Dehumidifiers: Need advice

https://hvactraining101.com/wh...umidifier-do-i-need/

have it drain into a drain or a sump pump so you don’t have to keep emptying the darn thing.

@superwarp1 posted:

...have it drain into a drain or a sump pump so you don’t have to keep emptying the darn thing.

Yes, that gets old really fast.

The 70 pint units seem to be where the price points are concentrated.  Most newer dehumidifiers also have condensate pumps built-in to give even more flexibility in locating them. Our is mounted over the washers & dryer in the laundry, and gravity drains directly into a tub drain(if it doesn't empty close to a drain trap, the moisture will get stuck in a loop and your unit will be trying to take up the water it just sucked out of the air).

Gary & Rob offer good advice.

I owned a house in New Hampshire for 8 years that had a wet basement from hydrostatic pressure.  There was so much ground water around the house that it would eventually wick through the concrete and form puddles in the middle of the floor.  No leaks in the foundation.  It was about 1500 square feet.

I bought two Frigidaire FAD704DUD from Amazon for $200 each (just looked and they don't sell that model anymore).  I placed one next to the sump pump so it could drain.  I placed the other on the far corner of the basement with this condensate pump.  Then I ran the tubing from the condensate pump all the way to the same sump.  Worked great.  I kept that basement at 45% all year.

@MikeH posted:

Gary & Rob offer good advice.

I owned a house in New Hampshire for 8 years that had a wet basement from hydrostatic pressure.  There was so much ground water around the house that it would eventually wick through the concrete and form puddles in the middle of the floor.  No leaks in the foundation.  It was about 1500 square feet.

I bought two Frigidaire FAD704DUD from Amazon for $200 each (just looked and they don't sell that model anymore).  I placed one next to the sump pump so it could drain.  I placed the other on the far corner of the basement with this condensate pump.  Then I ran the tubing from the condensate pump all the way to the same sump.  Worked great.  I kept that basement at 45% all year.

That’s the same model I have in my train room....although I’m not in a basement, I am on a slab, I have vapor barriers both under the slab, and under the carpet padding, and the slab is sealed in urethane...but every once in a while, the Frigidaire does come on,....keeps that room at 45%....I keep a pice of raw unpainted steel on the floor, leaning against the wall, furthest away from the Frigidaire.....it’s my test medium...so far, no rust....and that’s been 5 years now....I believe John said he used raw steel wool as his medium....that’s another good idea.....

Pat

I have a Fridgidaire FFAP7033T1E0 that does a nice job in my 13 x 20 train room.  I also have a GE ADEL30LWQ1 in the utility side of my basement that is good as well.

Michael

Another tidbit of advice... dehumidifiers do not last as long as they used to, so I have been buying them at CostCo because of their return-at-any-time policy.  In the past year, I exchanged one for me and another for my m-i-l, and hers is on the blink again so I am going back this week.

I have this one which I got from Amazon and I couldn't be happier with it.  The link shows an updated model as I have the 70 pint version with pump.  It runs non-stop in my basement which is completely dry now.

Two companies manufacture dehumidifiers  in the United States, Santa Fe and Aprilaire.

My issue with the ones with the pumps is the pumps crap out long before the dehumidifier!  Usually, with a 1 year warranty, I can get a second dehumidifier to replace the one with the dead pump.  I just have to figure out where to store all the extras!

FWIW, I have a Fridigaire 70pt model that's been going strong for several years, normally the cheap ones have about a 2 year lifespan.

What’s the target humidity we’re looking  for ?

@ADCX Rob posted:

Another tidbit of advice... dehumidifiers do not last as long as they used to, so I have been buying them at CostCo because of their return-at-any-time policy.  In the past year, I exchanged one for me and another for my m-i-l, and hers is on the blink again so I am going back this week.

This. I get them from Home Depot with the service plan. I've never had one make it to the end of the warranty. They typically fail by freezing up and shutting down.

I have mine set for 40 or 45%. In the winter it doesnt run much. In the summer, it runs a lot even with the AC unit also sucking moisture out of the air as it runs.

My advice is to get a unit that fits your needs.  I have three of them.  A small portable that I sometimes use in the attic train room, a large one for the crawl space that I no longer use and a medium size that I currently use in the crawl space.  The large one is great at removing humidity fast, but it takes a lot of power…so much power that the cord gets hot.

I have two running here, I set them at 40%.  They run a lot in the warmer weather, but they're not running much now.

42%-- is the "magic number" piano technicians/craftsmen strive for although changes in the humidity is what causes a piano to go out of tune.  I believe this is an ideal level for trains as well although some people may feel it is too dry for their own comfort level.  If that is the case, 50-60% is ok but once you hit 70% you will definitely get rust and worse, mold.

For those using the, how much do the dehumidifiers affect your electric bill?  Is it significant? 

Wood flooring is supposed to be in a environment of 35% to 55% to stay in warranty.   That 42% figure above is great if you could maintain it.

Dehumidifiers are one of those products that need to be purchased with replacement in mind.

Dehumidifiers and Hollywood marriages have about the same life span.

I keep my room around 40% all the time, I see it up around 45% when it's really humid and it's working hard, but that's about as high as it gets.

