Danby DDR05BGWDB Premiere 50 Pint Dehumidifiers

Danby Premiere 50 Pint Dehumidifier

While the reputation of the Danby Premiere dehumidifier continues to roll along, it has been a few years since the series was given more than a facelift. For this summer dehumidifier season, the Premiere line not only sports a new look but a few noticeable changes and one big upgrade. Over the last two weeks, I've been operating the 50 pint model, here is why these Danby 50 pint dehumidifiers might just be the best Premiere models yet.

What I liked about the Danby 50 Pint Dehumidifier

When using a Danby dehumidifier in your home, there are a couple options in terms of disposing of the water extracted. First, you can rely on the bucket. Both models provide this option. However, if you're away from home for long periods of the day, the tank may fill completely, at which point the unit stops running and humidity levels may rise. Plus, there's the hassle of lugging a heavy bucket of water to a nearby sink or bathroom for disposal. The upside is it can be good exercise but you can also use the water to water houseplants. The second option is a direct drain. There's a small black knob on the back of both machines. Unscrew this and what you have is a threaded, male end of a fitting. Most common garden hoses can readily attach to this fitting (anything with a 5/16" ID female end). This is handy, particularly for use in basements where a floor drain is often accessible. This method eliminates the need to empty a water bucket. (Downside - no drain hose is supplied for the direct drain option on either model.)

In terms of moisture removal, the 50 pint model represents that sweet spot that covers the majority of homes. The capacity is high enough to cover large spaces in homes with open floor plans or wide open basements. Seventy pints per day is what the units are rated to remove under AHAM conditions (60% relative humidity @ 80° F) but in situations where the humidity and/or temperature is higher, both can, and will, surpass that amount. This is also why setting up your Danby for direct drain or to use a condensate pump is key in very warm or high humidity areas.

Overall, Danby was able to reduce the noise level some. Not a great deal but a few decibels always helps. The main noise the dehumidifier generates is the fan, and to get the type of coverage that Danby has (1200 square feet in most circumstances), it's difficult to reduce the noise and still be able to properly circulate air in such a large space.

The control panel has changed some this year. In the past, you would see two sets of numbers with one of them often being the indoor temperature. This feature was scrapped, and the LCD panel shrank. The default of the display is current relative humidity but with a push of a button you can see your humidity set point. While the LCD portion shrank, the controls and interface expanded. Now you have an indicator that lets you know when to clean (vacuum) the air filter. There is also a new "comfort" feature. Pressing this button will automatically adjust the relative humidity to what is comfortable for the temperature in the room. For the pump model, there is another button that activates the pump. If you hook up the hose to use the internal condensate pump but fail to press this button, the pump will not remove the condensate.

In addition to these controls, you also have two fan speeds, a continuous operation feature, and both a start-up and shut-down timer, all at your fingertips. It's worth noting that with the timer, you can now set it for half hours when setting a start-up or shut-down time of 10 hours or less. When setting the start-up/shut-down time for 11-24 hours, the intervals revert back to every hour.

Like last seasons model, both of these dehumidifiers only run when they are actually removing moisture from the air. This cuts down on energy usage, noise, and excess heat. Speaking of energy usage, the Danby Premiere 50 pint dehumidifier is Energy Star rated, so the overall cost to operate is one of the best you'll find amongst home dehumidifiers.

I saved this for last, but it's likely the very first thing anyone will notice. The Premiere dehumidifiers have been completely redesigned. Not only do they have a soft white, very slick, modern look to them, but the plastic is not as rigid as with past models. This makes it more impervious to dents and dings but also reduces the chances of rattles or noise developing with a lot of use. In all, the look is much more appealing, and the clean white look is a step up over the grey tones of past models.

What I did not like about the Danby 50 Pint Dehumidifier

There are two things I wanted to note about this model, and both of these apply to most other room dehumidifiers as well. First is the coverage area stated on the Danby 50 pint is a reach. I simply doesn't have a strong enough fan, unless there is something else in a space of 4000 sq. ft. moving the air, to properly circulate the air for dehumidification. As we have in the past, take the manufacturer stated coverage area with a grain of salt. Perhaps under ideal conditions, 4000 sq. ft. is in the realm of possibility, but in reality, 1200 is about as far as you want to stretch either model. Most of your dehumidifier manufacturers do this to some extent.

Last thing is with heat. Any refrigerant style dehumidifier produces some heat and the Danby 50 pint is no exception. The warm exhaust is actually vented through the site of this model with the intake in the rear, but using this (as with any similar dehumidifier) in a small space is going to add a few degrees to the temperature. In larger rooms, you'll not often notice it, and while it does add a small amount of heat, by removing moisture it actually allows your air conditioner to operate more efficiently. The less moisture in the air, the cooler the air will feel.

Overall, the addition of the internal condensate pump and redesigned look and style of the Danby Premiere 50 pint dehumidifier likely make it the best model they've produced, to date. The features and performance that have made it a best buy in home dehumidifiers for over five years are still there. But these additional features, as well as a few tweaks and upgrades to the controls, make this year's models an excellent choice for lowering humidity quietly, efficiently, and with more ease than ever before.