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new dehumidifier for basement? N8N 04-10-2008
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Posted by N8N on April 10, 2008, 4:46 pm
Hi all,

got a fairly old (1940's) house with a basement that tends to get
humid in the summertime - no visible water intrusion, it just gets
damp. I assume because it stays nice and cool down there and the hot
air from outside has a lot of water in it that just can't stay when
the air cools off. I have an old dehumidifier that came with the
house, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot - it runs a lot, but
the container never seems to get full. I suspect that this is wasting
a lot of electricity, plus it's loud. (the door is missing to the
laundry room, so if I'm trying to sit in the other room and watch TV I
have to turn the volume up when it kicks on.) I suspect I should just
buy a new one, any particular recommendations on brands? Quiet would
be my first concern, efficiency second. I may not need it at all once
it gets warm as we have central A/C installed (which we didn't last
year) but there are still a couple months where it is warm/humid that
I probably won't use the A/C.

thanks

nate

Posted by Joseph Meehan on April 10, 2008, 5:03 pm
I offer no answer, but just a few ideas. Air circulation with air from
the rest of the home or outside may be a good part of your solution. Newer
units are more efficient. Note: not all dehumidifiers are suitable for
basement use. I suspect that may be part of the problem you are having with
your current one. Take a look at it after it has been running a while. Do
you see frost build up on the coils? If so you likely have a unit that is
not suitable for basement use. Also the frost likely will make it noisier.
Make sure those coils are kept clean and there is good airflow to the unit.
If it is in the laundry room, it is not going to dehumidify the rest of the
basement as well as if it were more centrally located. You may need a new
location of fans to move the air around more.

> Hi all,
>
> got a fairly old (1940's) house with a basement that tends to get
> humid in the summertime - no visible water intrusion, it just gets
> damp. I assume because it stays nice and cool down there and the hot
> air from outside has a lot of water in it that just can't stay when
> the air cools off. I have an old dehumidifier that came with the
> house, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot - it runs a lot, but
> the container never seems to get full. I suspect that this is wasting
> a lot of electricity, plus it's loud. (the door is missing to the
> laundry room, so if I'm trying to sit in the other room and watch TV I
> have to turn the volume up when it kicks on.) I suspect I should just
> buy a new one, any particular recommendations on brands? Quiet would
> be my first concern, efficiency second. I may not need it at all once
> it gets warm as we have central A/C installed (which we didn't last
> year) but there are still a couple months where it is warm/humid that
> I probably won't use the A/C.
>
> thanks
>
> nate


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit




Posted by Nate Nagel on April 10, 2008, 6:32 pm
Actually my "laundry room" is in fact half the basement, and is
connected to the remainder of the basement by an open doorway. Even if
I were going to put a new door in, it would either be louvered or have a
vent panel in it because there is no cold air return from the other side
of the basement, and all the gas-fired appliances are in there. The
comments are appreciated, though.

I do think the A/C may help because it will be circulating the air,
which was not possible before (had a heat-only thermostat which wouldn't
allow the furnace fan to be controlled separately.) I may also try
simply running the fan by itself when it's warm but not hot upstairs.

How could one tell without running a dehumidifier whether it's suitable
for use in a basement or not?

nate

Joseph Meehan wrote:
> I offer no answer, but just a few ideas. Air circulation with air
> from the rest of the home or outside may be a good part of your
> solution. Newer units are more efficient. Note: not all dehumidifiers
> are suitable for basement use. I suspect that may be part of the
> problem you are having with your current one. Take a look at it after
> it has been running a while. Do you see frost build up on the coils?
> If so you likely have a unit that is not suitable for basement use.
> Also the frost likely will make it noisier. Make sure those coils are
> kept clean and there is good airflow to the unit. If it is in the
> laundry room, it is not going to dehumidify the rest of the basement as
> well as if it were more centrally located. You may need a new location
> of fans to move the air around more.
>
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> got a fairly old (1940's) house with a basement that tends to get
>> humid in the summertime - no visible water intrusion, it just gets
>> damp. I assume because it stays nice and cool down there and the hot
>> air from outside has a lot of water in it that just can't stay when
>> the air cools off. I have an old dehumidifier that came with the
>> house, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot - it runs a lot, but
>> the container never seems to get full. I suspect that this is wasting
>> a lot of electricity, plus it's loud. (the door is missing to the
>> laundry room, so if I'm trying to sit in the other room and watch TV I
>> have to turn the volume up when it kicks on.) I suspect I should just
>> buy a new one, any particular recommendations on brands? Quiet would
>> be my first concern, efficiency second. I may not need it at all once
>> it gets warm as we have central A/C installed (which we didn't last
>> year) but there are still a couple months where it is warm/humid that
>> I probably won't use the A/C.
>>
>> thanks
>>
>> nate
>
>
>


