Something in the air tonight (B&Q Compact Dehumidifier WDH-610HA)

Member Name: powerball

Product:	B&Q Compact Dehumidifier WDH-610HA
Date:	07/11/09 (426 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fairly cheap, compact, quiet

Disadvantages: Small water tank, only 3 settings

Over the years I have owned several dehumidifiers of different shapes and sizes. They have all done their job well, some have been noisy, some have been bulky. All of them have eventually broken!

I used to live abroad where the humidity levels were so high, even in a relatively small apartment, it was always necessary to run at least 2 dehumidifiers constantly in order to avoid mould and mildew forming. When I moved back to the UK I brought with me one of the machines thinking that maybe one day I would need it again. It took 8 years but I did find a use for it again when I moved into a new house. The downstairs is particularly damp, draughty and cold and was beginning to smell. The problem was solved almost within 24 hours when I plugged in the machine. This was a fairly expensive, compact machine. Unfortunately however, after about 6 months, it went the same way as all the other models I have owned and just packed up.

I didn't replace it immediately. Dehumidifiers are quite expensive and it just didn't seem like a priority. However, with winter approaching, the cold and damp problem seemed to come back and I have been forced to go out and buy another machine.

With the track record of all the machines I have owned, which have all been well known makes, I was unwilling to spend a fortune. The average price seemed to be about £150 but I decided to go for a far cheaper option. (I adopt the same policy with microwave ovens - I buy cheapish ones because most of them seem to be programmed to break just one week out of warranty. I won't tempt fate by going into how long I have owned the current one!)

The B & Q WDH - 610HA - 12R is a compact model priced at £79.98.

There is a 1.5 litre capacity water tank as well as a continuous drain function (although the hosepipe is not included) and the machine is capable of removing 10 litres of water per day at 30C 80% relative humidity.......................not a situation we are likely to find ourselves in in the UK.

The dehumidifier was packaged in a box not much bigger than the machine itself and was relatively easy to get from the store to my car, with a toddler also in tow! Beware though - the machine is 9.8 kg. Dehumidifiers do tend to be heavy machines.

There is a warning clearly stated on the front of the instruction booklet. After unpacking, the unit must be placed upright for at least 4 hours before use, in order to allow the cooling agent to stabilize.

The unit comes with a fitted plug, although there are very clear instructions and a diagram for if it is necessary for you to change the plug. What else would you expect from B & Q?! Altogether now...........don't just do it.............................

On the top of the unit is a carry handle. As mentioned earlier, these things are pretty heavy. Some larger models are actually on casters. The handle is very useful and also necessary, but it still is quite difficult to move these things around since the balance of the weight means that you inevitably end up with bruised shins if you need to move it any distance.

Also, on the top of the machine is the control panel. On this is the humidity control knob. There are basically 3 settings. On the "continuous" setting, the unit works continuously - best for a high humidity environment. On the "Normal" setting, the unit will shut down automatically when the desired humidity level is achieved (between 50 - 70% relative humidity), and of course on the "Off" setting the unit shuts down.

Also on the control panel is an operation indicator light, a full bucket lamp which illuminates when the bucket is full and a defrost lamp which illuminates when the ambient temperature is too low and the unit automatically starts to defrost. The defrost lamp also illuminates if the air filter becomes clogged.

On the top half of the front of the machine are the air vents for the air inlet as well as the air filter, and the water tank bucket is at the bottom of the front of the machine.

The air outlet is situated at the back of the machine as well as the hose stopper which needs to be removed if using the continuous drainage function. A PVC hose must then be connected to the drain tap and then run without any kinks to a drain. This function can be used if you need to run the unit but cannot empty the water tank regularly. I haven't ever used this since I get rather nervous that the hose pipe will move and I will end up with a flood!

The air filters collect dust contained in the air and in order to prevent dust from clogging the unit the filters must always be used. It is recommended that these filters are cleaned at least every 2 weeks and this can easily be done with either a vacuum cleaner or if very dirty can be washed in warm water.


After waiting for the necessary 4 hours I switched on my machine. I was pleasantly surprised that such a reasonably priced model was fairly quiet. I switched on to the continuous setting since I felt I had a fair amount of moisture to remove. The area I need the unit to cover is a hallway, one small/medium sized room and a small bathroom.

The unit is fairly compact and slim and easily fits into the small nook that I had prepared for it, conveniently situated next to a power socket.

Within a few minutes I could hear encouraging gurgling - I felt moisture was definitely being picked up. After just 30 minutes I couldn't resist having a sneaky look in the bucket to see if any drops had been collected, but like a watched kettle never boiling, the bucket remained dry. However, after a few hours I could see a small puddle had collected. 15 hours later, my bucket was full.

The 1.5 litre capacity is not huge - I think once things start to settle down a little, I will need to empty the bucket about once a day. This is one chore I really don't mind doing. It takes a matter of seconds since there is a bathroom next to the unit and can become routine as I collect the post each morning from the hallway. I would far rather that than have a larger unit that requires emptying less frequently since I am more likely to forget!

As well as the full bucket light illuminating, the unit automatically shuts off when the bucket is full, so as to avoid any spillages or flooding.

Within 24 hours of switching on the dehumidifier there was a noticeable improvement in the atmosphere. The slightly damp smell had gone. The area felt warmer and things like the toilet roll in the bathroom no longer had that slightly damp feeling to it.

Time will only tell how long this unit will live beyond it's warranty. It is a compact, basic unit. It doesn't have bells and whistles, or laundry flaps and timers like other models I have owned. But it is neat, as quiet to run as any other model and undoubtedly removes moisture from the air at a good rate. It feels solid and sturdy and is sold at an extremely competitive price. Whilst in warranty, I feel that if a replacement becomes necessary, B & Q are a company with a good reputation as well as convenient locations and I wouldn't be without a unit for long.

But fingers crossed that this is the machine that doesn't break.

Summary: A good, basic, compact model that does what it says on the box