FAQ

Your Questions About Dehumidifiers For Home Basement

Sandra asks…

Are my electronics safe in the basement?

I have moved into a new home and have decided to make my basement a home theatre. However, after running a dehumidifier in the basement for a day, I found it is quite wet down there. I have to remove and empty the dehumidifier probably every 18-24 hours as it fills up the 1 gallon trey in that time period.

I am wondering if I should reconsider putting my electronics down there as it may not be healthy for them. I have a projector, several speakers, receiver, and computer.

Just to clarify, there is no visible moisture anywhere. I am probably going to buy a second dehumidifier just to see if that yields the same result of need of refill after one day.

So do you think it is safe for my electronics down there as long as i keep one or two of these dehumidifiers running?
Thank you for the response detailing Dry Lock. This is a good solution… But, I am renting the house so I cannot modify the basement and wouldn’t really to since it will be wasted money. It rained today, and no leaks, so I think I am in the clear there. Any other ideas without modifying the basement?

admin answers:

Among other benefits, moderate, well-controlled levels of humidity can be an advantage, esp. When it comes to electronics. Electrostatic/triboelectric charge generation and accumulation can be minimized with the help of careful humidity control. The optimum RH range for sensitive electronics, such as the type found in most modern consumer electronic components, is between 50% and 60% RH.

For additional guidance read the specs in the datasheets or owner’s manuals for every piece of A/V equipment you own to learn what the maximum operating RH level is for your specific equipment. Whichever piece of equipment has the lowest maximum (non-condensing) operating RH level should establish the absolute maximum operating humidity level in your room and 40% to 50% should be the absolute lowest target RH operating level. (The Electrostatic Discharge Association through the ANSI/ESD S20.20 Electrostatic Discharge Control Program Standard specifies a Recommended Range for Humidity of 30% to 70% RH for sensitive electronics and electronic components.)

I also recommend that you purchase a good quality precision* hygrometer (aka moisture monitor) to monitor the moisture content of the air in your room. *(± 2% to no more than 3% over a range of 10% to 90% RH should be sufficient.)

You may also want to look into humidifier/dehumidifier models that do not require such frequent service and maintenance.

Carol asks…

We were never informed that the previous owner of our home constantly used a dehumidifier in the basement?

We purchase a 3 year old home that the real estate man called like new. Our problem is that the previous owners had a dehumidifier running all the time and we were not made aware of it from the previous owner or the real estate man.

We became aware of it a year after we purchased the home and we had a lot of rain which caused and the basement to have a mildew scent. There is also a sump but no pump in the basement and I don’t know if the previous owner took that or not. I am quite upset because now this beautiful basement which was a big selling feature has a mildew scent and I am not aware of what has to be done to it so the mildew goes away if in fact it will go away.

When I looked at this home the few times before we closed there was no mildew scent at all and the basement just smelled new and fresh. I never noticed the dehumidifier so possibly the husband took it out before we even looked at it.

Of course, we immediately got a dehumidifier when the basement started to smell like mildew. It is now a year later and the scent is still there. I am really upset at the real estate man and the previous owner for not sharing this information as I now have a mildew scented basement. If we were informed we would have immediately purchased a dehumidifier and would not have the problem with a mildew scented basement.

I feel we have been cheated out of doing things the correct way because information was not shared with us that was of vital importance. We are in the house about 1 year and 10 months now. . Can the previous owner or the real estate man be held responsible for the damage to our basement?

The real estate man represented both the seller and buyer but he certainly didn’t represent us as he made light of everything that was wrong with the house telling us that the seller would sue us and get to keep our down payment. There was so much not corrected in a like new house like a broken window, missing screen door, hole in wall, two doors looked like someone tried to break in and the plaster is missing on the two doors on one side, no hardware on the kitchen window, one shade missing in garage where window was broken, leaky shower, rain pipe off, broken banister outside, etc. The fence in the back yard is too high for my dog and he isn’t tiny but a large Cocker Spaniel.

If anyone has any advise for us, please let us know as any bit of information may be all we need.

Thank you so very much.

admin answers:

It’s up to you and your own due diligence to have a property inspected before purchase.

If anything is broken or amiss you have it fixed before you purchase the home. A good inspector will tell you if you need airflow in your basement. They will inspect your sump well. It’s up to you to ensure you have a working pump. All those items that you mentioned like a broken window should have been spotted by you or your inspector. The real estate agent is NOT responsible and neither is the previous owner.

I’m sorry to give you bad news but this is just the way it is. There are services that can deal with the mildew. You may not even need a dehumidifier but since you have one it should do the job. I have a vent and a simple fan that circulates air under the basement floor. The rest of the stuff is really cheap to fix and you should count your blessings that you didn’t get stuck with a house on a sinking foundation or bad roof.

Charles asks…

My basement is 40X22…whats a good sized dehumidifier for a basement that size?

I recently purchased my home with a finished basement…After a heavy rain and an abundance of melting snow, a pool of standing water was formed in a backroom area…I have a company coming to fix this problem, however in the meantime, I have a Danby dehumidifier that holds 30pints. Is this sufficient enough for the basement size that I have?

admin answers:

30 pints is not large enough. You need at least 40 pints, but 50 pints would be better. 50 pints is rated for up to 1000 sq. Ft., and you have 880 sq. Ft. Good Luck!

Maria asks…

Home remedies for moldy smell in basement laundry room.?

Hey we are renting an older house with rudimentary design flaws, but too busy (and, like I said we don’t own the house) to start at square one to fix it up.

There’s a moldy smell omnipresent. Dehumidifier helps only a little. In the summer, it’s fine to leave the window open, but the smell is still there. When winter comes (and we’re in Atlantic Canada so it comes soon and hard), an open window would be ridiculous.

