Use a Basement Dehumidifier to Make Your Basement Comfortable

Using A Basement Dehumidifier

In theory, a decent dehumidifier can work hard enough for an average-sized house. But humidity levels can vary from room to room, and basements tend to be the most humid in the home. That’s why a basement dehumidifier is a good investment. In the summer, it keeps humidity levels low in homes with no air conditioning. In the winter, especially in unfinished or poorly insulated basements, it removes the moisture that accumulates as it evaporates into the air. If you dry clothes indoors during the winter, a dehumidifier also takes care of the water that evaporates into the air as your clothes dry.

Why dehumidify your basement?

Basements are partly below ground level, so they tend to be cooler than the rest of the house.  Cool air doesn’t hold as much water as warm air, so basements are usually damper than the upper floors.  Sometimes groundwater can also enter the basement, especially after heavy snow or rainfall.  This is what causes condensation on the windows in colder months, and what sometimes causes unpleasant odors in the basement even when the rest of the house is fine.

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Another reason to use a basement dehumidifier is to protect structures in the basement itself.  In a damp or wet room, pretty much any material can be damaged by moisture, even steel.  Some materials, such as ceramic and fabrics, can be a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and any number of allergens—which can then spread to other rooms as warm air rises from the basement to the upper floors.

Because the condensation process gives off heat, a dehumidifier in the basement can also act as a secondary heat source. This works especially well in spring and fall.  High-efficiency models generate less heat for the same amount of work, so opt for them if you want to be able to control temperatures as well.

What kind of dehumidifier do you need?

If you’re using a whole house dehumidifier, most experts recommend putting them in the basement. However, since basements tend to be isolated and have higher humidity levels, you may need a dedicated basement dehumidifier.  For this purpose, a portable unit is more ideal.  Portable dehumidifiers are small, usually knee-high, and have light plastic exteriors.  They can be moved from room to room, so you can just pack them up when humidity is down to the recommended 50 or 60 percent.

Some dehumidifiers are designed specifically for basements.  The main difference is that they can operate at much lower temperatures (below 65°F), something a less powerful unit cannot do.  If you live in a cold area or if your basement is large—or both—this might be a good choice.  These units usually come in 50-pint and 70-pint capacities; if you’re not sure, go for the larger model.

Can dehumidifiers correct moisture problems?

Dehumidifiers only take care of the immediate effects of indoor moisture.  If your basement floor and walls are constantly damp, you may have a bigger problem at hand.  Installing more energy-efficient windows or checking your basement and crawl space for leaks may offer a more long-term solution.  But in terms of everyday comfort, a basement dehumidifier is certainly a step in the right direction.

When Buying a Dehumidifier – Weigh the Benefits

Buying a Dehumidifier

You may ask “what does a dehumidifier do?” Well simply put, it prevents damage to the infrastructure of your home, changes and protects indoor air quality, lowers the humidity in whatever room you have the dehumidifier, and will reduce allergens.

When excess moisture gets into the indoor air it causes mold, mildew, poor air quality and over a period of time can aggravate any allergies you or your family may have. To reduce mold formation in basements, bathrooms and kitchens you have to reduce the high humidity levels that are in these places.

Buying a Dehumidifier – Get Good Quality

A home dehumidifier keeps the air dry and will help control mold and mildew from forming, plus, it will prevent damage to the supporting structures of your home. A good unit can reduce the humidity level of an area by up to 50%. It is the humidity that makes people hot and sticky in Southern climates, and cold and damp in Northern climates.

When you buying a dehumidifier, do the research and get the right size dehumidifier for the space you are trying to control the humidity level in. You will also want to compare the different features. What is the energy star rating? Does it have an automatic shut-off valve, built-in heaters, and air purifiers? The whole idea is to keep your home or office dry, comfortable and free of mold.

Why You Need a Portable Dehumidifier

Reasons You Need a Portable Dehumidifier

One very valuable appliance that many homeowners can benefit from is a portable dehumidifier. There are many reasons to add one of these units to your home, but the primary one is to prevent the growth of mold, usually in lower level rooms that are prone to moisture that can seep in to the atmosphere from below grade walls that transmit the ground moisture.

The use of a portable dehumidifier is helpful not only for the way it can reduce the growth of mold and mildew, but also for the way it makes the air more comfortable in the room that has had the air moisture content reduced.

The units do their work by drawing the room air over very cold coils that cause condensation from the air to drip into a catch pan, the pan is emptied taking the room air’s moisture with it. The size of the room will help determine the size of the portable dehumidifier that is needed, but generally the number of pints that can be removed from the air in twenty four hours will be approximately twenty five to thirty pints for a room of four hundred square feet.

There are portable dehumidifier units that are designed to be used in rooms that are at sixty five degrees or less and that is important because the normal type of unit may freeze solid and be unable to cope in the rooms that are less than seventy degrees Fahrenheit. It is possible to get those units to work more effectively if the room is also heated as the air is being dehumidified, or if the raising of the unit up off the cooler floor is possible, that may increase the efficiency.

The one fact of most portable dehumidifier units is that they are very heavy. A single unit can weigh over fifty pounds and that is one reason they are usually on wheels with a handle or grip area to make it easier to move from place to place.

Many units can be found with a humidistat as part of the machine, allowing you to set the desired room humidity level and telling the machine to shut off when that level has been reached.

Make the air in your home more dry and reduce mold by the use of a portable dehumidifier and enjoy breathing easier.

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