Frigidaire FFAD3033R1, FFAD5033R1, & FFAD7033R1 Dehumidifier
Pros
- Comes In A Variety Of Sizes To Allow You To Pick The Perfect Size
- Digital Display Showing Current Humidity Percentage
- Low, Medium, & High Fan Speeds
- Easily Portable With Wheels And Handles
- Comes With Hose Attachment If You Do Not Want To Use Water Tray
Cons
- Reports of Failures Out of the Box
- Mold Can Grow Inside The Dehumidifier It Not Cleaned
- Reports of Failures After Three to Four Years of Use
- Delivery Issues - Product Should Be Shipped Upright
- These Units Do Not Come With An Auto-Defrost Feature
Having a high humidity level in your home can cause a lot of problems. The best humidity range for homes is between thirty to fifty percent. If the number is any lower then you can run into a host of issues such as rashes, dry and breaking skin, and even increased illnesses. On the other hand, if your humidity levels are too high then you can have a whole other series of problems.
Homes with high humidity levels are prime breeding grounds for mildew, dust, fungi, and mold. Yes, if the humidity levels are too high in your home you can begin to see mold growing on your walls, floors, curtains, and even on your clothes or bed spread. Along with all of that these mold and fungus spores can wreak havoc on allergies. My father for example suffers from rather severe asthma and has to have the humidity in his home tightly controlled to prevent any flare ups.
But hey, maybe you aren’t even looking to use a dehumidifier to get rid of allergens but instead to dry out your basement. One of the most frustrating things is having a completely finished basement only to have that musty damp smell linger throughout the room. Adding a dehumidifier to your basement will remove that excess humidity and will eventually remove that smell.
The question though is what kind of dehumidifier should you get? There are a lot of choices out there on the market place and it can be a bit overwhelming on which one to purchase. In this article we are going to take an in-depth look at three Frigidaire dehumidifier models. These are the FFAD3033R1, FFAD5033R1, & FFAD7033R1. While we have three different models here the only real difference that you are going to see is the capacity or size of the unit. These three dehumidifiers come as a thirty pint, a fifty pint, and a seventy pint but besides that are exactly the same.
Without further delay, let’s dive into this product review and see if this is the right dehumidifier for you.
Frigidaire
Now before I ever buy any product, especially an expensive one, I always like to take the time and research the company and the brand behind the product. After all folks, a company’s brand name is paramount to a company’s success. If you have a recognizable and reputable brand name then people will know your product. They will know what to expect. Look at cars, as an example. You know what to expect if you buy a Lexus. You expect a premium car that is top quality. The brand name tells you that. The very same principle can be applied to dehumidifiers. Yes, I know it’s not as exciting as a new Lexus, but it is still worth it to do our research and understand the name and the company behind the product we’re looking at.
The Frigidaire company is one of the oldest refrigerant and air conditioning companies out there. In fact, I bet most of you have already heard of this company name. Chances are if you go into your kitchen right now that you’re going to find an appliance from Frigidaire. I don’t care if it’s a dishwasher, a microwave, an oven, or even your refrigerator. Speaking of refrigerators, did you know that Frigidaire was one of the very first companies to invent, patent, and began selling refrigerators? All the way back in 1916 Frigidaire was around and they were selling refrigerators. Over one-hundred years ago.
Since that date so long ago Frigidaire has grown and prospered. Over the years they have innovated, developed, and invented all new applications. With a century of experience behind them I would say that they are a great candidate to purchase a dehumidifier from. They have the knowledge, the development, and one of the most recognizable brand names within the industry. Along with all of that they have a variety of dehumidifier products to choose from. If you find that this unit is not the right fit for you then I highly encourage you to visit Frigidaire’s online Amazon.com store so that you can find and select the perfect product for your needs.
Product Features
Now that we’ve learned a bit about the company behind these products let’s take a look at some of the various product features that can be found on these dehumidifiers. Once we’re through our product features we’ll move on to the Pros and Cons section.