@MartyE posted:

For those using the, how much do the dehumidifiers affect your electric bill?  Is it significant?

Going to depend on how big the area is and how humid it is, how much you are dropping it, very different if the room is 55% and you want to make it 45, then if it is 70 or 80%. It draws about the same power as a small room air conditioner in my experience, I would hazard a guess it is prob about 10 -15 bucks extra (I haven't actually tried to measure it). Likely you won't need it in the winter months, I usually need it from mid may to late october. Key thing is it is better IMO to have one with over capacity versus one near the calculated capacity for the room, it works a lot less hard, will draw more power.

An alternate thing if you are worried about  the power consumption, is to use a bathroom exhaust fan to vent air from the basement outside. This causes negative pressure in the basement, that draws air from the rest of the house that especially if air conditioned , will be drier. It does mean venting heated air out in winter, though likely you won't need that, and conditioned air in summer. You wire it to a 110 v humidistat to set the humidity level. This approach can cause problems if you have a hot water heater or furnace/boiler in the basement, potentially it could create enough of negative pressure to suck co back down on the unit, but to be honest with modern equipment I doubt it will. This is the basis for those so called "wave systems" they sell for like 800 or 900 bucks, but would cost you about 100 bucks in materials. Personally the dehumidifier is easier for me.

@MartyE posted:

For those using the, how much do the dehumidifiers affect your electric bill?  Is it significant?

My electric bill went up $30.00 when dehumidifier is used.  I have a Soleus 70 pint. It runs a lot even though the humidity is fine.

Another thing to consider is dehumidifiers put out heat, so depending on the climate where you live, it might make your room uncomfortably warm in the hotter seasons if you don't also have a source of ac.  I had to install a window ac unit in my train room to help with this issue.  The advantage is, that helps remove the humidity as well.   

I agree with MikeH, purchase a Frigidaire.  I have had this unit installed for 4+ years, works fine and is well designed.  Do NOT purchase a Hisense, they are cheaply made, cumbersome to use and have no visual indication of water in the bin.

Bruce

It is also important to have circulation under the layout.  I had stuff stored under part of my layout.  I learned the hard way this is a bad idea.  Some of the insulation on my wiring didn't like that.   The insulation instead of being smooth on the exterior was rough.  Turned out it was some kind of growth.  Removing the stuff stored and adding another dehumidifier fix the  problem.

I live in Maryland (hot, humid summers) and have a 1,500 SF basement.  When we first moved in the humidity down there was 80% and higher.  I can't remember the brand of humidifier I bought but while in a corner close to the sump pump it kept the whole basement at 50 percent humidity.  It lasted from 2006 to 2015, running nearly all the time in the summer.  It was a Consumer Reports magazine best buy.

We replaced it with another Consumer Reports recommended model, a Keystone KSTAD707A 70-pint model, that has been working well and keeping the basement again at 50% humidity.

For purchases like this, we find Consumer Reports a good place to start for finding good performing products, but always follow up with other sources for reliability.

@bruce benzie posted:

Do NOT purchase a Hisense, they are cheaply made, cumbersome to use and have no visual indication of water in the bin.

I have a dead Hi-Sense in the corner if anyone wants it.

I ran a Sears Kenmore for about 6 years before it gave up the ghost. Been running a hi-sense for about 7 months with no issues.

Of course, when I was house hunting 7 years ago, I looked closely at basements for signs of water and humidity issues, knowing my trains would eventually be stored and displayed there and trying to avoid big problems. I was fortunate to find a house where the basement is about as close to bone dry as you can get. In addition to good drainage and little hydrostatic pressure, I think the dryness is aided by the radon vent system that vents gas and humidity from under the foundation, gutters that don't overflow, and swales that route water away from my house and keep my yard from getting mushy after rainstorms. The dehumidifier doesn't have to work hard to keep it 35-40% humidity in the spring and summer.

Man, did I luck out!

I have a really old (Sears?), probably 35 years old. I haven't used it in the last 5 years, but it was still working back then. My neighbor bought a new model (brand?), maybe 5 years ago. The humidistat is useless. It has low medium and high settings. Even on the least sensitive setting, it runs all the time. They don't make them like they used to.

If possible, during the summer, use your central AC if you have one to help dehumify the area.  It is much more energy efficient, and as some have mentioned, it does not add heat to the area.

Also, during the winter, heat the space a little bit.  We are dealing with relative humidity. So the same amount of water moisture in the air will have a lower RH at a higher temperature.

Years ago I would only get a couple of years out of a dehumidifier.  I now have a 70 pint Soleus that has served me well for 7 years.  It is set at 35 percent humidity and I run it year-round, although I can turn it off at times during the winter months.  I have a ranch home full-size basement.   Check the charts for the proper size for the square footage you are dehumidifying.  I bought a back up Soleus just in case but purchased a 45 pint unit, as the chart said that is all I need.  An electrician trying to fix a dead dehumidifier years ago said that a Danby is also a good brand.

I've had two Danby dehumidifiers, neither lasted two years.  AAMOF, the only one that I've had longer has been the Fridigaire, it's into it's 3rd season and still working perfectly.