Waykar CHWA150A 150-pint ENERGY STAR dehumidifier review

The Waykar CHWA150A is the family’s fixed-vent, 150-pint configuration with a 2.38-gallon tank and gravity drainage. Its 150-pint/day headline is measured at 95°F/90% RH; the manual and EPA standard-condition figure is 49.67 pints per day. The higher figure can be useful in very warm, damp conditions, but this model has no documented lift pump. The key question is not just whether its capacity is large enough; it is whether the water can reach a lower drain without an uphill run.

This review is for the exact CHWA150A offer on Waykar’s product page, checked against the manual naming CHWA150A and its sibling configurations and the EPA record for CHWA150A. Waykar also presents a separate auto-swing option on the page; this assessment stays with the exact CHWA150A fixed-vent offer.

Waykar’s CHWA150A page links this white cabinet image, which shows the tank-level window, top outlet and wheels. No model plate is visible, and the image’s photo-versus-render status is not stated.

A high label rating still needs test conditions

The manual lists 49.67 pints per day at 65°F/60% RH, 75.4 at 80°F/60% RH, 116.8 at 86°F/80% RH and the 150-pint maximum at 95°F/90% RH. EPA’s exact record reports 49.67 pints/day, an IEF of 2.01 L/kWh, 504 kWh per year and ENERGY STAR certification. It does not identify this model as Most Efficient. The annual energy figure is a certification statistic, not an individualized bill estimate or a measured home result.

Waykar advertises coverage up to 7,000 square feet and lists 206 CFM airflow. Those are manufacturer specifications, not a guarantee that one portable device can condition separated rooms. Doorways, air circulation, outdoor humidity, air leakage and a continuing water source all affect the job. The manual also requires 18 inches of open space around and above the unit and limits operation to 41–95°F.

A bigger tank does not mean tankless drainage

The manual gives this model a 9-liter/2.38-gallon tank, larger than the 1.45-gallon tank on CHWA80A and CHWA120A. It remains a finite reservoir; if the collection rate is high, it still needs attention. The full-tank alert stops the compressor, so the unit will pause until the tank is emptied and reseated. A bucketless mode is not documented.

Waykar lists a 3.3-foot gravity drain hose. The manual requires a downhill path with the outlet at least 3.94 inches below the drain port, and warns that a kink or blockage can interrupt flow. The CHWA150A is not the pump configuration: the family manual limits its built-in pump instructions to CHWA150PA. If the drain route has to rise to a sink or go up and out a window, the CHWA150A cannot be assumed to handle it. Choose a documented pump model or verify a different arrangement with Waykar.

Size, movement and controls

The page lists dimensions as 10.83 × 14.57 × 23.82 inches and a weight of 41.8 pounds. Since it does not label the axes, those values help compare the listed envelope but should not be treated as confirmed width and height for a tight installation. Casters and a handle are helpful for moving it across a level floor; they do not make it a light stair carry. The 18-inch clearance instruction can make a closet-like location unsuitable even if the cabinet itself appears to fit.

Controls are conventional: the manual documents three fan speeds, a humidity target from 30–80% RH in 5-point increments, child lock, automatic defrost, a filter-clean reminder and a 24-hour timer. EPA lists the model as not connected-capable, so there is no verified Wi-Fi/app control in this assessment. The gallery contains 50 dB claims, but Waykar does not state the measurement method or distance; it is not a third-party noise result.

Choose it over the pump model only if the drain works

CHWA150A is the better fit within this pair when you want the 150-pint high-condition rating and a lower drain is already close. The CHWA150PA shares the same 49.67-pint standard rating, 2.38-gallon tank, listed size and weight, but adds the pump and a 16.4-foot pump hose. That hose length is not a published vertical lift, so a specific rise still needs confirmation. For a less severe load, the 120-pint CHWA120A has a lower standardized rating and a smaller tank. None of these square-foot claims should replace checking the space, drain route and actual moisture source.