10 pints for 500 sq ft above-grade room — Slightly–Moderately damp
Modeled from DOE/ENERGY STAR guidance; see methodology.
Recommendation: 10 pints/day (22‑pint class)
- Space type: Above-grade Room
- Size: 500 sq ft
- Moisture condition: Slightly–Moderately damp
When to size up
If borderline or cooler than ~68°F, step up one class for margin.
Portable dehumidifiers are rated at 65°F under DOE 2019/2020. Cooler air reduces capacity; basements and crawls often benefit from moving up one class.
What 10 pints/day means for this above-grade room
- Old-label equivalent: about 15 pints on a pre-2019 (80°F AHAM) box. Ratings shrank when DOE moved testing to 65°F, so ignore old charts that list bigger numbers (why).
- Water removed at rated output: about 1.3 gallons a day. Most bucket units need emptying at least daily at that rate, so a drain hose or condensate pump is worth it if you will run it continuously.
- Capacity density: 20.0 pints per 1,000 sq ft, versus 12 pints/day for a basement and 12 pints/day for a crawl of the same size and dampness.
- If the space is larger: 1,000 sq ft at the same dampness needs 14 pints/day (22–35‑pint class).
- If it gets wetter: very damp conditions push this to 12 pints/day (22‑pint class).
Compare nearby sizes
- Same above-grade room, other sizes: 1,000 sq ft (14 pints/day) · 1,500 sq ft (18 pints/day) · 2,000 sq ft (22 pints/day)
- Same size, other dampness: Very damp (12 pints/day) · Wet (14 pints/day)
- Same size and dampness, other spaces: Basement (12 pints/day) · Crawl (12 pints/day)
- Pick interactively: pint capacity picker
FAQ
What size dehumidifier for a 500 sq ft above-grade room that is slightly–moderately damp?
About 10 pints/day under current DOE (65°F) ratings, which puts you in the 22-pint class. On older pre-2019 labels that is roughly 15 pints.
How much water will it pull out each day?
At rated output about 1.3 gallons (10 pints) per day; real output is lower once humidity drops toward your setpoint.