Basement Dehumidifiers

Southern Maryland received record rainfall in October of 2010 that caused flooding and ruined the basements of some homeowners. These basements are used to store extra or old stuff such as old couch, glass wear, lawn furniture, holiday decorations, and old baby stuff. It’s a big headache to some homeowners on how to fix a wet basement right after the flood.

Importance of fixing a flooded basement

The American Lung Association states that 50% of all illnesses are a result of poor indoor air quality and that indoor air quality is rated as one of the three top health concerns of the nation. If you don’t clean a flooded basement, it can cause severe impact in the quality of air we breathe.

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Buying the right dehumidifier for basement humidity can lessen up your time dealing with basement dampness. As long you know the right humidifier features that suit your needs. Dampness in the basement and the moldy smell is compounded by stuff that gets damaged while being stored in humid environment. What is it you really need to know before looking for basement dehumidifiers for your basement?

Basement dampness is a usual problem for most homeowners. Humidity in the basements can make your metal appliances rusty and it could even affect electronic circuits of your appliances stored in the basement. By using basement dehumidifiers you can basically solve your dampness problem.  Here are some things you need to know before buying a dehumidifier for basement humidity.

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During the warmer seasons, we often experience this warm, sweaty feeling that makes us want to stay in the bathroom and take a bath or go to beaches and swim the entire day. This is what is called humidity, which is responsible for that muggy, steam room feeling you experience during those hot summer days.

Humans are very sensitive to humidity, as the skin relies on the air to get rid of moisture. The process of sweating is your body’s attempt to keep cool and maintain its current temperature. If the air is at 100-percent relative humidity, sweat will not evaporate into the air. As a result, we feel much hotter than the actual temperature when the relative humidity is high. If the relative humidity is low, we can feel much cooler than the actual temperature because our sweat evaporates easily, cooling us off.

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Most basements tend to be cold rooms, which causes water condensation. The water is damaging to materials stored in your basement which leads to the growth of mildew and mold. Making sure your basement dry is very important and if you are planning on using a basement dehumidifier, there are a few things you should keep in mind to maximize your basement dehumidifier’s use.

So how do we maximize your basement dehumidifier system’s use? Based on how a basement dehumidifier works, here are a few key points to keep in mind:

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The only good news about basement mold is that your pest control bills should be practically non-existent!  Mold is harmful to mice, roaches and spiders that want to make a home in your basement.

The bad news is that mold is also harmful to you and your family! It is the main cause of indoor allergies.

A Musty Odor Is Usually the First Indication…

You may have noticed a correlation between musty smell in the basement and headaches. Take an aspirin and follow this 6 step guide to kill the mold in your basement.

Step 1- Learn How To Spot Mold…

Mold growth will occur on any organic or porous material (paint, cardboard, newspapers, wood, textiles, and carpet) that is exposed to moisture. Mold can even grow in fiberglass insulation. Before you can destroy mold you need to know what mold and mildew looks like and what they thrive on. Typically, basement mold and mildew occurs as black, white, or bluish spots; the spots may be fuzzy or raised.

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Is there a hotter topic in the United States right now that energy prices? Wouldn’t it be great to have the most energy efficient dehumidifiers available? There is a program out there called Energy Star that can help. Energy Star is a partnership program between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Their joint mission is cost savings and environmental protection through energy efficient products and practices. Energy Star was introduced in 1992 by the EPA in an attempt to reduce greenhouses gases by using a volunteer labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient products. You will find the Energy Star label on home appliances such as basement dehumidifiers, electronic devices and lighting among others.

Energy Star provides over 50 product categories covering thousands of models. Products sporting the Energy Star label typically provide 10% to 20% more energy efficiency than non-rated models. The Energy Star program has been adopted by the European Union, New Zealand and Australia to become the international symbol for energy efficiency.

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Preventing expensive moisture damage in your basement requires good moisture detection skills. There are certain signs to look for that can help you to create and maintain a dry basement. Basements are highly susceptible to water damage and moisture problems. In fact, moisture from wet soil penetrating basement walls and floors can create up to 100 pints of water in the basement per day! Although humidity is one of the biggest elements of basement moisture issues, there are many other factors that can lead to moisture damage in your basement. Proper excessive moisture detection techniques include: • Check for cracked hoses or pipes on washing machines and water heaters • Improper grading that drains water towards the house • Plugged up gutters and drainspouts • Cracks in walls and floors that may allow water seepage, especially if there is poor soil drainage • Vent clothes dryers outside and make sure ducting fits tightly • Use a ventilation fan if there is a shower in the basement • Keep basement relative humidity level below 50% To check the relative humidity in the basement use a humidistat. This inexpensive instrument will give an accurate reading of humidity levels in an area. An effective technique to detect moisture seepage around visible cracks in concrete is to seal a piece of aluminum foil to the surface with duct tape. Check the foil in 24-48 hours for condensation. In basements, condensation if often a major problem due to high basement humidity levels. In damp basements you will often notice water on windows and walls. In extreme humidity conditions the window actually acts as a dehumidifier, which can destroy the wood in the windowsill. If the humidity level rises above 65% it can cause metal objects to rust. This can cause expensive damage to electronic devices like televisions and stereos. In summer months with high humidity a basement should never be ventilated. When the warm, moist air from outside enters a cool basement it increases relative humidity. Air at a temperature of 75F and 65% relative humidity will have a relative humidity of around 90% when cooled to 65F in a basement. The easiest and least costly method to remove excessive internal moisture in a basement is with a basement dehumidifier. A robust unit like the Dri-Basement will remove all of the excess moisture in the air leaving you with a clean smelling, comfortable dry basement. In your basement, wet is not wild. It’s destructive. Proper steps fro a dry basement: • Prevent water entry • Control indoor moisture sources • Understand the principles of humidity • After drying out a basement, keep it dry with a Dri-Basement basement dehumidifier