So, home remedies ONLY, anyone have thoughts. I.E. an open box of baking soda or something?

Thanks

admin answers:

You got good answers from your first two. Myself, I attack it a little more directly. I take an old sponge mop and mix up some Lysol or bleach and soapy water (or laundry detergent) and mop the walls. Then I use some cheap can of antibacterial sanitizer (a spray can). Then I would put the baking soda out. The dehumidifier, cat litter, baking soda etc. Absorb odors, but don’t attack them.

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Your Questions About Dehumidifiers For Basements

John asks…

Can a dehumidifier be safely used in same room as computer without damaging the hard drive from magnetic field?

The dehumidifier works great at controlling the humidity in the basement but it and the computer are in a small room and was wondering if the dehumidifier generates electromagnetic fields that could potentially damage the hard drive. Whatever advice that could be provided would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help!

admin answers:

Nope, dehumidifier’s don’t have a electromagnetic field that would cause any damage to any of the computer’s components

Paul asks…

If we had 2″ of water in basement, do we need to replace drywall?

The water came in between midnight and 7:30 a.m. At 8:30 we had a restoration company come in and vacuum the water out and install blowers and dehumidifiers. The blowers have been running for 3 days now and the company is saying we need to rip the baseboards off and replace about a foot of our drywall. We only had 2″ of water. Are they telling us the truth?

admin answers:

Absolutely!! Don’t dare take a chance. Your health isn’t worth it and drywall will grow some nasty mold!!

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Your Questions About Dehumidifiers

James asks…

do delonghi dehumidifiers have automatic defrost,i’m getting water on the floor?

the water is supposed to collect in a tank that i empty

admin answers:

Dehumidifiers don’t freeze (if they’re working properly), so no, they don’t defrost.
Water condenses on the cold coils and runs into a hose or bin.

How is that water supposed to be removed from the machine? If it’s a hose, you have a clog or leak. If it’s a bin, you have a leak.

Even if it did freeze, when it thawed, the water should run into the bin.

EDIT: Possible problems
The bin is not placed correctly.
You have a leak in the bin.
The auto shutoff is not working when the bin fills up.
The water’s not running correctly into the bin. Is it out of level? Turn on the unit with the bin removed, depress the safety switch and wait until water starts dripping.

Chris asks…

for a long term storage room for guns, is 20 dehumidifiers going to make the air too dry for the guns?

and make them crack or warp
Glock Doctor, no. i am simply storing guns for at least 70 years. can you answer my question please?

admin answers:

The size/type dehumidifier you need is usually based on how large an area you want to keep dry. If you are talking about a simple gun safe/box, one or two of the small dehumidifiers should be plenty.

70 years?!!

You then need as air tight a box as you can possibly find. No dehumidifier will last that long. So, you dry out the air and seal the container. Let me rephrase. . ., get the airtight box. Put in guns. Put in dehumidifiers, seal the hell out of the box.

Be sure to tell your heirs where you buried the box. . .

Thomas asks…

do small dehumidifiers use a lot of energy?

I tried out a small dehumidifier last night while I was sleeping and I slept great. Now I want to know if it’s going to be costly to keep this level of sleep satisfaction I guess you call it?

admin answers:

Look at the label with the particulars of your dehumidifier. It is essentially the “guts” and principles in use a refrigerator or a freezer, or air conditioner for that matter, and it will put a measurable amount of energy on your billing statement.

That label information will tell you the power dissipation/consumption of the unit when it is in operation. A kill A Watt meter will give you an accumulated usage or cost for the period it is attached to the unit with a good degree of accuracy for estimating.

If a good nights’ sleep is worth it to you- run the dehumidifier, especially if you have allergies.

You can trim the amount of time the unit is on during the day by putting it on a timer and cycling it every 6 hours or so depending on the humidity level of the room. I have mine run on 12 hours cycles, where it works out to be 6 hours on, 6 hours off and I adjust it as needed. Some things to help keep the humidity out, weatherize windows and keep them closed and locked (this helps hold the seals in place) Put weather seals under the cover plates of all electrical outlets you can get at, and if you are below grade, or partially below grade, paint the walls with a product designed for application over concrete walls, cinder blocks, etc. I did this in a wet basement and it made a dramatic improvement in the space.

Most dehumidifiers are requiring periodic cleaning of the fins on the evaporator coil as well as the condensor coil. Especially if you have the unit ice up on you completely blocking the air flow. Unplug it when you do this as you are usually needing to open up the cabinet of the machine.

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Your Questions About Dehumidifiers

Robert asks…

Is Frigidaire dehumidifier a good model for the price? Old Kenmore wore out after 10+ years?

In our area, online web listing at Lowes dot-com lists it at $190 — is Frigidaire prone to trouble (only lists a one-year warranty) — should we get EXTENDED Protection plan ??

thanks so much for help/recommendations/ your own experience with brands and models !

admin answers:

Try to talk to a person who might sell and service it for you directly — corporations have a sense of what they want out on “the market” — verify for yourself that the product will have a satisfaction guaranteed stipulation — Good Luck and I hope you get a good dehumidifier by Christmas or New Year’s

Happy Holidays to you

Michael asks…

My basement is smelly.?

Until recently my 6 year old house held the litter for my deceased kitty. It still smells like poop and it also smells damp. Short of a dehumidifier, is there anything I can buy at Lowes to decrease the musty smell? I have an old trunk that smells bad too.

admin answers:

Charcoal absorbs orders, put some charcoal in your trunk, it should work for the other problem as well.

 

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