Review of DeLonghi DDH30 30-Pint Capacity Dehumidifier

Home	Products	Reviews	Articles	About	Contact

DeLonghi DDH30 30-Pint Capacity Dehumidifier
By: DeLonghi Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 5
More Information

How can I review it if it doesn't work?

On: 2006-09-05

I had been a satisfied owner of a DeLonghi dehumidifier that ran for years. When it finally went quit working, I wanted another DeLonghi and ordered this one. It arrived with a broken-off humidstat knob and a bent case, so I had to return it for a replacement. The replacements water condensation unit didnt work at all (i.e., it didnt extract any water from the air). It also a small, strange ding that looked as if a heavy interior part of the machine had been thrown against the inside of the case so hard it made a reverse dent. I returned this DOA machine too, and asked for yet another replacement, but Amazon said no. Cant blame them.

It looks to me like the real problem is the ridiculously flimsy packaging, which isnt nearly sturdy enough to protect these weighty but somewhat fragile machines during shipment. Because of this, I cannot recommend ordering this item, even though for all I know the machine itself may be excellent if it isnt damaged in shipment.

I finally ended up ordering a different brand from a different vendor, and the difference in the packaging is worth describing. The DeLonghi machines arrived in only the manufacturers original cardboard box. Inside the box were top and bottom styrofoam pads but just air around the sides of the machine. A couple of shipping straps helped hold the box together. The boxes were torn and gouged and in generally terrible condition on arrival; one looked like it had been taped up extensively to hold it together before it even shipped. But this "other" brand dehumidifier from a different retailer arrived with bubble pack and a second cardboard box around the manufacturers original box, which itself had styrofoam protecting the machine on top, bottom, AND sides. The outside box had a heavy corner reinforcement splint along each of the four vertical corners and there were five shipping straps holding them in place. These splints extended beyond the top and bottom of the box, which had the effect of creating short legs so that the box itself didnt touch the floor - very clever. The outside box had not so much as a dent. Now THATs how to ship a machine like a dehumidifier, and sure enough, the one inside was cosmetically perfect and has been working just fine for the week since it arrived.

How can I review it if it doesn't work?

On: 2006-09-04

I had been a satisfied owner of a DeLonghi dehumidifier that ran for years. When it finally went quit working, I wanted another DeLonghi and ordered this one. It arrived with a broken-off humidstat knob and a bent case, so I had to return it for a replacement. The replacements water condensation unit didnt work at all (i.e., it didnt extract any water from the air). It also a small, strange ding that looked as if a heavy interior part of the machine had been thrown against the inside of the case so hard it made a reverse dent. I returned this DOA machine too, and asked for yet another replacement, but Amazon said no. Cant blame them.

It looks to me like the real problem is the ridiculously flimsy packaging, which isnt nearly sturdy enough to protect these weighty but somewhat fragile machines during shipment. Because of this, I cannot recommend ordering this item, even though for all I know the machine itself may be excellent if it isnt damaged in shipment.

I finally ended up ordering a different brand from a different vendor, and the difference in the packaging is worth describing. The DeLonghi machines arrived in only the manufacturers original cardboard box. Inside the box were top and bottom styrofoam pads but just air around the sides of the machine. A couple of shipping straps helped hold the box together. The boxes were torn and gouged and in generally terrible condition on arrival; one looked like it had been taped up extensively to hold it together before it even shipped. But this "other" brand dehumidifier from a different retailer arrived with bubble pack and a second cardboard box around the manufacturers original box, which itself had styrofoam protecting the machine on top, bottom, AND sides. The outside box had a heavy corner reinforcement splint along each of the four vertical corners and there were five shipping straps holding them in place. These splints extended beyond the top and bottom of the box, which had the effect of creating short legs so that the box itself didnt touch the floor - very clever. The outside box had not so much as a dent. Now THATs how to ship a machine like a dehumidifier, and sure enough, the one inside was cosmetically perfect and has been working just fine for the week since it arrived.

