We have received a few questions about the new DOE 2019 Dehumidifier rating, so we wanted to take the time to go over these new changes and how they affect you and your dehumidifier.
To begin, we’ll need to rewind to 2012, which was the last time that the DOE (Department of Energy) set a new standard to determine which pint rating dehumidifiers would receive.
All dehumidifiers must pass a standard test to be made available for sale. These tests include using very specific requirements for variables such as power consumption, length of test, and most importantly the temperature and relative humidity rating of the testing environment.
Under the 2012 DOE standards, dehumidifiers were tested in a room condition of 80° Fahrenheit and 60% Relative humidity. Under these conditions, dehumidifiers were measured to determine how much moisture could be removed during 24 hours of continuous operation. The results of these 2012 tests led to the common classifications of 30, 50, and 70 Pint dehumidifiers that have been sold in the market for the past 7-8 years.
Under the revised 2019 DOE standards, dehumidifiers were tested in a room condition of 65° Fahrenheit and a relative humidity level of 60%. The same test was performed on these dehumidifiers: how much water can the unit remove within 24 hours of continuous operations? The only difference is instead of a scenario where you have 80° Fahrenheit and 60% Relative humidity, the tests were performed in the more realistic environment of 65°F and 60% Relative humidity.
What does this mean for you? Not much, to be honest. Besides an upgraded internal compressor to improve energy efficiency, the internal components of our dehumidifiers have not changed that much.
Our new DOE 50 Pint unit could still remove 70 pints of water if you put it in an 80°F room with 60% humidity, but it is more realistic to say that it can remove 50 pints of water if you have a 65°F room at 60% humidity. Our unit would perform the same in either environment.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Why would I pay more for a smaller unit?
It’s not a smaller unit. All of the internal components are the same, but the method of testing is different. Old dehumidifiers were tested in a very unrealistic environment of 80°F and 60% humidity. Unless your room matches those conditions, it is probably not removing the amount of water that you think.
2. I need a 70 Pint unit; I want something more powerful than a 50 Pint dehumidifier!
If you previously purchased a 70 Pint dehumidifier, it could remove 70 pints of water ONLY if it ran 24 hours straight in an 80°F room with 60% humidity. Your old 70 Pint unit (under the new standard) is probably rated closer to 50 pints because it could remove 50 pints of water if it ran 24 hours straight in a 65°F room with 60% humidity.
If you operate our new 50 Pint Dehumidifier in a room where it is warmer than 65°F or higher humidity level than 60%, it will remove more than 50 pints of water.
3. Do I need to throw away or recycle my old unit?
Not at all. The difference between the old and new units are insignificant, the only thing that really changes is the testing environment that the DOE uses to determine what capacity of water your dehumidifier can remove.
2 comments
It is strange that they tested based on a drop in room temperature from 80° to 65° when I would think very few people keep their home temperature at 65°, even in the hottest months. It is still a bit confusing to me, but I have been very happy with the 70 pint dehumidifier I have now…it’s a Tosot and runs very quietly.
Thank you for a clear and concise explanation of the change in the DOE testing standards.