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Basement Dehumidifier Recommendations & Questions

11 years ago

I have a rather large unfinished basement and the dehumidifier that is down there now has become unbelievably loud. Therefore, I am looking for a replacement. Are there any brands that are generally recommended? I would prefer a model with a built in pump.

Also, what is generally the recommended humidity to keep in the basement? Thanks.

Comments (3)

worthy
11 years ago
There are some threads at GW on dehumidifier brands. A central dehumidifier would be quietest, as it's part of the central HVAC system, which is usually in a separate room. However, the cost will be five-10 times that of a stand-alone unit. FWIW, I've always used basic stand-alone models from Woods.

The EPA says 30-50%RH; CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.) says below 60%; Woods recommends 50%RH.

This post was edited by worthy on Mon, Apr 15, 13 at 18:38
bus_driver
11 years ago
I have found 50% to be the best choice for me. Much lower means very long run times for the dehumidifier and of course much more cost for electricity. 60% is on the borderline of being too high. Some mildew can be expected at 60%.
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shelly look at the whole house dehumidiers on iaqsource.com. I recently purchased the Sante Fe whole house unit that handles up to 3300 square feet, Honeywell makes a good dehumidier too. Each vendor makes also make a smaller size unit. If you download the installation manual, it will show you the various ways to hook it up. After posting on the GW, I decided to use the standalone configuration which is quite easy to install. The unit can be installed in the unfisished portion of the basement (presumably in the utlilty room) with the intake and output flex ducts runing to/from the dehumidifier running to the finished portions of the basement. Put the intake on one side of the basement and the output on the other side to get good air circulation. Put a vented door for entry into the unfinished portion to allow air to flow through that room. The closed vented door will buffer the noise and allow air to pass through. You must have a vented door to that utility room if you have gas heat. As far as drainage for the dehumidifier, it is best if you have a drain nearby that runs into your sump pump since these units do pull a lot of water out of the air. But if that is a problem, they make small pumps designed for HVAC applications that allow you to take the output of an AC or dehumidifier unit and pump the water to a drain location. Good luck.
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how big is your basement? Is it finished? We have an almost 800 sq ft basement in the process of being finished. We use a 40 pinter as well. My humidistat readu around 50% in the summer---it gets the job done. We are on only our secong Kenmore model in the last 20 years.
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You need a dehumidifier with at least 9 liters a day capacity. Sealing the soil-only portion of the floor will also do a great lot to reduce water vapout in the basement. Here is a link that might be useful: Choosing a Dehumidifier
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I attached hose to mine (there is usually connection for hose on a dehumidifier) and ran it through wall (drilled hole) from finished to unfinished side and then to drain. Do you have option to do same?
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User
10 years ago
I've begun researching dehumidifiers and did a search for the Woods models, a couple of which are currently being sold via Amazon (I'm in the USA, btw).

However, I also found this link which states that the manufacturer is now out of business, following a recall of about 2500 of their smaller size units:

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2003/CPSC-WC-Wood-Company-Announce-Recall-of-Dehumidifiers-/

Any suggestions for a currently available comparable product?

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