Amana Dehumidifier Reviews and Ratings

The Amana Dehumidifier is a tricky model to make judgements about for the typical buyer. The Amana Brand is well known and respected but nowadays a brand is just another commodity to be bought and sold. The best brand does not always equate to the best dehumidifier and most reviews on sellers' sites do not make this clear to prospective purchasers.

In this article I will explain the status of the Amana brand and include reviews of the three models in the range. As all three models have many similarities the second and third of these reviews will only mention the differences, to avoid repetition. My intention is to provide you with the information you need to decide if an Amana Dehumidifier is the best choice for your home or whether another model might suit you better.

Company Background

This is the tricky bit! Please bear with me while I explain. The Amana Corporation was founded in 1934 and in 1950 became Amana Refrigeration, Inc. It is a US company and its first products were refrigerators and freezers. In the 1950's the company diversified into air conditioners so had, by that time, acquired extensive experience of all the processes used in manufacturing dehumidifiers.

The company was acquired by Raytheon in 1965 and has since passed through various hands including Goodman Global and Maytag. Goodman still retains Amana's air conditioning business but Amana home appliances division is now owned by the Whirlpool Corporation who acquired it when they bought Maytag.

Whirlpool has since pulled out of the dehumidifier business so the Amana Dehumidifier no longer has a place in the Whirlpool product portfolio. Because the brand has a high level of consumer recognition it has a value in its own right and Whirlpool continues to benefit from that value by licensing the brand to another manufacturer.

The lucky winner is the Haier Group, a Chinese corporation that manufactures and markets dehumidifiers under its own Haier Brand, among others. The bottom line is that the Amana Dehumidifier is no longer manufactured in the USA and has no connection with the Amana Brand other than the name.

The message is clear; any new unit with the Amana Brand is a Haier product. The Haier Dehumidifier has some good features and reviews of this brand include many from satisfied customers. There are also many reviews which are from less satisfied customers, which is one reason why this brand does not figure in our recommended top five.

The Amana dehumidifier range includes the following models:

The Amana D965E

The Amana D965E is a 65 pint portable model for use in the home. This Amana Dehumidifier is Energy Star® qualified and is a high capacity unit suitable for use in medium to large sized areas.

The Amana D965E is of typical width and height for a dehumidifier in its class but is a little slimmer than other comparable models. It is of average weight for its power and with grip handles at the sides plus caster wheels is no more difficult to move than any other large home dehumidifier.

The water extraction rate of the D965E is 65 pints per day at the AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) test conditions of 80°F and 60% relative humidity. In cooler and drier conditions the amount of water removed will, of course, be considerably less.

The D965E is equipped with auto-defrost which will protect the appliance from damage at temperatures as low as 38°F. At lower temperatures, below 60-65°F, the unit will become far less effective and its energy efficiency will be poor. Portable models of this type are, therefore, unsuitable for use in cooler basemements.

The water collection container has a capacity of 18 pints and will need to be emptied at least once per day. Like most portables this unit is configured for continuous drainage and an "easy connect" drain hose is included with the unit. As continuous drainage is gravity fed it will only be suitable where a floor level drain is nearby and it will help to raise the appliance a foot or two from the floor to assist the water flow.

The D965E is equipped with electronic controls and an LCD display for ease of use. The panel controls allow one of two fan speeds to be selected. The lower speed will provide quieter operation but will take longer to reduce humidity. There is no clear indication of the noise level generated by this appliance.

A 24 hour timer is included which allows the unit to be programmed to come on or switch off at a predetermined time within any 24 hour period. A humidistat controls the level of relative humidity at which the D965E cycles on and off although, as we always recommend for portable models, this should be checked against a reliable hygrometer as humidistats on these appliances can only be expected to measure relative humidity to within +/- 5% of its true value.

The air filter is washable and should, at least, be gently cleaned with a soft brush about every two weeks. The warranty on the D965E is for 1 year (parts and labor) with a five year warranty on the sealed refrigeration system. The customer will be responsible for shipping costs should the unit have to be returned under the five year portion of the warranty.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Brand Amana
Model Amana D965E
Application(s) Domestic
Suitable for Larger rooms and basements
Portable Yes
Wheels/casters Yes
Weight (lbs) 43.5
Dimensions 15 x 12 x 23.25 ins
Water extraction 65 pints per day
Water container ) 18 pints
Container full indicator Yes
Auto cut-off when full Yes
Continuous drainage Yes
Min.operating temp. 38°F
Auto-Defrost Yes
Electronic controls Yes
Adjustable humidistat Yes
Variable fan speeds Yes (2)

Power input 115v/7.7amps/770W

The Amana D9345E

The Amana D9345E is a 45 pint portable model. It is also Energy Star® qualified and is a medium capacity unit suitable for use in small to medium sized areas of the home.

This model is in most respects similar to the 65 pint unit. Apart from its lower water extraction capacity it is smaller and lighter overall than the larger unit and uses less power to operate. It will also, presumably, be quieter in operation but there is no information available to confirm this.

Please note that although this unit uses less power when operating than the 65 pint model the larger Amana Dehumidifier is more energy efficient. In many situations the larger model will be a less expensive solution for this reason, particularly in a basement.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Brand Amana
Model Amana D9345E
Application(s) Domestic
Suitable for Medium sized rooms and basements
Portable Yes
Wheels/casters Yes
Weight (lbs) 34
Dimensions 16 x 12 x 21
Water extraction 45 pints per day
Water container ) 12 pints
Container full indicator Yes
Auto cut-off when full Yes
Continuous drainage Yes
Min.operating temp. 38°F
Auto-Defrost Yes
Electronic controls Yes
Adjustable humidistat Yes
Variable fan speeds Yes (2)

Power input 115v/5.4amps/550W

The Amana D930E

The Amana D930E is a 30 pint portable model. It too is Energy Star® qualified and is a lower capacity unit suitable for use in smaller areas of the home. This Amana Dehumidifier is unlikely to be suitable for use in any but the smallest basement as its water extraction capacity is too low.

This Amana Dehumidifier is very similar in specification to its "big sisters". The D930E is extremely compact and at 22lb a genuinely portable unit. It should also be relatively quiet although at present this cannot be confirmed. The low power consumption of this Amana Dehumidifier will make it attractive for small areas but once again I will draw your attention to its lower energy efficiency compared with the larger models.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Brand Amana
Model Amana D930E
Application(s) Domestic
Suitable for Smaller rooms and basements
Portable Yes
Wheels/casters Yes
Weight (lbs) 22
Dimensions 13 x 9 x 20.7
Water extraction 30 pints per day
Water container ) 8 pints
Container full indicator Yes
Auto cut-off when full Yes
Continuous drainage Yes
Min.operating temp. 38°F
Auto-Defrost Yes
Electronic controls Yes
Adjustable humidistat Yes
Variable fan speeds Yes (2)

Power input 115v/3.8amps/420W

Amana Dehumidifier - My Recommendation

Reviews of the Amana Dehumidifier written by consumers are scarce and my comments here are based largely on reactions to units manufactured by Haier under their own name. The Amana Dehumidifier has some good qualities and the 30 pint model in particular is extremely compact.

There are concerns among users of Haier models that surface regularly in consumer reviews and it only seems reasonable to assume, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the Amana Dehumidifier should be treated with some caution unless and until it has proven its build quality and reliability.

I remain of the view that the five models we recommend have a more consistent and positive response from users and that they should be preferred to the Amana Dehumidifier which lacks either any outstanding feature or a comparable track record.

While some of our visitors may be attracted to this brand for a variety of reasons I cannot, at this time, recommend the Amana Dehumidifier to you.

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