Frigidaire 50 Pint Dehumidifier Sizing and the FGAC5044W1

The Frigidaire FGAC5044W1 is a 50-pint dehumidifier that HouseFresh reports as discontinued. The successor HouseFresh names is the FHDD5034Y1.

A pint rating depends on the temperature the unit was tested at. This page uses HouseFresh's published figures for the FGAC5044W1 and cites ENERGY STAR for the test conversion. Each figure names its source in the sentence where it appears.

The checks below cover test temperature, bucket size, drain option, power draw, noise, warranty, and room size. Each one is explained below, followed by a checklist you can apply to any current 50-pint unit.

What the Frigidaire 50-Pint Model Is and Its Current Availability

A 50-pint rating can only be compared once you know the temperature it was tested at. The Frigidaire FGAC5044W1 is discontinued, according to HouseFresh, so a buyer should compare the FHDD5034Y1 successor or another current 50-pint unit on the same checklist.

At The Indoor Report, we sell no equipment. HouseFresh reports that the FGAC5044W1 belongs to the Frigidaire Gallery series and was released in 2020.

HouseFresh attributes the discontinuation to the unit's use of R-410A refrigerant. It says Frigidaire replaced the model with the FHDD5034Y1, also a 50-pint dehumidifier, which HouseFresh says has an improved efficiency of 2.01 liters per kilowatt-hour (kWh), written L/kWh.

The sources used here give HouseFresh's efficiency figure for the FHDD5034Y1 and no other figures for it, so this page does not report its capacity, noise, or power draw. This page states no prices for any unit. For portable units in general, see the portable dehumidifier page, and for a wider set of models, see the best dehumidifier guide.

Why a 50-Pint Rating Depends on Test Temperature

A 50-pint rating depends on the temperature the unit was tested at. The current Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure tests portable dehumidifiers at 65 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

ENERGY STAR gives two examples of the conversion. A unit rated at 90 pints under the old 80-degree test is roughly 55 pints under the 65-degree standard. A unit rated 30 pints under warm conditions yields roughly 20 pints in cooler air.

A 50-pint label on one unit can only be set beside another 50-pint label once both test temperatures are known. HouseFresh's 49.71-pint figure for this model comes without a test temperature in the sources used here, so this page does not use it to predict what the unit removes in a basement or a living room.

Sizing for a Damp Basement Against a Living Area

Relative humidity (RH) is one input, and room size is the second. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises keeping indoor RH below 60 percent, and ideally between 30 and 50 percent.

A room above the EPA's 60 percent ceiling is outside the range the EPA advises. HouseFresh gives this model a recommended room size of 800 to 1,200 square feet, so the room's square footage and its RH both belong in the comparison.

HouseFresh's test tent is not a room. In that setup, humidity fell from 97.7 percent to 35.5 percent in 30 minutes at full speed, a drop of 62.2 percentage points (97.7 minus 35.5).

Write down the room's measured RH and square footage, then compare them with the 800 to 1,200 square foot figure. For the room inputs, use the dehumidifier size guide, and for the basement case, the basement dehumidifier guide is the companion page.

Bucket Size and the Continuous Drain Option

HouseFresh reports a 16.9-pint water tank, which it says is the second largest of the 13 dehumidifiers it has tested. The tank holds 2.11 gallons, and it slides out from the front of the unit.

The continuous drain option sits at the back. HouseFresh says you unscrew the drain cap and attach a hose. The size and fitting of that hose are not given in the sources used here, so this page states no hose length.

Power Draw and Running Cost Over a Season

HouseFresh reports electricity consumption of 655.29 watts at top speed. It also says the unit's power draw is one of the highest it has measured.

Energy use is watts multiplied by hours run. At 655.29 watts for 10 hours, the unit uses 6,552.9 watt-hours, or 6.55 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The 10-hour figure is an example input, not a figure from HouseFresh.

Over a season, the hours are your choice, and the wattage sets the energy used for each hour. A higher-wattage unit costs more to run over a season than a lower-wattage unit run for the same hours, so wattage is the first number to compare.

HouseFresh's 2.01 L/kWh figure for the successor measures water removed per unit of energy. It is a different measure from watts, so the two should be read separately. This page gives no electricity rate, so it gives no dollar figure. Multiply the kilowatt-hours by your own rate to find the cost, and the dehumidifier running cost page is the companion for that calculation.

Noise at Top Speed Against Other Large Models

HouseFresh measured the unit at 62.7 A-weighted decibels (dBA) at top speed, at a distance of 3 feet.

HouseFresh says the unit is quieter at top speed than the Honeywell and GE large models it compared. The sources used here give no dBA figures for those Honeywell and GE models, so that comparison rests on HouseFresh's statement alone.

The 3-foot distance is HouseFresh's setup. A unit placed in another room is heard from a different distance, so treat 62.7 dBA as a comparison point rather than a sound level for your space.

HouseFresh's Reported Figures for the FGAC5044W1

The table lists every figure this page relies on for the FGAC5044W1. Each value is HouseFresh's own figure, and each cell names HouseFresh as the source.

Two rows need context. The warranty figure is one year as HouseFresh lists it, and this page has no maker warranty document to compare it against. The test tent row describes HouseFresh's test setup, not a room in a house.

Buyer Checklist for Any Current 50-Pint Unit

Apply these seven checks to the FGAC5044W1, the FHDD5034Y1, or any other 50-pint unit before you compare them.

• Test temperature: find the temperature behind the pint rating, because the current DOE test uses 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bucket size: set the 16.9-pint tank beside your daily output needs, using HouseFresh's 49.71 pints per day as the reference for this model.
• Continuous drain: note whether the unit has a back drain option and what hose it takes, since HouseFresh describes an unscrewed cap and an attached hose.
• Power draw: compare watts at top speed, then multiply by the hours you expect to run the unit.
• Noise: compare dBA at top speed, and note the distance each figure was measured at.
• Warranty: note the length, which HouseFresh lists as 1 year for the FGAC5044W1.
• Room size: compare the recommended room size with your space and its measured RH.

Who Should Skip This Model and What Would Change the Answer

This model does not suit a buyer who wants to purchase the FGAC5044W1 itself, because HouseFresh reports it discontinued. A buyer with water entering the space should address the water source first. For the air side of basement moisture, see the humidity in basement guide.

The answer changes when the test temperature behind this model's 49.71-pint figure is published, or when a current 50-pint unit publishes its test temperature next to its pint rating. Until one of those happens, the pint ratings cannot be compared on equal terms.

Before you choose any 50-pint unit, write down the room's measured RH, its square footage, and the test temperature on the unit's rating, then score each candidate against the checklist above.