Sizing
As you have already read there are three different sizes in this product review. For someone who isn’t used to purchasing a dehumidifier it can be a bit tough to gauge exactly what sized unit that you need for your home. The good news is that there is a method when choosing a dehumidifier. Below I will give you the quick summary on how to determine the right size.
FFAD3033R1– This is the thirty pint model. In other words, it can remove up to thirty pints of water within a twenty-four hour period. This is the smallest size and while it will work for a moderately damp basement you will get better results if you move to the fifty pint. (If your basement is a thousand square feet or under you can get away with the thirty pint without an issue.)
FFAD5033R1 – This is the fifty pint model. In most cases this is going to cover your needs. Even if you have some moisture beading on your walls. This will dehumidify up to fifteen-hundred square feet as long as you don’t have actual standing water in your home.
FFAD7033R1– This is the seventy pint model. This is the biggest size of this model range and will be more then big enough to handle a two-thousand square feet area with standing water. Most folks recommend going a size larger then what you need when it comes to dehumidifiers. Your machine won’t work as hard and will last longer.
Features
A lot of folks may not know this, but dehumidifiers are basically small air conditioners. You see an air conditioner actually removes humidity from the air as well. This is why your central air conditioner’s evaporator (The part above your furnace.) will drain water through a hose to your basement floor. This is the removed humidity. This is also why your basement can sometimes floor if this drainage pipe is clogged. The only main difference between an air conditioner and a dehumidifier is that the dehumidifier actually warms the air back up before it expels. All of the same parts are there though including refrigerant. These Frigidaire models use the HFC refrigerant known as R-410A. While this refrigerant has a higher global warming potential then we would like it is widely used and will be around for quite some time.
Alright so we’ve understood the sizing and how the dehumidifier works now let’s take a look at the controls and display of the unit. All three of these units comes with a digital humidity display. You are able to adjust the desired humidity by simply pressing up or down on the arrows beneath the display. Remember, just like what we said earlier, that between thirty to fifty percent is the optimal humidity levels for our homes.
Continuing with the control panel, you are also able to set the fan speed between low, medium, and high. These models also come with a twenty-four hour on/off timer. This allows you to set the timer option so that the unit will turn on/off at your leisure. You also have an indicator light when the water tank is full and when the filter needs cleaned. If the water tank does become full then the dehumidifier will automatically switch off to prevent an overflow of the water container. There is a gauge on the front of the dehumidifier that shows you where the water level is as well.
Speaking of water tanks, this dehumidifier comes with a thirteen pint water tank. The water tank is found in the front of the machine and can be easily pulled out. It also comes with a handle and a splash guard to make emptying the water a simple and clean process. If you’re still not a fan of having to remember to empty the water tank then you could also purchase a hose attachment that will allow you to drain the water and run the system constantly. Just remember that when doing this you will need to use gravity to your advantage. This won’t work if you have the hose feeding upwards to a sink, but perhaps you could put the dehumidifier on the counter next to the sink and feed the hose in that way.
This dehumidifier comes with an anti-bacterial mesh filter that is located at the back of the machine towards the bottom. Remember not to ‘wash’ these filters with water. If you do then you risk damaging the anti-bacterial coating. It is best to shake out or to take a vacuum hose attachment to it. This filter is located at the bottom of the machine and can slide right out. It is best practice to clean the filter and the entire machine regularly to prevent any water or mildew from building up from within the machine. If uncleaned there is risk of mold growing within the appliance.
Each one of these dehumidifier models comes with a noise level of around fifty-two decibels. That is a bit louder then your standard refrigerator running in your home. Another comparison would be that to the volume of a quieter conversation. In other words, the dehumidifier isn’t going to be so loud you can’t hear anything… but there is going to be a noise level attached to it. Unfortunately, this noise isn’t isolated to just these types of dehumidifiers. It is common across all sorts of models. If noise is a huge concern then you may want to invest in a central dehumidifier and have it operate within your utility room.
These dehumidifiers are easy to transport. The largest model, the seventy pint, only comes in at about forty pounds. You also get caster wheels and a handle at the top of the unit. There shouldn’t be any problems when it comes to moving this unit around your home.
