In a Nutshell:
The Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 industrial dehumidifier is an expensive heavy-duty unit that can cover an area of 12,000 cubic ft. to remove up to 145 pints of water per day. It is ideal for basements, crawlspaces, restoration projects, flooding, and also for treating mold, odors, and corrosion.
Price
Capacity
Noise Level
Durability
Overall Rating
4.9/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Basements, crawlspaces, restoration projects, flooding, and also for treating mold, odors, and corrosion.
When a storm hits, a pipe bursts, or flooding turns your home into a damp, musty mess. The residential dehumidifier might not be powerful enough to dry everything quickly and efficiently.
You need a commercial-grade dehumidifier!
In our Dri Eaz 1200 review, we take a close look at a popular unit with a rugged, high-performance design.
But does it have what it takes to handle heavy-duty situations, such as flooding and mold? Let’s find out!
Dri Eaz 1200 Dehumidifier Design Overview
The Dri Eaz 1200 dehumidifier is a powerful commercial-grade unit designed to handle heavy-duty moisture.
It can dry up puddles of water in a jiffy, covering an impressive 12,000 cu. ft. to remove up to 145 pints of water per day at saturation and 64 pints per day at 60% relative humidity, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) testing standards.
So as you can see, this is not your typical home dehumidifier. The Drizair 1200 is the appliance you pull out after a flood disaster, for restoration projects, or if mold and mildew are growing out of control.
The unit’s dimensions are 20 x 19.5 x 32 inches, which is surprisingly compact, but it weighs a whopping 80 lbs!
Thankfully, the design is highly functional. It’s equipped with two big wheels on the base and a strategically placed pull handle for easy maneuverability.
Despite being heavy, it’s a portable unit that can squeeze into tight spaces. It’s also stackable, so you can place a second unit on top.
It can also take the wear and tear like a champ. The Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 dehumidifier is made from thick Polyethylene that is shock-resistant in case it falls over or gets bumped.
All in all, this dehumidifier is built to last, and it’s very reliable for any type of drying—residential, commercial, or industrial.
But that type of quality comes at a hefty cost. The Drizair 1200 price is over $1,500.
The price is certainly a lot compared to residential dehumidifiers that cost under $300 but understand that the Drizair 1200 isn’t meant to look pretty in a bedroom.
It is what you use to tackle extreme levels of humidity in basements, workspaces, project sites, and garages.
Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 Features
We’ll take an in-depth look at the Dri Eaz dehumidifier 1200 feature set to determine if it’s worth the money. Overall, there isn’t much to complain about.
The quality and construction are top-tier, and though it lacks many automated functions, this unit wasn’t designed for convenience—only to perform.
Dri Eaz 1200 Filter
The filter is located on the front of the unit behind a square-shaped grille. It takes a HAF filter, which can be cleaned and reused up to three times.
You’ll need to inspect the filter periodically to ensure it is always clean. Unfortunately, there is no indicator that lets you know maintenance is needed.
Remove the filter from the unit and use a vacuum to suck up loose debris. You can’t rinse it in water, or else the effectiveness of the material is compromised.
When it’s time to replace the filter, you must order the same 3M HAF Filter from your local parts distributor.
The filter isn’t the most convenient appliance, but once again, this is meant for heavy-duty situations, not for family households.
Control Panel
You won’t find any fancy WiFi or Bluetooth functions with the Dri Eaz 1200.
It features a standard touchpad control panel that is self-explanatory, so you don’t have to worry about a steep learning curve.
The panel includes On/Off buttons, a job hour meter, a reset button, and a purge function. It also shares status messages on the small digital display for any Dri Eaz dehumidifier 1200 troubleshooting issues.
While this dehumidifier does come with an auto defrost, it doesn’t include an auto-shutoff or an auto-restart.
We can understand the auto-shutoff because there is no water bucket in this unit.
But an auto-restart is handy in case of a power outage, saving preferences, and reactivating the machine. It would’ve been a nifty function, especially during a severe storm or flood.
Noise Level
We were pleasantly surprised to see that the Drizair 1200 is whisper-silent for a commercial-grade unit, with an output of 34 dB.
The output is much lower than many residential dehumidifiers that typically perform at 50 dB. If noise is a concern of yours, the Dri-Eaz ensures you can go about your day without the constant drone of a loud compressor.
