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I'm contemplating whether or not I should buy a dehumidifier for my basement. It smells kind of mildewy down there where the washer and dryer and sink are located and some rain leaks in from the window above them. Do you recommend using a dehumidifier to control the moisture down there? If so, what size is recommended I use? Will it be useful even after I seal the window well where the water is coming in?
I have a Frigidaire de-humidifier and it made a noticeable difference for me. My basement wasn't as bad as your's so I think you could see a marked improvement with on.
Anyways you can get me some temperatures and relative humidity in the basement? I should be able to tell you how big of a humidifier you'll want to get to keep it dry. The more data the better, meaning extended periods of time both day and night.
NOTE: All dehumidifiers are NOT the same. I learned this the hard way - after replacing 2 other dehumidifiers I checked it out.
You should get a dehumidifier specifically designed for basement/below grade use. They can run at lower temperatures than what you would use above grade. They are also able to pull out more water per hour.
I recently got a Frigidaire 65-qt for my basement, because it had the best ratings. On the side box panel it shows what size dehumidifier to use on each level of your home. You can control the speed, AND it has a humidistat so you can see what the current humidity actually is and set where you want it to be.
Another thing to know is that if you have a finished/partially finished basement, put the dehumidifier on the finished side (many times where you smell the dampness) rather than the unfinished side.
So glad I found this thread. I'm making my basement a living space. My basement is built with the back wall into the ground but the ceiling and other three walls exposed to the outside. There is a door and window as well.
I have a Haier room air conditioner I purchased from Walmart that goes into a window (you can put it thru the wall, too). It has a dehumidifier button, too. I have two units in the house upstairs (one for the kitchen and one for the living room)
Would something like this work in a basement to do double duty for an a/c and dehumidifier? And the best part is I wouldn't have to worry about drains and stuff because it would empty right out the back.
Yes, a dehumidifier in MN in an older house is almost a must. They can only operate at certain temps, above 65° or so. Get one that you can attach a hose and run that hose to the floor drain (we have our zip tied to the cover) so you don't have to worry about emptying the pan. They will have the size listings on the box, you want one that will cover the square footage in your basement. They don't last very long, a few years, so plan on replacing it every so often. You will be amazed at how quickly they work-less then a day.
Get someone strong to help you move it into the basement. Some of them can be pretty heavy for going up and down stairs. You need to measure the square footage of your basement. Get the model that's right for your size room. Get one that you can digitally set the humidity level you want it to maintain. Some models have a dial with no humidity percentage label at all. At that point it's a guessing game. Once it lowers the humidity to setpoint it'll only come on to maintain that setpoint. Agree with the hose connection. The bucket can be a pain since when it is full it shuts the unit off. If possible, reuse the water from the unit for household plants.
We have a 70-pt Frigidaire dehumidifer in our basement, which is half finished. You can run most dehumidifiers to a drain, sink, bathtub, or even a sump-pump. I'm just emptying the bucket every day now, but plan on fixing the slight dampness problem by adding air vents/cold air return to the unfinished parts that are currently not receiving enough ventilation.
A dehumidifier is expensive to run, and can be very annoying. It is typically a patch for a moisture/dampness problem, and not a fix. The real problem is usually not sufficient waterproofing of your basement, concrete walls/floors, proper grading of your lot outside the home, proper water run-off from your outside downspouts, and not proper ventilation and air circulation in your basement. For example, your air conditioning system acts as a huge dehumidifier for your home, and typically kicks out the water it draws from your house out through your sump-pump. Since your basement is below grade, it gets a substantial amount more humidity and thus more problems. If you have air vents down there, make sure you have them open. Make sure you also have at least one cold air return to exchange the air. If you have rooms without vents, add them if possible. Definitely fix any leaks from windows/walls, and then you won't have to run a dehumidifier 24/7 to help the problem.
A good first step would be to get a professional waterproofing company in there for a free estimate, to assess your situation and make recommendations as to what you should do to address the moisture.
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65-Quart Size Advised
