Using A Dehumidifier to Keep Your Basement Dry
Using A Dehumidifier to Keep Your Basement Dry
With all the moisture we've had this spring, your basement may be damp – or even moldy. You may be in need of a dehumidifier to dry out the air in your home.
How do you tell if you need a dehumidifier in your basement? Here are a few clues from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
- Wet stains on walls and ceilings;
- Stuffy feeling in the room
- Rotting wood
- Condensation on windows
- Musty smells
- Allergies (because too much moisture can encourage the growth of bacteria and mold)
- Rusting metals
- And from the personal experience of this editor who has a home office in the basement, if your box of envelopes self-seals and paper gets jammed in your computer printer, you need a dehumidifier!
However, the EPA cautions that before investing in another appliance, it's a good idea to attempt to reduce moisture in other ways first:
- Improve the drainage around your home. Keep your gutters and downspouts clear, open, and extended away from the foundation of your home
- Make sure your clothes dryer is properly vented to the outdoors
- Use the vent fans in your bathroom and kitchen to remove humidity at the source (and/or open windows in those rooms)
- Repair leaking outdoor faucets so they don't drip along the foundation
- If you use central air conditioning, install an A/C vent in the basement to take advantage of the dehumidifying capabilities of your A/C system. This will also help with air circulation, improving airflow between humid parts of your home and drier areas.
If you decide to buy a dehumidifier, purchase one with the Energy Star label to get the most efficient operation. An Energy Star model will remove the same amount of moisture as a similarly-sized standard unit, but uses less energy: between 10 and 23 percent less! Depending on the size of the unit, that feature can save you about $70 on electricity over the 12 year expected life of the unit.
There are several things to consider when buying a dehumidifier:
1. Measure the area so you know what size to buy. Use the Energy Star calculator at www.energystar.gov to help determine the size you need.
2. Bigger is better, says the Good Housekeeping Institute. According to their research, if you oversize the unit, it will work quicker and more efficiently, and will save in energy costs in the long run.
3. Think about how you will empty it. Many come with a plastic bucket that has to be manually dumped when it's full. If your space allows, consider getting an appliance with the potential to hook up a hose that you can run into a drain. That way, it can run nonstop, and saves you the hassle of emptying the bucket.