Auto Defrost
The dehumidifier Dri Eaz 1200 is suitable for warm and cold climates, operating in temperatures as low as 33°F up to 100°F.
This is much lower than many units that typically perform at 41°F.
The auto defrost stops ice from forming on the evaporative coils, which can damage the inner components of the machine.
The unit will deactivate at the first sign of ice and run the fan continuously to melt it quickly. Then, it will power on once more to keep on drying without a hitch.
Drainage
As we mentioned above, the Drizair 1200 does not come with a water bucket.
On standard dehumidifiers, a water bucket collects a certain amount of moisture before it needs to be manually emptied.
But the Dri Eaz Drizair 1200 professional dehumidifier ensures that you’ll never have to worry about that extra chore.
Instead, it’s equipped with an automatic pump that works by pulling moisture in through the cold evaporator core, which is then condensed into ice.
The unit runs the defrost mode every six minutes to turn the ice back into water that is drained out through the included 40-ft hose. This hose can be lifted out of a window, into a sink, or fed into a floor drain.
The long hose and built-in condensate pump ensure you can still move the Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 dehumidifier with ease without ever having to dump a messy bucket.
Dri Eaz Dehumidifier 1200 Pros vs. Cons
PROS
CONS
The Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 low-temperature refrigerant dehumidifier is a commercial-grade unit that is portable, durable, and extremely powerful.
It covers a large 12,000 cubic ft. area, working continuously to dry up heavy moisture and puddles of water and clear up mold.
That said, this is not a dehumidifier designed for daily home use to balance light to moderate humidity levels.
And if you’re looking for convenience with a dehumidifier, you can set it down and forget. This is probably not the one for you.
Instead, this is the bad boy you break out when your basement is too musty to handle or when you notice black mold creeping on your walls and ceilings. It’s the perfect dehumidifier for restoration projects, rust corrosion, flooding, and for drying damp clothes fast.
We recommend the Drizair 1200 professional dehumidifier for…
Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 Low-Temperature Refrigerant Dehumidifier Warranty
For Drizair 1200 servicing, consumers receive a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor, six years for the compressor and coils, and a lifetime warranty on the polyethylene body—all from the date of purchase.
Comparable Products
Discover how the Dri-Eaz 1200 commercial dehumidifier with pump stacks up against other popular commercial dehumidifiers on the market.
Recommended For: Water damage restoration projects,
This heavy-duty unit looks similar to the Dri-Eaz with its blue and grey plastic housing, large wheels, and pull handle, but it costs a bit less. You can count on the BlueDri to cover up to 4,000 sq ft., removing 225 pints per day.
Recommended For: Commercial, industrial, and personal use. The filter only needs to be checked once a year!
This boxy unit is compact and portable, with a strong plastic housing that can withstand bumps and scratches. It can remove up to 125 pints of moisture per day. This is meant for commercial, industrial, and personal use. The filter only needs to be checked once a year!
Recommended For: Crawl spaces, basements, warehouses, offices, factories, shops, apartments, storage areas, restaurants, bars, and museums.
This compact commercial dehumidifier weighs a mere 57 lbs. but doesn’t come with wheels for portability. It’s still powerful enough to take in 53 pints per day and is highly durable with a sturdy metal exterior.
Dri Eaz 1200 Review Conclusion
The Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 low-temperature refrigerant dehumidifier is expensive at around $1,500, but you get what you pay for. It’s incredibly powerful, covering a large area to remove heavy amounts of moisture quickly and efficiently.
This unit is compact but heavy. It comes equipped with two large wheels and a pull handle that makes it easy to move. It’s also shock-resistant and stackable for convenience.
To conclude this Dri Eaz 1200 review, this is an ideal dehumidifier for emergencies when large quantities of water need to be dried fast. It’s also ideal for treating mold, mildew, and odors in basements, crawlspaces, construction sites, and garages.
Resources & References:
- Legend Brands Restoration, Official Brand Website.
- Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 Dehumidifier User Manual
- Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 Specs Sheet
- Dri-Eaz Drizair 1200 Warranty Information
- Black Mold Exposure: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention, Medical News Today.
- Can Mold Cause Health Problems?, US EPA.
- Thinking of Buying a Dehumidifier? Advice from an Expert on Mould and Damp, The Conversation.