Dehumidifiers / AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier vs AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)
AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier
$1507.00
VSAlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)
$1147.11
AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier vs AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)
AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier
The one machine here whose ENERGY STAR Most Efficient badge survives the database.
Wins overall by 0.4 points
Quick Verdict
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.4 points. The one machine here whose ENERGY STAR Most Efficient badge survives the database.
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier and AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) are both closely matched dehumidifier models, and the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) is $359.90 cheaper than the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier ($1,147.11 vs $1,507). On Capacity-Claim Honesty, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads (9.5 vs 7.0/10) — this category's trap dimension. Since the DOE changed the test condition from 80°F/60% RH to 65°F/60% RH in 2019, the same machine that was a '70 pint' is now a '50 pint' — and manufacturers freely mix the two scales, plus a third 'saturation' figure taken at 95°F/90% RH. A high score means the pint number on the box matches the DOE Appendix X1 figure the manufacturer filed with ENERGY STAR. A low score means the marketing number is measured somewhere the buyer's house never is.. On Cold-Room Performance, the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) leads (9.0 vs 6.5/10) — what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category. On Running Cost, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads (6.5 vs 4.0/10) — the kWh/yr on the ENERGY STAR certification and what it costs at the meter. On a machine that runs most of the year this dominates total ownership cost — often a third of the purchase price annually. Overall, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 7.5/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.1/10 for the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier | AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1507.00 | $1147.11 |
| Release Year | 2021 | 2019 |
| Rated Capacity (and Which Standard) | 80 pints/day at 80°F/60% RH, 65 pints/day at 73°F/60% RH (AprilAire publishes both). The 73°F figure is the DOE Appendix X1 condition for whole-home units and matches AprilAire's ENERGY STAR filing exactly | AlorAir publishes both numbers, which is more than most: "198 PPD at Saturation, 90 Pints (AHAM)". The AHAM figure is at 80°F/60% RH — the pre-2019 portable condition — so a "90 pint" AlorAir is NOT twice a "50 pint" Frigidaire; the two are measured 15°F apart |
| ENERGY STAR / DOE Verified Capacity ( pints/day) | 65.00 pints/day per Appendix X1, Integrated Energy Factor 2.35 L/kWh, 632 kWh/yr, R32 with a 9.7 oz charge, case volume 3.3 ft³ — AprilAire's own ENERGY STAR filing, certified 23 September 2025 and flagged as meeting Most Efficient criteria. Note that whole-home units are tested at 73°F/60% RH while portables are tested at 65°F/60% RH, so a 65-pint whole-home figure is still not directly comparable to a 50-pint portable figure | None. The Sentinel HDi90 does not appear in the ENERGY STAR Certified Dehumidifiers database — AlorAir's only certified models there are the Helios D35, Sentinel HD55S and Sentinel Pro35X. This matters because amgair.com's listing for the HDi90 states "Energy Star listed", which the database does not support |
| Technology & Refrigerant | Compressor (refrigerant), R32, 4.8 amps at 120V, 185 CFM at 0.0 in external static pressure, energy factor quoted by AprilAire as 2.8 L/kWh at 80°F/60% RH | Compressor (refrigerant), R32, 5.56 A at 115V, 210 CFM / 350 CMH, COP quoted by AlorAir as 2.69 L/kWh |
| Low-Temperature Operation & Defrost | 50°F to 104°F for dehumidification. Same floor as the E070 — good for a conditioned basement, not for a 40°F crawlspace | 33.8°F to 104°F with automatic hot-gas defrost — the widest usable range of any compressor unit here and the entire reason it costs four times a portable. In a 45-55°F crawlspace this is the compressor unit that keeps working |
| Claimed Coverage | 4,400 sq ft (AprilAire dealer spec sheet). Note the E070 below it is variously published at 2,200, 2,800 and 4,400 sq ft, so the coverage figures for the two models overlap in the sources | 2,600 sq ft (AlorAir and Amazon); amgair.com expresses the same machine as "up to 15,000 cubic feet" |
| Tank Capacity & Refill Interval | None — plumbed appliance, no water tray | None — there is no bucket. It is pump-drained only, by design. That removes the emptying problem entirely and creates a hard dependency on the pump |
| Continuous Drainage (Hose, Gravity, Pump Lift) | Gravity drain, no built-in pump. Duct kits, a remote controller and a hang kit are all separate accessories, not in the box | Heavy-duty built-in condensate pump with drain hose. AlorAir publishes no lift height for the HDi90's pump. Pump-only means a pump failure stops the machine, unlike a bucket unit |
