I need a great basement dehumidifier

[jake00]

Finished basement, about 1000 sf. It's always humid currently 67% and 62 degrees...

I've got an LG from home depo, but it doesn't do enough. Its also 10 years old

Does anyone have a recommendation for a large one that will work for me?

 

[PsRumors]

Santa Fe dehumidifiers. We have one in our garage and one in our crawl space and they are top notch. Keeps both at 50% humidity even with GA's humidity levels.

Likely all you will need - https://www.sylvane.com/santa-fe-advance90-dehumidifier.html

but a slightly larger one.

https://www.sylvane.com/santa-fe-advance120-dehumidifier.html

 

[Mike007]

I'm in the market for a dehumidifier also. Anyone have any experience with Aprilaire? Ive used there HVAC products for years. But have no experience with there dehumidifiers. They are made in USA If nothing else.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITE09ZA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Notgrownup]

I'm in the market for a dehumidifier also. Anyone have any experience with Aprilaire? Ive used there HVAC products for years. But have no experience with there dehumidifiers. They are made in USA If nothing else.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITE09ZA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have a Aprilaire in my crawl space....no complaints.. been running for a year now...I have it hard plumbedto draining my septic system .

 

[PsRumors]

I have a Aprilaire in my crawl space....no complaints.. been running for a year now...I have it hard plumbedto draining my septic system .

Looks like you still have a lot of dampness

 

[PsRumors]

I'm in the market for a dehumidifier also. Anyone have any experience with Aprilaire? Ive used there HVAC products for years. But have no experience with there dehumidifiers. They are made in USA If nothing else.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITE09ZA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

After extensive research and speaking with the manufacturers we went with Santa Fe. Call them, talk to them both, see which one puts you more at comfort...see which one lets you speak with the engineers who will answer all of your questions and understand the product

 

[Showkey]

The 10 year old LG is dead.

1000 sqft in IL any decent big box store dehumidifier will do the trick.
Menards has several $120-$200 units witha 3-5 year warranty.

yes........$1000-$1700 Santa Fe will also do the trick.

 

[Notgrownup]

Looks like you still have a lot of dampness

Constant 55%, that picture was the day I installed it. Yes it was 75% then.

 

[Augus7us]

I just bought this one from Amazon. Not nearly as expensive as the ones posted above. I doubt it will last as long but its been running for two weeks and removes a ton of water in my basement. I was reading around 72% humidity before and now I'm reading around 40%, makes a big difference. Also piped it to my sump. So far so good!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073VBWKJZ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Notgrownup]

Make sure you don’t get the area too dry either. Theysay 55% to 65% is optimal.

 

[Showkey]

Make sure you don’t get the area too dry either. Theysay 55% to 65% is optimal.

Who’s they.........65% in basement in the Midwest is not optimal.....not even close. 65-70% will start that musty smell damp feel. 75% will start the mold and mildew on organic materials like paper, fabric, leather.


45-50% is the goal. It really not possible to get too dry in the summer. Going below 45% is waste of money.

 

[PsRumors]

Make sure you don’t get the area too dry either. Theysay 55% to 65% is optimal.

55% will still have the area smelling musty.... <50% is where you want to be.

 

[RoadBeater]

I have the Aprilaire 1830, works well. The first one died after a year, but they made good on the warranty and sent a replacement. It is quiet and works well. I hope this one works longer. I was hoping for better service than the box stores.

 

[PCustoms]

Looking at a few Aprilaire now.

Did you guys order from Amazon or a different source?

 

[Notgrownup]

The folks quoting me encapsulation space for ridiculous amounts of money...Maybe they didn’t have a clue.. Thanks for the info, I will check this out again...Could it be different in different areas.
I see all kinds of different suggestions on a search real quick...it’s all over the place... I know that 55% is way better than the 76% I had before.
I bought my Aprilaire 1830 from Sylvane.com and they were not the ones quoting me the 55%-65% figures.

 

[RoadBeater]

I got mine from from Sylvane.com also.

 

[PsRumors]

The folks quoting me encapsulation space for ridiculous amounts of money...Maybe they didn’t have a clue.. Thanks for the info, I will check this out again...Could it be different in different areas.
I see all kinds of different suggestions on a search real quick...it’s all over the place... I know that 55% is way better than the 76% I had before.
I bought my Aprilaire 1830 from Sylvane.com and they were not the ones quoting me the 55%-65% figures.

Shouldn't be different for different for different areas. 55% humidity will start having a musty smell.

I got mine from from Sylvane.com also.

Sylvane has great service.

 

[Notgrownup]

Shouldn't be different for different for different areas. 55% humidity will start having a musty smell.



Sylvane has great service.

All my searches show 55% or less in general... My house is 17 years old and there is no musty smell in the crawl space, I hade plenty of ventilation and that was my issue ... I blocked all my vents with insulation, and installed the dehumidifier, I need to add a little bit more vapor barrier to make it 100% coverage.
Like I said 55% consistent is better than 76%...I am due to go under there and inspect everything this month and to replace 2 ac flexducts anyway so I will get a good idea then. I monitor my humidity remotely with a Aprilaire remote

This is one comment I have seen with my search

Mold needs at least 70% relative humidity to grow. However, this is considered a loose number. Some molds can grow at a lower relative humidity based on two factors: the relative humidity of the surrounding air in your crawl space to the relative humidity of the surface. These temperature differences can cause mold to grow at lower than 70%.
As you can see, it’s important to monitor your crawl space to prevent costly structural damage. Your ideal relative humidity is 55%, and this should be maintained throughout the year.

