170 Pints Commercial Dehumidifier with Pump and Drain Hose for Basements and Large Spaces up to 7,500 Sq Ft

I’ve owned this house for 35 years and have gone through quite a few dehumidifiers, so I feel well qualified to write this review. I’ve had hOmeLabs, several Frigidaires, etc. and none of them compare to this commercial unit. My basement isn’t damp at all, but it does get very humid here, and at the 50% humidity level I keep our house at, other units struggle while this dehumidifier handles it with ease. This is my first dehumidifier with a pump that empties the bucket and I really like it. My dehumidifier sits right next to our utility tub and it’s so easy to empty the line there rather than run a 15’ hose to the sump that sometimes clogs over time. The pump has a float that runs it automatically, but it also has a manual button if you wish to empty the bucket for some reason.It’s heavy, but I think the reviewer who said it took “two strapping men” and a hand truck to get it inside her house was a bit dramatic. My two sons had no problem carrying it from our driveway down to our basement, and I wouldn’t exactly call them strapping. Unpacking was easy. Nice styrofoam protection, and if you cut the tape and straps at the bottom, the cardboard “shell” lifts off nicely. After that, being on wheels it’s easy to move off the bottom cardboard and into place.That same dramatic reviewer mentioned the handle slightly splayed and difficult to screw in. If you’re even slightly handy, you will have no issues. The handle is bent tubing - it’s not like it’s a machined part with tight tolerance. I had the handle attached within a couple of minutes.Finally, I did have an opportunity to test Moiswell’s customer service, and I can say I could not have been more pleased. A few emails and they were very responsive each time. There happened to be an issue with the unit - which let’s face it, can happen with anything - but the real test is how they handled it. They provided detailed troubleshooting instructions and in the end I can say they made everything right. Great customer service was my experience.Researching a dehumidifier, like many other things, can be a real challenge deciding what to buy. I know I was frustrated when I did my research into reviews, “best buys”, etc. You read some reviews and you think you’re onto something, and then you read a bad one that changes your mind. And honestly, I wasn’t totally confident when I placed my initial order. But it turned out great, I’m glad I bought this one, and if it ever fails, I’ll buy it again.

My Moiswell Explorer VP170 (170 pint) arrived as promised. Very well-packaged. Being the unit is 85 lbs, I paid the extra $19.99 for Amazon to do “in-room” delivery, and was glad I did. In fact, I couldn’t have done it myself. It took two strapping men and a hand truck to get it down my back-yard grade without damaging my hardscape and ripping up my lawn, down an interior step, and unpack it so I could verify there was no damage from shipping. It looked great, and I signed off. They offered to carry off all packing materials, but I declined, thinking I might need the materials if I have to send it back.Thankfully, the Moiswell’s two wheels come already attached. But the metal handle bar is not. Upon assembly, I found the bar was splayed ever-so-slightly wider than the unit, which made screwing it in challenging (but I conquered it after two breaks and I’ll-save-Olive Popeye mental reboots). The supplied hose was pleasantly supple (almost medical-grade) and fit snugly over the pump-draining-side fitting I planned on using. A delightful surprise — the unit’s small hose was small enough to easily fit into my 4-generations-ago dehumidifier hose’s 1/2” hole in my basement floor. I’d planned to pump the discharge 3’ up to my soapstone sink, but realized — maybe I won’t need to, after all?At first, with a 16’ long pump output hose, I thought, my only limiting issue might be the shorter 3-pronged power cord. But then, realized every corner in my extended ranch’s mostly finished basement might be reachable. And its wheels and handle to roll it anywhere were invaluable. Just maybe — I’ve found the unicorn of dehumidification?I’ll update this review once I power the unit on.Update 1:After having it in position but unpowered for about a month, I finally got my act together enough to retire my prior small dehumidifier (with builtin 2 gal (?) bucket that had to be emptied 2xday), and switch to my shiny big new Moiswell 170. Though I reread the user manual as I set it, the unit’s digital panel was self-explanatory. It immediately registered close to 70% Relative Humidity (RH) in the carpeted basement rec room space, which explained why certain carpet areas had been showing signs of mildew the past month. Being this was my Moiswell’s ‘debut,’ I wanted to track its out-of-gate performance, and put the tail end of its long hose into a bucket. Within minutes, the RH it registered dropped a few %, though nothing was really coming out of the hose yet into the bucket. I purged it, and got a few cups. I didn’t realize it first had to draw out and store 170 pints before it sent anything to the hose (unless purged). So I started a load of laundry, and brought an important family heirloom (a candlestick table from the 1700’s) upstairs. I’d learned the hard way (moving to a home with central AC) that old fine woods don’t handle sudden humidity drops — they crack mercilessly, and can never be repaired.Update 2:I’m kicking myself for not buying the 170 pint Moiswell years ago for my basement! Now in full hands-off operation for several weeks, my below-grade basement’s rec space is dry as a bone. I’ve noticed any clean wet laundry I hang to dry in its vicinity is dry within two hours. Now I want to reposition it to the other end of my basement’s hall, 3 rooms and my laundry area away, and will have it pump into my soapstone sink nearby. I’m confident relocating the unit will be trivial after purging.Too, I’m seriously entertaining the idea of buying another Moiswell unit for my ranch’s main floor, but only to be used in summer. Counter-intuitively, while the unit does put out heat, my thinking is the greatest way to mitigate our oppressive New England summers might be to decimate the humidity first. It would be tricky, in that any fine furniture, paintings, and wood instruments near it won’t tolerate sudden drops in humidity, piano board mechanisms require a modicum of hydration, yet houseplants, seedlings, and especially orchids demand humidity. I guess we will see.Update 3:Moisewell 170’s totally dried out the original area — carpet, furnishings, and air — using the (left) pump side but just draining into a hole in the foundation floor. My next worst problem (around several corners and into a basement vestibule) area will require the pump action to output into a higher elevation sink. Will update.Photo shows my prior-to-new dehumidifier transition. The tail end of the new unit’s hose (right side) goes into the little hole in my foundation floor. It’s obviously ‘un-staged.’ What can I say except that I don’t earn a “Commission!” But as unphotogenic as the scene is, it depicts what true homeownership often details. And I think progress is beautiful.