In a Nutshell:
A very basic, small capacity dehumidifier. Ivation GDM30 Dehumidifier is recommended for RV owners, indoor growers with very small grow tents or few plants that don’t require much water. Also good for smaller rooms with minor humidity issues.
Feature Set
Ease of Use
Value for the Money
Brand Reliability*
Overall Rating
4.1/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: RV owners, indoor growers with very small grow tents or few plants that don’t require much water. Also good for smaller rooms with minor humidity issues.
Do you have a bathroom or other smallish space in your home where the air feels perpetually damp?
A boat or an RV? A smallish (2’ x 2’ or 3’ x 3’) indoor grow space you need to control humidity in?
If so, then the little Ivation GDM30 dehumidifier might be perfect for you.
We’ll be the first to admit that dehumidifiers like this have fairly limited applications, and due to their relatively limited water extraction capabilities, it’s easy for them to get overwhelmed if you ask too much of them. Even so, for the right user, a dehumidifier like this can be worth its weight in gold in narrowly defined situations.
Is it right for you?
In the sections that follow, we’ll detail everything it can and can’t do so you’ll be able to make that very determination! If that sounds good to you, let’s get right to it.
Overview of the Ivation GDM30 Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier
It’s small and unobtrusive. That’s the first impression most people have when they see the Ivation GDM30 dehumidifier for the first time, and it’s both fair and accurate. The designers didn’t spend a lot of time on aesthetics because this machine simply wasn’t designed to stand out or proudly and loudly announce its presence. It has a job to do, and it was designed to do it quietly and efficiently. That’s what it does.
It should be noted that this model is functionally similar to, and in fact, was probably the inspiration for the Gurin DHMD 30 dehumidifier, which has virtually the same specs as this one. Both machines are made with Chinese components and are manufactured in China, then imported here for sale.
As such, the production quality is somewhat inferior to what you find in larger, more robust machines made in other parts of the world. That’s not a bad thing, and it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. It’s just a fact of life in this corner of the market.
All that to say, this isn’t the kind of dehumidifier you buy and use for a decade. It’s super cheap, designed to solve an immediate problem, used for a couple of years and then tossed, either to replace it with a newer model or to upgrade to something more robust.
Even so, Ivation is a fairly well-known company in the industry. They don’t have a huge footprint, but they do have a solid reputation, and their products are a cut above what you normally expect from low-priced Chinese imports.
Product Specifications
Before we take a peek under the hood, let’s review the basic stats of the model:
Now, let’s take a closer look at the specific features this model has on offer.
Features of Ivation GDM30
Extraction Capacity
The most important thing to talk about here in this section of our Ivation GDM30 Dehumidifier review is the extraction capacity of the unit because that’s really what limits the number of used cases for this machine. At best, you can expect up to 20-ounces of water extraction per day. That’s barely more than a pint.
It’s fine if you’re interested in keeping excess moisture out of a boat or an RV, it’s a great fit. If you have a bathroom that always feels damp, it’s great for that. And if you have a tiny grow tent for indoor growing, it’s good for that, but only if you’re using a 2’ x 2’ or 3’ x 3.’ Anything bigger than that is apt to have more plants, and thus, take more in the way of water inputs than this little dehumidifier could reasonably be expected to cope with.
Use of Peltier Technology for Dehumidification
We can’t talk about the daily moisture extraction rate without also mentioning that this machine uses Peltier technology to handle the dehumidification.
From a practical standpoint, that means two things: First, it works by creating a temperature differential inside the unit (that’s what actually drives the dehumidification), and second, it’s not fast. Given the size of the reservoir, you can expect to go nearly three days between emptying the reservoir.
If you’re looking for a dehumidifier that will make a big difference quickly, this isn’t the one you want. Watching the reservoir fill up is more entertaining than watching paint dry, but only just. It’s slow. Seriously slow.
The good news is that Peltier technology is super-efficient, which allows the unit to do its job while sipping electricity. It tops out at 70-watts, which means that it’s not going to introduce a ton of heat to a grow tent if you’re using one, and in a boat or an RV, you won’t notice it at all.
In addition to that, it’s also extremely quiet because Peltier technology utilizes almost no moving parts, which is another nod in its favor.
Automatic Fill Sensor in the Reservoir
The Ivation GDM30 Powerful Mid-Size Thermo-Electric dehumidifier has a fill sensor in the reservoir, and when it reads full, the unit automatically shuts off, preventing spills in the event you forget to check it at regular intervals. Speaking of the reservoir, it’s designed like a drawer, which makes it easy to pull out and empty.
Adapter
This unit has a 12-volt adapter, which makes it perfect for use in boats and RV’s. It’s a small thing, but we love the addition!
Pros and Cons GDM30 Dehumidifier
Since we just finished listing its features and every one of them was a good addition to the product, we won’t repeat the pros, so let’s focus on what’s missing and what the Ivation Medium Thermo Electric Dehumidifier doesn’t do so well:
Honestly, the single biggest drawback this unit has is the fact that it’s slow, which is a common limitation of most dehumidifiers that utilize Peltier technology. If your needs are more immediate, you’re going to want to look in some other direction.
Ivation GDM30 Dehumidifier Review Conclusion
For what it is, this is a pretty good unit, offered by a respected company. The biggest thing to watch out for where the Ivation GDM30 is concerned is that it’s very easy to put it in a room or situation where it will simply be overwhelmed.
Not that it will hurt the unit. It won’t. It will simply run all the time, and its slow, methodical way, nibble away at the moisture in whatever room you place it in. Unfortunately, it’s easy to put it in a room that’s got more moisture incoming than the machine is capable of dealing with, so it’ll run forever, but the humidity will continue to rise because this little guy is trying and failing at punching beyond its weight class.
That, it can’t do. As long as you’re mindful of that and of the unit’s limitations and you make sure to use it within the confines of those limitations, it will serve you pretty well. If you try to ask too much of it, you’re destined to be disappointed. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
References & Resources:
- Ivation, Official Brand Website.
- Ivation GDM30 Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier User Manual.
- How to Dispose of Dehumidifiers, Hunker.
- 7 Healthy Reasons to Get a Dehumidifier For Your Home, HuffPost
- 5 Signs You Need a Dehumidifier, CNET.
- Signs You Might Need a Dehumidifier, The Spruce.