Does the base unit have to be emptied? If so, how often?
1167364
The base unit does not hold any water it only disperses the water through the center tube when you clean it, at the end of the season, the only thing that needs to be changed is the filter
1587174
They recommend cleaning with vinegar water once a week and water should be emptied and replaced after every use from the top and also from the base. I empty mine every morning and refill it with fresh water every night before the kids go to bed.
1009370
Pam, I'm not sure, but in the past two days, with temps in the mid 80s and 50-60% humidity, I had to empty it every two hours yesterday. I know that other units with large, removable collection tanks take about 8 hours to fill in the same weather conditions.
785241
No. It has a flow through design, and I usually run it spring to fall, and clean it out before I store it (so once a year); and that seams to do the trick. This is my third year running them.
340829
Yes, you can. The unit comes apart very easily. I flush out mine about every six months.
750141
Every couple of months. I keep the container from over flowing so it lasts longer. If it gets covered in debris I change it sooner. The ionizer helps
183441
There is a water tray that can be emptied. It did not fill up quickly and I think we only emptied it a few times during the summar.
1433776
I have been running this unit almost nightly for a few weeks. Haven't cleaned yet. They recommend not letting water/oil sit in unit while not in use. I am careful to let it run until it turns off, then dispose of small amount of water left and thoroughly wipe out with soft cloth.
1744114
It has a 30-pint container, which is part of the body/housing of the unit, as is usually the case with this type of dehumidifier. I've never used it so I can't tell you how easy it is to remove the container and carry it to your emptying site. How frequently you have to empty it depends on how low you set the desired humidity setting and how large of an area you have it working on. My previous 30-pint dehumidifier (other brand) would need to be emptied about 1x a day.
1666565
No, you just have to plug it in. Since charges last so long I don't think you'd want to mess with a base anyway. Just charge it every two weeks and don't waste the counter space.
1936702
No. But you will need a pail to collect the water. When the air "conditioner" is on it will take water out of the air to lower the humidity. My experience was that I needed to empty the pail several times the first week or so, but then once the humidity in the room went down, I only had to empty it every few days. I do like my unit.
572947
The space I use mine is is approx 1/2 of what you described and on a really humid day (95+%) in California, this unit will take 3-5 hours to reduce the humidity to approx 55-60%. I have mine drain into my sink so I don't have to worry about emptying the container. I don't know the volume of moisture it removes but it is way more than the collection container can hold. It's very adequate for my needs. Puts out a little heat and a good stream of air off the condenser. Hope this helps.
593324
I honestly don't know. I purchased all individual units. I would think that both units would heat up so it might not be a good idea to leave one empty.
1771889
We actually use potty pads in the unit (under the grass) so we just replace those every day or every two days and then no need for emptying. It's just our preference, but without those, you would need to tip it over or take apart to hose it out.
2183290
When we run it constantly I added water every day just to get the water up to the "full" line, but I never let it go empty so I can't give you an exact length of time for that. If you ran it just off and on for either cooling or to humidify the air you wouldn't have to add it as often. It is very easy to fill.
2244301
We usually empty & refill the tray with clean water, once every couple of weeks or so; however there are only3 people living here---I do inspect the filter surface and tray weekly (takes a few seconds to check).
1009369
This is my first time using a portable air conditioning unit, so I don't know what's normal for them. What I read from other reviews though it seems that some people only have to worry about it once a day or hardly at all. When I first got it I definitely wasn't emptying it three times a day, but I have been the past 3-5 days. I'm used to wall units where you don't have to worry about it. And apparently some portable units have the capability of actually taking the water bucket out and emptying it that way, but this one doesn't.