air handler so in main areas it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb and the air recycled is warm and adds to the cooling costs. The auto restart feature is a pleasant addition as if the power goes it will kick on once power is restored without resetting. At some point I noticed a screw on the floor and from where I do not know. Unit is still running and I cant find where it should go. Overall This unit has been doing the job. It is still new and from the reviews I dont know what to expect for its longevity. The pros are it can handle a fairly large and open area without excessive cycles. Its easy to move and empty. The negative is it louder than I had hoped. If this thing doesnt hold up I will let you know.
September 2nd, 2010 at 10:03 am
Review by O’Henry for LG 65 Pint Portable Dehumidifier
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This was a gift that seems to have done the job of removing moisture from a basement. The recipient of the gift was happy with the unit.
September 2nd, 2010 at 10:44 am
Review by H. Bothell-Vrbsky for LG 65 Pint Portable Dehumidifier
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We bought this dehumidifier a couple of years ago when our Haier died. We paid over $200 for it–I’d like to be more specific about price, but apparently, my husband didn’t keep the receipt. I discovered that when this dehumidifier stopped working a few weeks ago, and went searching for the manual. It had a 5-year warranty which, of course, was worthless without the receipt. After the tongue-lashing, my hubby decided to take it in to Sears (where we purchased it) for repair. Turns out that it had to be sent out to another service center, meaning it would be gone for at least two weeks. Not great, since we’ve had a lot of rain recently and the house has been bombarded with humidity. Then came the real kicker, when the repair center called today: Cost of repairs would be at least $150. Yes, that’s right–almost as much as we paid for it in the first place. In reading reviews of this model, I discovered that many other people have also had problems, so we’ve decided to junk it and purchase a Frigidaire instead.