An Unqualified Disaster

On: 2006-08-18

Avoid this product at all costs. It failed to work within the first few minutes that I received it and turned it on. For starters, the motor decided to turn off after only a few minutes of (extremmely noisy) running, even though I set the dehumidifier control knob to "continuous," and the room had a relative humidity reading of 60%. To add insult to injury, the product would not turn back on after several more attempts. When it finally decided to come back to life again, the dehumidifier lasted only for a few more cacophonous minutes and then turned off for good. And not a drop of water was extracted after all that noise and effort. Whatever happened to basic quality control?

Not so good of a product

On: 2005-08-31

I purchased it because it had a good name and my apartment had too much moisture. Once I set it up, the dehumidifier did not collect any moisture and runs very loud. We tried it for a few more days, but no moisture was collected. Had to return it. It was somewhat a hassle trying to use the same box to repack it.

Fine Dehmidifier, Great hose attachment

On: 2005-07-15

This is a nice looking machine. It runs quiet. It is on wheels for easy movement. And it comes with the hose for continuous draining, which most do not. I purchased this dehumidifier after moving into an old house with a very dank, musty basement, about 1200 sq/ft. I drilled a hole in the collection bucket per instructions for the hose attachment, turned it on and was amazed at the water it took out of the air. My basement is noticeably more comfortable and the musty smell is gone. I check it every month to make sure it is still going. It is. It has exceeded my expectations.

Fine Dehmidifier, Great hose attachment

On: 2005-07-14

This is a nice looking machine. It runs quiet. It is on wheels for easy movement. And it comes with the hose for continuous draining, which most do not. I purchased this dehumidifier after moving into an old house with a very dank, musty basement, about 1200 sq/ft. I drilled a hole in the collection bucket per instructions for the hose attachment, turned it on and was amazed at the water it took out of the air. My basement is noticeably more comfortable and the musty smell is gone. I check it every month to make sure it is still going. It is. It has exceeded my expectations.

Great Buy!!!!

by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-19

I bought this about a half a year ago and have never looked back; This was one of the greatest purchasers I have made. I am from the south were it is dusty, hot, and muggy. This porduct has faced the toughest conditions and has come out victorious on the end. i dont know why other people have given this a bad review. This dehumidifer is much quieter than most others and most importantly, doe swhat its supposed to . not to mention this classy design. It fits easily into any room in my house and i serves many purposes. I reccomend this to any especially with pets or allergies.

Great Buy!!!!

On: 2004-06-18

I bought this about a half a year ago and have never looked back; This was one of the greatest purchasers I have made. I am from the south were it is dusty, hot, and muggy. This porduct has faced the toughest conditions and has come out victorious on the end. i dont know why other people have given this a bad review. This dehumidifer is much quieter than most others and most importantly, doe swhat its supposed to . not to mention this classy design. It fits easily into any room in my house and i serves many purposes. I reccomend this to any especially with pets or allergies.

Looks nice but poor quality control

On: 2004-05-29

The first DeLonghi 30-pint unit I received from Amazon looked great but did not function properly; the cooling unit that removes water from the air didnt work. I returned the unit for an exchange. (Amazon gets five stars for their excellent return process). The second unit arrived in good condition and worked for about 2 minutes before the compressor in the cooling unit stopped, never to start again. I tested the unit in an 80 degree bathroom at 100 percent humidity and it did not remove a drop of water from the air. The literature with the unit does not provide any help on this type of malfunction, but does give a Web site address (www.delonghi.com). The Web site had great graphics but no useful information. A note to the company asking if there was any way to solve the problem elicited a recommendation to return the unit.

The DDH30 dehumidifier appears well-made in other respects, but clearly there is a quality control problem with the refrigeration unit, or it is easily damaged during shipment. It appears impossible for a homeowner to open the unit to do any minor repairs, so the only alternative is to return units that dont work. An electrical schematic is located behind the removable water bucket, but isnt very helpful because there isnt any easy way to access the units innards. I notice that the controls for the DDH30 are more primitive than the larger models. Perhaps those more sophisticated units are more reliable, but Im not taking the chance...

In my experience, the DDH30 dehumidifier -- like the DeLonghi web site -- looks great but isnt very useful.