Danby Premiere DDR5011 50 Pint Dehumidifier

This less well-known member of the Danby dehumidifier family appears to offer all of the standard features of a dehumidifier, but reviews and customer feedback are few and far between. Why is this model less popular than other 50-pint dehumidifiers, if it offers the same features at a competitive cost?

Appearance and Design

The Danby Premiere DDR5011 50 Pint Dehumidifier’s humble white casing and large airflow vents seem to say, “I do my job.” The unit has a utilitarian air about it; this is not a machine designed to stand around looking pretty, but one meant to perform well. Rolling caster wheels and a lightweight motor and casing make it easy to transport this Danby model from room to room, and Energy Star certification combined with ozone-friendly 410A refrigerant pack a powerful environmentally conscious punch.

Functionality and Use

Although the Danby Premiere DDR5011 50 Pint Dehumidifier has not been as popular as other Danby models, it does seem to offer fairly solid performance at a reasonable price. A low temperature setting ensures that the refrigerant coil will remain sturdy and functional at temperatures as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit, making this model a viable option for those in wet, cool environments. While the specifications state that this unit has the capacity to serve up to 3000 square feet, this seems an unusually ambitious estimate; unless you live in optimal conditions, 1200 square feet is a more reasonable expectation with a 50-pint dehumidifier.

Model Limitations

As with many other models, the Danby Premiere DDR5011 50 Pint Dehumidifier water collection tray requires frequent emptying, and may be inconvenient. Oddly, the biggest drawback to this model is that it simply hasn’t been used or purchased by very many people. This makes the Danby Premiere DDR5011 50 Pint Dehumidifier a bit of an unknown, perhaps the tall dark stranger of the dehumidifier world – is it a hero or a villain, a prize or a worthless waste of money? The few reviews available are positive, but sadly there’s just not much information out there on long-term performance.

Customer Service and Warranty

Like most dehumidifiers, the Danby Premiere DDR5011 comes with a 1-year warranty on parts and labor. Given the mysterious nature of this little underdog unit, it may be wise to inquire whether or not your retailer can offer a more comprehensive 3-year warranty for an additional cost. Danby is generally a reliable and professional company, but this unit is a bit of a wild card, and it can be intimidating to make a large purchase without a significant guarantee of performance.

What Do Owners Say?

The few customer reviews available on the DDR5011 appear to be relatively positive. The unanimous opinion seems to be that it is best suited for basement use, which may say as much about the relative humidity levels in most basements as it does about the unit itself. The affordability of this model was appreciated, and in general it got the job done well; however, noise was an issue in some cases, and the case was evaluated as a bit flimsy. Some thought the design less than ideally energy efficient, in spite of the Energy Star certification.

This dehumidifier appears to perform decently, but its low purchase rate and lack of customer feedback make purchasing it a bit of a shot in the dark!