You can smell it before you see it. It hits you half way down the stairs. Just about every one of us has gone into a basement with high humidity that had that foul, musty odor. We call it mildew and high humidity is its friend. Basements with high humidity are common, especially those without basement dehumidifiers. High humidity brings to mind words like muggy, damp, sweaty, dripping, clammy and soggy. There are primarily 3 types of humidity:Absolute humidity is equal to the mass of water vapor divided by the total volume of air, or water vapor density. Absolute humidity changes as the volume of an air parcel changes. Changes in the volume of an air parcel occur normally as air rises or sinks.Relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapor in the air to the amount required for saturation at a given temperature and pressure. A relative humidity of 100% means that an air parcel is completely saturated.Specific humidity is equal to the mass of water vapor in the air divided by the total mass of the air parcel (including water vapor). Since this is a unitless number, it is expressed as a percentage. Mildew is a generic term used to describe a thin growth that is produced on many surfaces by mold. Mold, mildew and fungus are all part of the same family tree. Mildew is commonly found in areas of the home with high humidity such as the basement, crawlspace, bathroom or attic. Mildew is ugly, smelly and unhealthy. Mildew and molds can trigger allergy symptoms in susceptible individuals. You can almost measure humidity in your basement by mildew growth. Getting the humidity out of your basement is the key to getting the mildew out. If you use a high performance basement dehumidifier you can dry the air and eliminate mildew and mold. Basements are tough places to reduce humidity so you need a powerful dehumidifier especially developed for humid basements. The Dri-Basement provides a robust 320 CFM fan to draw in that moist air and return dry air to your basement. Dri-Basement can remove up to 105 pints of water per day to keep the mildew away.

Did you know that excessive moisture in basements, including finished basements, is the top complaint of new homeowners? Learning how to measure humidity and control it by knowing the principles of psychrometrics can make your finished basement a dry, comfortable environment. Psychrometrics is a term used to describe the field of engineering concerned with the determination of thermodynamic and physical properties of gas-vapor mixtures. Whew! Simply put, psychrometrics is the study of moist air and the changes in its condition. The fundamentals of psychrometrics are usually associated with the mixture of the air and water vapor. Industries that employ psychrometrics include heating, air conditioning, dehumidification, ventilation and meteorology. You have probably heard your local weatherperson talk about the dew point. Dew point is the temperature at which air can no longer hold all of its water vapor, causing some of the water vapor to condense into liquid water. This is the "morning dew" that you find on your lawn in the morning. It is also the water you find on the windows of your finished basement. A psychrometric chart is something you may have heard of before. It is actually a graph that shows the physical properties of moist air at a constant pressure. Terms that are used in association with psychrometrics charts include: • Absolute humidity (AH) • Relative humidity (RH) • Wet-bulb temperature (WBT) • Enthalpy (H) • Specific volume (Spv) • Sensible heat (Qsen) • Latent heat (Qlat) The more you know about humidity and its causes, the better you can defend against it. Even a nicely finished basement can have high humidity causing condensation on water pipes and windows. In summer months, basement humidity may go unnoticed because the basement is much cooler than the rest of the house. This cool air holds more moisture than warm air and as you’ve learned, when the air can no longer hold all of that water vapor, it will condense into liquid water. And end up in your basement.Basement dehumidifiers can go a long way in solves humidity problems in finished basements. Help the dehumidifier out by venting clothes dryers outside with tightly sealed ducts and install a ventilation fan if you have a bathroom shower in your basement. A basement dehumidifier will remove that excess moisture from your finished basement so that you can fully enjoy your extra living space.

Ridding your basement of excess moisture can help prevent the development and spread of mold. A dry basement will also decrease the survival rate of dust mites and termites. Using a basement dehumidifier with a built-in humidistat will alert you to high humidity levels in your basement. Maintaining an appropriate level of humidity in your basement is as important to your health as it is your home. Mildew and mold can affect allergy symptoms and condensation can cause wood rot damage. Using a basement dehumidifier can reduce the heavy moisture loads that can develop in basements. Using a dehumidifier with a humidistat will give you an accurate reading of the percentage of humidity in your basement and helps the dehumidifier conserve energy. A humidistat is an instrument that monitors the humidity in a room and turns off the basement dehumidifier once the desired level is reached. This keeps the dehumidifier from running needlessly, saving precious energy dollars. If you have a dehumidifier in your basement without a humidistat, you can purchase one at most home improvement stores, but having a dehumidifier with a built-in humidistat is the best bet. You can test the effectiveness of a humidistat by using a volt-ohm meter. Simply set the meter to RX1 scale and attach the leads to the humidistat’s terminals. Then rotate the knob on the humidistat as far as it will turn in both directions. The humidistat is functioning properly if the volt-ohm meter registers zero ohms through only part of the humidistat’s dial range. If it registers zero through the entire range then the instrument is malfunctioning. You will find that high quality basement dehumidifiers come equipped with a built-in humidistat. The Dri-Basement dehumidifier offers exceptional energy efficiency by featuring a built-in humidistat and boasting an Energy Star rating. A basement dehumidifier with a built-in humidistat will ensure that your removing enough moisture to control indoor allergies and that your not wasting energy by running the dehumidifier constantly.