| ENERGY STAR Status | Yes, certified, IEF 2.35 L/kWh, 632 kWh/yr, and it is on the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient list — the only product in this comparison for which that claim is verifiable | NOT certified — the HDi90 is absent from the ENERGY STAR database despite a retailer listing describing it as Energy Star listed |
| Annual Running Cost | About $107/yr (632 kWh x $0.17/kWh) on the DOE usage assumption. Higher in absolute terms than a portable because it is a bigger machine — but per pint removed it is the most efficient unit here at IEF 2.35 against 2.01 for the mainstream portables | Not published as an annual figure. At 5.56 A / 115V (about 639W) running the long hours a crawlspace unit runs, this is a several-hundred-kWh-per-year machine; AlorAir's 2.69 L/kWh COP is respectable but there is no ENERGY STAR kWh/yr number to check it against |
| Noise | Not published by AprilAire for the E080. The E070 on the same chassis family is quoted at 53 dBA ducted | <58 dBA (AlorAir). Loudest here, which is acceptable under a floor and not in a bedroom |
| Warranty (incl. Sealed System) | 5 years on parts and the sealed system | Sources conflict on length: AlorAir's own page and the Amazon listing say "6-Year Limited Warranty - First 2 Years Full Coverage"; a reseller listing for the same ASIN says 5 years. Either way it is the longest cover in this comparison and it does include the sealed system |
| Recall History | No CPSC recall found for AprilAire dehumidifiers | No CPSC recall found for AlorAir |
| Warranty | 60 months | 72 months |
| Colors | White | Blue |
Category Scores
Capacity-Claim Honesty
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 9.5 against 7.0 — a 2.5-point margin on this category's trap dimension. Since the DOE changed the test condition from 80°F/60% RH to 65°F/60% RH in 2019, the same machine that was a '70 pint' is now a '50 pint' — and manufacturers freely mix the two scales, plus a third 'saturation' figure taken at 95°F/90% RH. A high score means the pint number on the box matches the DOE Appendix X1 figure the manufacturer filed with ENERGY STAR. A low score means the marketing number is measured somewhere the buyer's house never is.. If that is what you are buying for, the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Moisture Removal
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier and AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) are level here, at 9.0/10 each. actual water pulled out of the air per day at a condition a home experiences, judged against the DOE-verified figure rather than the coverage claim on the box is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Cold-Room Performance
The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 6.5 — a 2.5-point margin on what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category. If that is what you are buying for, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Drainage & Tank Practicality
The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.0 — a 1.5-point margin on tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts. If that is what you are buying for, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 6.5 against 4.0 — a 2.5-point margin on the kWh/yr on the ENERGY STAR certification and what it costs at the meter. On a machine that runs most of the year this dominates total ownership cost — often a third of the purchase price annually. If that is what you are buying for, the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 6.0 against 3.5 — a 2.5-point margin on measured dB where published, weighted by where the machine actually lives — a 58 dBA crawlspace unit under a floor is fine, a 54 dB cube next to a desk is not. If that is what you are buying for, the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Warranty
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier leads clearly here, 9.5 against 9.0 — a 0.5-point margin on coil and cabinet construction, filter grade, and above all the warranty on the sealed system — the compressor is the part that fails and the part most portables cover for only twelve months. If that is what you are buying for, the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value for Money
The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) leads clearly here, 6.5 against 6.0 — a 0.5-point margin on purchase price plus multi-year electricity against verified pints removed and how long the warranty protects the compressor. If that is what you are buying for, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier if…
- • Capacity-Claim Honesty matters most to you — the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 9.5/10 here (this category's trap dimension. Since the DOE changed the test condition from 80°F/60% RH to 65°F/60% RH in 2019, the same machine that was a '70 pint' is now a '50 pint' — and manufacturers freely mix the two scales, plus a third 'saturation' figure taken at 95°F/90% RH. A high score means the pint number on the box matches the DOE Appendix X1 figure the manufacturer filed with ENERGY STAR. A low score means the marketing number is measured somewhere the buyer's house never is.).
- • Running Cost matters most to you — the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 6.5/10 here (the kWh/yr on the ENERGY STAR certification and what it costs at the meter. On a machine that runs most of the year this dominates total ownership cost — often a third of the purchase price annually).
