Waykar CTH120A Portable Dehumidifier review

The Waykar CTH120A’s 120-pint headline describes a hot, very humid test point, not the output to expect in every basement. Its current ENERGY STAR record lists 32.46 pints per day under Appendix X1; the Waykar family manual rounds the 65°F/60% RH result to 32 pints. That puts it above compact models, but below the 50-pint standardized class.

I checked the exact Waykar CTH120A U.S. page and offer, the Waykar CTH-A family user manual, and the current EPA ENERGY STAR record. The exact offer identifies SKU AZ-CTH120A. The manual covers CTH120A separately from the CTH80A, CTH150A and pump-equipped CTH150PA.

Waykar’s CTH120A page links this white CTH-family exterior view. It shows a tank window, top controls and casters, but does not establish the unit’s rated capacity or internal configuration.

Read the rating before comparing sizes

Waykar advertises up to 120 pints a day at 95°F and 90% relative humidity, conditions much hotter and wetter than many occupied rooms. At the manual’s 65°F/60% RH point, the unit is rated at 32 pints; its separate 80°F/60% and 86°F/80% figures are 48 and 72 pints. The EPA record gives 32.46 pints/day, a 2.01 L/kWh integrated energy factor and 343 kWh/year, and says Connected Capable: No. Its current record does not designate this exact model ENERGY STAR Most Efficient. These standardized figures are useful for comparison, not a promise of daily collection or a household utility bill.

The manufacturer also claims coverage up to 6,000 square feet and labels the unit 40 dB on its low setting. Those are marketing specifications, not independent measurements or a room-by-room sizing guarantee. Walls and closed doors restrict air exchange, and a large floor-area claim cannot substitute for measuring the damp space. If a 32-pint class is adequate, the CTH120A is a more honest comparison than treating “120 pint” as its everyday output. If you require at least 35 standardized pints, compare the CTH150A or CTH150PA; their family manual lists 50 pints at 65°F/60% RH.

Auto Comfort trades control for simplicity

The manual’s Auto mode selects a target from room temperature: 55% RH below 64°F, 50% from 64°F to 77°F, and 45% above 77°F. It fixes the fan at low and disables the up/down humidity adjustment until you leave Auto mode. That is convenient when you want a simple automatic routine, but it is not a precise way to insist on one humidity target in every season. In manual operation, the control offers three fan speeds and a 30–80% RH target range in five-point steps; selecting 30% invokes continuous operation rather than a promise that the room will reach 30%.

A one-time 1–24-hour timer can schedule a start or stop; it does not repeat daily. The manual describes power-off memory for prior settings, while timer settings must be reset after a power interruption. It also documents a full-tank alarm and automatic shutoff, auto defrost, and a three-minute compressor restart delay. The manual does not establish Wi-Fi or app control; the EPA connected-capable field is explicitly No, so reject it if connected control is essential.

Plan where the water goes

The removable tank holds 4.7 L/1.2 U.S. gallons according to the manual, a modest reservoir for a unit whose headline maximum is 120 pints per day. Full-tank protection prevents it from continuing to collect indefinitely, so plan to empty it or connect continuous drainage. Waykar includes a 3.3-foot gravity hose; the manual gives a 12.77 mm hose diameter and says the drain outlet must sit at least 3.94 inches below the port. It does not give a maximum gravity-hose run, so confirm the actual downhill route instead of assuming that an included hose reaches a distant drain.

There is no built-in pump on the CTH120A. A lower floor drain or sump inlet can work if the hose stays smoothly downhill; an outlet above the unit is a mismatch. The manual specifies 115 V/60 Hz, a 41–90°F operating range, R32 refrigerant, and a minimum 43-square-foot room for operation and storage. It warns that the refrigerant is flammable and that service belongs with trained personnel. Automatic defrost does not make this a fit for colder spaces below the stated range.

Who should consider it

Choose the CTH120A when the standardized 32.46-pint class suits your moisture load, you can use a tank or a nearby gravity drain, and Auto Comfort or a manually selected target covers your routine. Consider the smaller Waykar CTH30A when you need less capacity and an easier-to-place unit. Step up to the CTH150A for the higher 50-pint manual rating, or to the CTH150PA only if the documented pump route solves a real uphill-drain problem. Neither the 6,000-square-foot claim nor the 120-pint hot/wet maximum should be the sole reason to choose it.