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Posted by ransley on April 10, 2008, 7:34 pm
> Actually my "laundry room" is in fact half the basement, and is
> connected to the remainder of the basement by an open doorway. =A0Even if
> I were going to put a new door in, it would either be louvered or have a
> vent panel in it because there is no cold air return from the other side
> of the basement, and all the gas-fired appliances are in there. =A0The
> comments are appreciated, though.
>
> I do think the A/C may help because it will be circulating the air,
> which was not possible before (had a heat-only thermostat which wouldn't
> allow the furnace fan to be controlled separately.) =A0I may also try
> simply running the fan by itself when it's warm but not hot upstairs.
>
> How could one tell without running a dehumidifier whether it's suitable
> for use in a basement or not?
>
> nate
>
>
>
>
>
> Joseph Meehan wrote:
> > =A0 =A0I offer no answer, but just a few ideas. =A0Air circulation with =
air
> > from the rest of the home or outside may be a good part of your
> > solution. =A0Newer units are more efficient. =A0Note: not all dehumidifi=
ers
> > are suitable for basement use. =A0I suspect that may be part of the
> > problem you are having with your current one. =A0Take a look at it after=

> > it has been running a while. =A0Do you see frost build up on the coils? =
=A0
> > If so you likely have a unit that is not suitable for basement use. =A0
> > Also the frost likely will make it noisier. Make sure those coils are
> > kept clean and there is good airflow to the unit. If it is in the
> > laundry room, it is not going to dehumidify the rest of the basement as
> > well as if it were more centrally located. =A0You may need a new locatio=
n
> > of fans to move the air around more.
>

>
> >> Hi all,
>
> >> got a fairly old (1940's) house with a basement that tends to get
> >> humid in the summertime - no visible water intrusion, it just gets
> >> damp. =A0I assume because it stays nice and cool down there and the hot=

> >> air from outside has a lot of water in it that just can't stay when
> >> the air cools off. =A0I have an old dehumidifier that came with the
> >> house, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot - it runs a lot, but
> >> the container never seems to get full. =A0I suspect that this is wastin=
g
> >> a lot of electricity, plus it's loud. =A0(the door is missing to the
> >> laundry room, so if I'm trying to sit in the other room and watch TV I
> >> have to turn the volume up when it kicks on.) =A0I suspect I should jus=
t
> >> buy a new one, any particular recommendations on brands? =A0Quiet would=

> >> be my first concern, efficiency second. =A0I may not need it at all onc=
e
> >> it gets warm as we have central A/C installed (which we didn't last
> >> year) but there are still a couple months where it is warm/humid that
> >> I probably won't use the A/C.
>
> >> thanks
>
> >> nate
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel- Hid=
e quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Just get a low temp dehumidifier, then it wont freeze and you have no
worry. But the sears low temp unit was their largest, it might be
oversized for you.

Posted by ransley on April 10, 2008, 5:23 pm
> Hi all,
>
> got a fairly old (1940's) house with a basement that tends to get
> humid in the summertime - no visible water intrusion, it just gets
> damp. =A0I assume because it stays nice and cool down there and the hot
> air from outside has a lot of water in it that just can't stay when
> the air cools off. =A0I have an old dehumidifier that came with the
> house, but I don't think it's doing a whole lot - it runs a lot, but
> the container never seems to get full. =A0I suspect that this is wasting
> a lot of electricity, plus it's loud. =A0(the door is missing to the
> laundry room, so if I'm trying to sit in the other room and watch TV I
> have to turn the volume up when it kicks on.) =A0I suspect I should just
> buy a new one, any particular recommendations on brands? =A0Quiet would
> be my first concern, efficiency second. =A0I may not need it at all once
> it gets warm as we have central A/C installed (which we didn't last
> year) but there are still a couple months where it is warm/humid that
> I probably won't use the A/C.
>
> thanks
>
> nate

A new unit will be alot more efficent, 50-75%, many models freeze up
below 65-68f air temp, check the basement temp before you buy one,
there are low temp models sold incase you are below 68f. You have to
hear the unit to see if its quiet, one year I bough a sears , it was
quiet, the following year I bought another sears, its design was
changed and its noisy. Also get one with a drain and run a hose to a
drain.

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