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What size dehumidifier do I need?

Size on floor area and how wet the space actually is: about 10 DOE pints for 500 sq ft of moderately damp space, 14 for 1,000 sq ft, 22 for 2,000 sq ft, stepping up one level for damp spots, beading walls or standing water. Then check the rating scale before you compare prices — a crawl space unit’s “180 pints” is measured at 90°F and 90% humidity, roughly double the DOE figure on a consumer label for the same hardware. Across the 23 units we track, the cheapest capacity costs $3.17 per pint per day.

Sizing chart (DOE pints)

SpaceDampVery dampWetExtremely wet
500 sq ft10 pt12 pt14 pt16 pt
1,000 sq ft14 pt17 pt20 pt23 pt
1,500 sq ft18 pt22 pt26 pt30 pt
2,000 sq ft22 pt27 pt32 pt37 pt
2,500 sq ft26 pt32 pt38 pt44 pt
  • Damp: Musty smell in humid weather; air feels heavy.
  • Very damp: Damp spots on walls or floor; smell is constant.
  • Wet: Visible beading on walls, occasional seepage.
  • Extremely wet: Standing water after rain; laundry never dries.
  • Figures are DOE-2019 pints for a reasonably sealed, rectangular space. An open crawl space, an unsealed sump or a room that keeps drawing in outside air behaves like a much larger one.

What a pint of capacity costs

Nameplate capacity divided into the price, cheapest first at each size. These are crawl space and commercial units, quoted at saturation conditions — compare them with each other, not against a DOE-labelled consumer unit.

CapacityCheapest / pint per dayModel
70-pint$4.8270-Pint Crawlspace & Basement Dehumidifier | Argendon Shield 35M
110-pint$4.91110-Pint SLGR Commercial Dehumidifier | Argendon Sandidry Elite 50C
120-pint$4.98120-Pint Crawl Space Dehumidifier with Pump and Drain Hose | Argendon Sandidry 55c
145-pint$3.17145-Pint Crawl Space & Under House Dehumidifier | Argendon Shield 60
170-pint$3.76Argendon Sandidry Elite 80C 170-Pint SLGR Dehumidifier – Home, Commercial & Industrial Use
180-pint$4.00180-Pint Industrial & Commercial Dehumidifier with Pump | Argendon Shield 85P

Live prices, re-checked on a rolling cycle. See the full cost-per-pint guide or the ranked category.

Cheapest per pint per day right now

Ranked by real cost per pint of capacity

Frequently asked

What size dehumidifier do I need?

Start from floor area and how damp the space actually is. For a moderately damp space, roughly 10 DOE pints covers 500 sq ft, 14 covers 1,000 sq ft and 22 covers 2,000 sq ft; step up one column for every level of dampness — visible damp spots, beading walls, standing water. Those figures assume a reasonably sealed, rectangular space. A crawl space that is not encapsulated, or a basement with an open sump, behaves like a much larger room because it keeps pulling in new moisture.

Why is one dehumidifier "50-pint" and another "180-pint" for the same room?

Because they are not measured on the same test. Consumer units carry a DOE-2019 rating, measured at 65°F and 60% relative humidity — the number on the Energy Guide label. Crawl space and commercial units are usually quoted at saturation conditions, around 90°F and 90% relative humidity, where any machine removes far more water per day. The saturation figure is roughly double the DOE one for the same hardware, which is why a "180-pint" crawl space unit is not three times a 60-pint basement unit. Compare nameplate to nameplate only inside one scale, and read the test conditions before comparing prices.

Is a bigger dehumidifier cheaper to run?

Per pint removed, usually yes, and the purchase price behaves the same way. A larger compressor reaches the target humidity sooner and then cycles, rather than running flat out; an undersized unit runs continuously and never gets there. Across the units we track, cost per pint per day falls as capacity rises, so the small machine is the expensive one twice over.

What does cost per pint per day mean?

It is the price divided by the nameplate capacity: a $459 unit rated 145 pints costs $3.17 per pint per day. It is the only way to compare a small basement unit against a large crawl space one, because it prices the work the machine does instead of the box it comes in — provided both numbers come from the same rating scale.

Do I need a built-in pump?

Only if the condensate has to travel upwards. With a floor drain below the unit, gravity through the drain hose is enough and a pump is a part that can fail unattended. In a crawl space with no drain, or a basement where the discharge point is above the machine, the pump is the difference between a working install and a bucket you have to empty. On the units we track the pump is about a $59 premium on the same model.