- • Quietness matters most to you — the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores 6.0/10 here (measured dB where published, weighted by where the machine actually lives — a 58 dBA crawlspace unit under a floor is fine, a 54 dB cube next to a desk is not).
Choose the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) if…
- • Cold-Room Performance matters most to you — the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) scores 9.0/10 here (what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category).
- • Drainage & Tank Practicality matters most to you — the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) scores 8.5/10 here (tank volume measured against daily output, whether a hose is in the box, whether gravity drainage needs the unit propped up, and whether there is a real pump and how high it lifts).
- • You want to spend less — it's $359.90 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is cold-spaces.
Pros & Cons
AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier
Pros
- +The only product in this comparison whose ENERGY STAR Most Efficient claim is actually in the ENERGY STAR database
- +IEF 2.35 L/kWh against 2.01 for the mainstream 50-pint portables — meaningfully cheaper per pint removed
- +AprilAire's published 65 ppd at 73°F matches its DOE Appendix X1 filing to two decimal places; nothing is being hidden
- +5-year parts and sealed-system warranty, MERV 8 filtration, US-built
Cons
- −$1,507 before the duct kit, hang kit and remote controller, none of which are in the box
- −Gravity drain only — no pump, same as the E070
- −50°F dehumidification floor: for a genuinely cold crawlspace the AlorAir HDi90 or a desiccant is the right machine
- −AprilAire publishes no dB figure for the E080 at all
- −Sold through multiple concurrent Amazon listings (bundle, pro, DIY kit) at different prices for the same appliance
AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)
Pros
- +33.8°F minimum with hot-gas defrost — the only compressor unit here that genuinely earns a cold crawlspace
- +Publishes both saturation and AHAM capacity side by side instead of quoting only the flattering one
- +6-year limited warranty (first 2 years full) against 1 year from every portable here
- +No bucket to empty, ever, and it can be hung off the joists out of the mud
Cons
- −amgair.com's listing calls it "Energy Star listed"; it is not in the ENERGY STAR certified database — only three other AlorAir models are
- −"90 pints" is an AHAM 80°F figure and is not comparable to the 50-pint DOE figures of the portables it will be cross-shopped against
- −Pump-only drainage means no fallback if the pump fails
- −<58 dBA and no published annual energy figure, on a machine that runs nearly continuously
- −Warranty is published as both 5 and 6 years for the same ASIN, and the stock filter is only MERV-1
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier or AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Capacity-Claim Honesty, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier or the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Capacity-Claim Honesty (9.5/10 vs 7.0/10) — this category's trap dimension. Since the DOE changed the test condition from 80°F/60% RH to 65°F/60% RH in 2019, the same machine that was a '70 pint' is now a '50 pint' — and manufacturers freely mix the two scales, plus a third 'saturation' figure taken at 95°F/90% RH. A high score means the pint number on the box matches the DOE Appendix X1 figure the manufacturer filed with ENERGY STAR. A low score means the marketing number is measured somewhere the buyer's house never is..
Which is better for Cold-Room Performance, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier or the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) scores higher on Cold-Room Performance (9.0/10 vs 6.5/10) — what happens in a 50-55°F basement, garage or crawlspace. Compressor coils frost below roughly 65°F and auto-defrost buys back the coil at the cost of runtime; desiccant rotors and hot-gas-defrost units do not care. The single most common mis-buy in the category.
Which is better for Running Cost, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier or the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Running Cost (6.5/10 vs 4.0/10) — the kWh/yr on the ENERGY STAR certification and what it costs at the meter. On a machine that runs most of the year this dominates total ownership cost — often a third of the purchase price annually.
Which is better for Quietness, the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier or the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier scores higher on Quietness (6.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — measured dB where published, weighted by where the machine actually lives — a 58 dBA crawlspace unit under a floor is fine, a 54 dB cube next to a desk is not.
Is the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier worth the price difference over the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) is the cheaper option at $1,147.11 versus $1,507. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Capacity-Claim Honesty.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier is the better fit if you mainly care about crawl-space or basement. The AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) is the better fit for cold-spaces.
What's the warranty on the AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier vs the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump)?+
The AprilAire E080 80-Pint Whole-House Dehumidifier ships with a 60-month warranty; the AlorAir Sentinel HDi90 Crawl Space Dehumidifier (built-in pump) ships with a 72-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Honeywell TPFIT50PWK 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Drain Pump — $419.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.