Types of Dehumidifiers
There are many types of dehumidifiers, but with regard to wet basements and crawl space issues, we can categorize them into 3 different groups:
The first group are standard dehumidifiers that you can buy at your local retail or home improvement store (as well as online of course). The generally cost between $100 and $400. There are a few problems with these types of units when looking to dehumidify a basement. These problems include the inability to take an equal amount of water out of the air as compared to that which is being evaporated into it, especially in the summer months. The machine simply cannot maintain a relative humidity low enough to prevent signs of water from appearing on the walls, floors, and other areas, and thus prevent basement mold growth. After running constantly, 24 hours a day as a result of not being able to keep up with the high moisture content, the coils can freeze, and the machine doesn’t work at all. Energy costs can also be very high if the machine has to run all the time.
The second group is machines that are classified as dehumidifiers, but are really nothing more than fans. At certain humidity levels, the fans turn on and take in air from the basement, and exhaust it to the exterior through a "dryer" type vent installed in the wall. When these machines are operational, they create negative air pressure in the basement. That means that as air is being blown out, new air must come back in to replace it. This new air has to be heated and cooled all over again. Would you turn on an exhaust fan in your kitchen window in the middle of summer after you ran your air conditioner? Also, the new air coming in to replace the exhausted air is the same moist, humid air that was just exhausted to the exterior. Bad air out—Bad air in? It would appear so.
The third group are high performance machines designed specifically for basements. These machines will dehumidify 2200 square feet—the entire basement! They are also guaranteed to keep the relative humidity below 50%—all the time—a level at which basement mold cannot grow. They are automatic—no buckets to empty, and come with an air purification system. Best of all, they are energy star rated so they do not use high amounts of electricity.
The most important difference between these machines and the first two groups are:
- They are powerful enough to do the job all year round
- They do not create negative air pressure by exhausting conditioned air out of the basement.
- They simply dry and clean the air, so that it does not have to be reconditioned again.
The Best Cellar Basement Systems Solution: The SaniDe Basement Air System
