ALORAIRCommercial Dehumidifier 113 Pint, with drain Hose for Crawl Spaces, Basements, Industry Water Damage Unit, Compact, Portable, Auto Defrost, Memory Starting, 5 Years Warranty, Sentinel HD55

I have a shallow/short crawl space (think 22'-24' inches max height) under a 1950's single story ranch home in Texas. I was on the fence about which route to go to address moisture but ended up at partial encapsulation and adding (this) dehumidifier. I say partial because I haven't insulated the walls yet and holy moly this has been a labor intensive journey that I was not willing to pay $15-$20K for. The labor is where the cost is at and this has tested my resolve.I went with this one(HD55) because there was no condensate pump which seem to fail well before the units do based on hours of reading reviews. In March I paid right at $500 after taxes (I've seen the price jump a bit now). I've added a VCMA-15 Little Giant stand alone pump that feeds into my HVAC condensate drain line, about a 9 foot run which has given me no issues and which adds more reliability. I've added a water alarm in the pan I keep the pump in and the dehumidifier sits about 8 inches above to gravity feed into the pump. I ran a dedicated 20A duplex outlet into my space to feed the unit and pump. I have two Govee smart plugs that connect to wifi and tell me the energy use of each and that I can remotely control in the event of failure. I have a tight opening that I didn't care to enlarge at 12 ¼ x 16 inches, this unit fit perfectly through it. It's absolutely miserable to crawl into and work down there but man, the savings and feeling of doing it yourself (clearly I don't value my time). But again, I'm not paying 5 figures on something I can do, I'll spend it elsewhere.My original crawl was a dirt floor and 5 foundation/perimeter vents with a decimated 6 mil barrier covering about 25% of the floor. That had the humidity at 99% in the crawl space in the summer and not too much better in the winter. I was getting ridiculously high humidity inside the house and the wood moisture readings from the joists were unacceptable. Building science has changed significantly since my home was built, yours too. It was due time to address the moisture. This unit became a necessity. I added a perimeter drain in my backyard (you need to address where the water is coming from first). I sealed the vents, I laid down a 10 mil vapor barrier and wrapped all of the 25 pillars (miserable work). After sealing up about 95% and leaving room along the walls for insulation I added this (the HD55).After letting it run for 3 days the humidity is now at 56% (i have the unit set at 50%) and it has run the entire time (which I completely understand and don't fault it for doing so). I have the humidity monitored by wifi Govee sensors that I placed down there 6 months ago, they're more accurate than the unit's internal humidistat but within an acceptable margin. This unit has been a workhorse so far. I am hesitant to give it five stars off the bat and leave y'all feeling like this is the best because of the other reviews regarding longevity but it has been a five-star experience in the time I've owned it. I've relied on the reviews others have left here so it's only fair to do my part. I will update this accordingly.I have'nt finalized the placement yet. I have it in a central location without the ducting (be aware the manufacturer specifies only 6 foot of ducting may be added), so I've held off thus far and it seems convectively fine where it is at it's current angle. Given the headroom I have I was initially going to mount it with 3/8 threaded rod with horizontal brackets that accept all thread but for now I have it 8-9 inches up on a leveled stack of insulation board I cut to fit the width/length of the unit, there are zero stability concerns and it sits plum level.If you are here I'd imagine you are facing high humidity somewhere in your home and you are going to do the DIY route - I admire that and have chosen the same. That said - would an April air unit have performed better, probably but not by much. But they have their limitations too and suffer all of the same reliability issues, probably at less frequency but I couldn't justify the $1,700 upfront cost. I may reevaluate my stance on that after the peak of this summer or the next. But for now, this unit has proven to be more than capable of a tight/shallow 1,600 foot crawl space at removing gallons of water in the air. Quite amazing when I think about it more.Would I like more features and an included remote, of course. But the $100 they charge for the remote is absolute bull 5hi7. A smart plug and wifi hygrometer is the same and less expensive. But at this price point, I am pleasantly happy, so far. The unit seems well put together and fits into my opening. It is a slight hum that you'll barely hear above and soon not notice at all. Best of luck on your moisture removal journey.Ultimately, if I pay hundreds for anything, I expect it to last - you and this company will hear about it if it doesn't. But so far I am content and imagine you will be too. I just checked on the unit and didn't bring my phone down to take pics but I'll upload some later of the actual unit. I did add the "results" from the hygrometer and a pic to show you the constraints. Regarding efficiency I've uploaded a pic from the smart plug showing the electrical use - it'll end up being about $20 a month if it works as much as it does daily (it won't have to maintain that usage 24/7) but I am showing you the peak.

This unit is extremely effective at removing humidity. It has no problem keeping the humidity in my basement to the desired 45% humidity. Alorair dehumidifier are known for being effective - this is not remarkable.What is remarkable is Alorair's warranty process. I purchase this unit in September of 2022. In June of this year, I notive that the unit was running continuously but the drain hose was totally dry, and the humidity in my basement was significantly higher than the setpoint. At the time when I purchase this unit, it came with a 5 year warranty.I called Alorair customer service, to initiate a warranty claim. I might have called prior to their business hours (they are in Pacific time zone, I am EDT), as no one answered. I was surprise when later that day, a customer service rep called me back. From the initial phone call to the final resolution Alorair stood behind their warranty. For a very reasonable $75 shipping fee (the unit is coming from California and weighs ~ 45 lbs), Alorair sent me a brand new unit. In fact the unit they sent is an upgraded version, as this unit was currently out of stock.Finally, the representative that handled my claim (Jackie) was courteous and very helpful from the initial call back. She made the whole process painless.Thank you Alorair.

Extremely satisfied with this dehumidifier!⭐️ Set up, install, and 5-year warranty registration took exactly 10 minutes altogether.⭐️ This works EXTREMELY WELL. I acquired an abandoned new construction home that had never had vapor barrier installed in the crawl space. Humidity was at 98% and there was mold growing on every floor joist, the sub flooring, and most of the unfinished drywall upstairs.⭐️ I had an encapsulation done and installed this the minute mold treatment was finished. Less than one week later, humidity had dropped to 50%. This dehumidifier will turn on and off automatically as needed, so no need to worry about leaving it running. For reference, my crawl space is about 150 cubic yards, or 4,000 cubic feet.Cannot beat the price or the quality! I was recommended this model by multiple contractors.