Pros
As I usually do when I write reviews I covered a lot of the Pros already in the Product Features section. These are your digital read outs, your drainage hose compatibility, ease of portability, and other features. That being said, there are still two Pros that I want to bring up to you now.
The first is that these dehumidifiers come with a one year warranty from Frigidaire. As you read in our previous Frigidaire section, this is a great company that will stand by their product. You are protected here if your appliance breaks down. So, if you are one of the unlucky ones to experience a product failure you will be covered to get a new product.
The next Pro worth mentioning is that all three products are Energy Star certified with the Environmental Protection Agency. The Energy Star program is designed to evaluate various appliances and determine if they meet the EPA’s efficiency standards. An Energy Star appliances is on average about fifteen percent more efficient then a competing machine. Along with the Energy Star rating you also get a one year full warranty from the Frigidaire manufacturer.
Cons
There is one common complaint that I see across all dehumidifiers. It doesn’t matter what brand it is or what model it is. It all seems to be the same. Basically, we have some customers state that the dehumidifier doesn’t work right out of the box or that the unit prematurely failed after only a few weeks or months of use. This sounds pretty bad, right?
Well folks, there is a reason for this. To help illustrate my point, I’m going to go back to a few weekends ago when I was helping my father move to his new home. It was just the two of us doing the heavy lifting and he had a garage refrigerator we needed put on the trailer and then hauled back into the garage at the new home. The whole time we moved this refrigerator we were very careful not to tip it too far and to keep it standing up right.
Why did we do this? After all, it would have been easier to turn the fridge on it’s side and carry it that way. But if we were to tip the refrigerator, or worse lay it on it’s side, then the oil that is in the compressor will drain out and into another area of the refrigeration line. That means that your compressor is no longer getting lubricated and that means you are going to have a compressor failure very soon.
The same thing happens when turning your dehumidifier upside down. The catch here is that when you buy these machines online they may arrive at your home upside down. No need to worry though folks. Just turn it right back up and then WAIT for at least a day or two before you power it on. Having it right side up for a day allows the oil to drain back into the compressor. By taking the steps above you are able to avoid the problem of premature failure.
Ok, so now that we’ve got the big one out of the way let’s moves onto some of the actual faults of the product. The first is that this unit does not come with an auto-defrost system. What is that you may ask? Well, there is a chance that your unit can ice over near the condenser. (Remember, this is a small air conditioner.) If it does ice over your dehumidifier will no longer work until the ice is removed. Some dehumidifiers have a defrost function that automatically thaws the ice. With these models I would suggest turning the unit off and letting the ice melt. It may be a pain, but it fixes the problem. If the problem persists then I recommend a good cleaning… which leads me to my next point.
The cleanliness of the inside of your dehumidifier is very important. I touched on this briefly but I’d like to bring it up again as this was another common complaint. A few consumers stated that they had mold growing on the inside components of their dehumidifier. Mold grows due to stagnant water. Normally this will not happen if the appliance is taken care of. That means having the filter cleaned regularly, have the water tank emptied in a timely manner, and a just overall cleaning. If you do start to notice a mildew smell or see signs of mold then you can do one of two things. You can take apart the dehumidifier and do your best to clean the unit. In most cases this works fine and you are up and running again. If the mold is extreme then you may need to scrap the appliance and purchase a new one.
This leads me to my next point. These dehumidifier models won’t last forever, nothing does. From what I have read these models tend to last anywhere from two to four years. After that the quality or the amount of humidity removed begins to go down. In some cases the machine no longer operates at all. Most consumers just opt for buying another model after theirs fails. This is up to you, just be aware that if you purchase you may end up doing again in another three or four years.
Conclusion
Ok, folks. We made it through! We covered absolutely everything on this product that I could fathom. If you are still thirsty for more information please check out our ‘Important Links,’ section below for the official instruction manual, installation guide, and more. If you are interested in purchasing this unit then please click here to be taken to our Amazon.com partner where you can have the product shipped right to your door.
Lastly, if you find that you have more questions or think you may need a different dehumidifier please visit our ultimate buyer’s guide on dehumidifiers.