 

[Showkey]

Crawl spaces in the south and basement living spaces in the north are far different scenarios. Especially on sealing and air exchange rates. Then add outside air temps and humidity in the north will be far less severe.

 

[kaymccampbell]

SantaFe or Aprilaire. Pick one and pay your money. They're both good machines. I went with the SantaFe, because the model I bought was rated high pts per day at low temps, for a northern basement. And it has lived up to the manufacturer's claims.

 

[Jeff95TA]

Seems like they all last about 2-3 years.

 

[yeldogt]

SantaFe or Aprilaire. Pick one and pay your money. They're both good machines. I went with the SantaFe, because the model I bought was rated high pts per day at low temps, for a northern basement. And it has lived up to the manufacturer's claims.

Agreed: I went with the SantaFe for the slightly better efficiencies and colder working temps. Bought them from Sylvane. The need for the better units is all about the load -- you can get high humidity in a close room w/o much load and the small tank units will work .... but if you have high load they cannot keep up and run 24/7. The tank units are not cheap to operate and they are not as efficient as the pro units as for a KW per pint of water removed. The SantaFe is nice and small and is a little workhorse .... I'm sure the April will be as well.

When you get bigger it is really important to look at specifications: some will do over 4pints and other are just over 2 pints for the same energy use.

 

[FTG-05]

I have a Aprilaire in my crawl space....no complaints.. been running for a year now...I have it hard plumbedto draining my septic system .

You need to lay a lot more plastic down.

I had moisture problems in my house in Madison, built over a crawl space. Got rid of the insulation and had multiple layers of 6 mil black plastic down over the ground/dirt. Got dry as a bone pretty quick.

 

[Showkey]

In the Midwest basement dehumidifiers are usually used 5 months of the year.....May thru September

Then what’s your budget ? Using large unit in 1000 sqft makes little sense. Using a 90 pint unit when a 30 pint will do the job makes even less sense. 800 watts vs 400 watts, then in “basement living area” when the whole house AC is running often the stand alone dehumidifier can be shut off.

Santa Fe are generally good........but.......Spending $1300 on Santa Fe does not mean your going to have a 5-10 year trouble free experience. Look around and you will find the expensive units have a less the stellar rating with 20% rating 1-2 stars.
The energy star efficiency rating means the units pass a certain standard. Running a 800 watt unit will be noticed on the power bill.

 

[yeldogt]

In the Midwest basement dehumidifiers are usually used 5 months of the year.....May thru September

Then what’s your budget ? Using large unit in 1000 sqft makes little sense. Using a 90 pint unit when a 30 pint will do the job makes even less sense. 800 watts vs 400 watts, then in “basement living area” when the whole house AC is running often the stand alone dehumidifier can be shut off.

Santa Fe are generally good........but.......Spending $1300 on Santa Fe does not mean your going to have a 5-10 year trouble free experience. Look around and you will find the expensive units have a less the stellar rating with 20% rating 1-2 stars.
The energy star efficiency rating means the units pass a certain standard. Running a 800 watt unit will be noticed on the power bill.

This is true -- you want to match the load. In my studio -- along a river .. the small tank units can't keep up when it gets humid. When I first move to the space I had two running all the time ... the pro models can get the humidity down. Mine ran for a couple of days to get down to 50% -- then it would cycle.

 

[engineer2]

It's always humid currently 67% and 62 degrees..

Your conditions might be improved with better air circulation. Cold air "sinks" to the basement and the humidity goes up. Do you have an air return in the basement? It may help to have one, but it can't be in the same room as gas appliances.

62° is a bit cold for the summertime in an insulated finished basement.

I've never had a problem with humidity in my basement after installing radiant floor heat and an air return. The floor heat rarely runs in the summertime. Stays about 75° and 50% humidity in the summer.

 

[Notgrownup]

You need to lay a lot more plastic down.

I had moisture problems in my house in Madison, built over a crawl space. Got rid of the insulation and had multiple layers of 6 mil black plastic down over the ground/dirt. Got dry as a bone pretty quick.

Yes I know. I have it, I just need to get it laid down. I have 80% coverage which is just code...I have been finding out a lot since last year when I started getting bids to address it... one was $16000.00, next was $6000, then the last one was $3500, I then decided to do it myself in steps.

 

[PsRumors]

In the Midwest basement dehumidifiers are usually used 5 months of the year.....May thru September

Then what’s your budget ? Using large unit in 1000 sqft makes little sense. Using a 90 pint unit when a 30 pint will do the job makes even less sense. 800 watts vs 400 watts, then in “basement living area” when the whole house AC is running often the stand alone dehumidifier can be shut off.

Santa Fe are generally good........but.......Spending $1300 on Santa Fe does not mean your going to have a 5-10 year trouble free experience. Look around and you will find the expensive units have a less the stellar rating with 20% rating 1-2 stars.
The energy star efficiency rating means the units pass a certain standard. Running a 800 watt unit will be noticed on the power bill.

I run 2 Santa Fe Advance 2 units. Cost me $12 a month total. One has been running for 4 years, the other 2. I've been very happy with the units.

 

[rburke65]

Hard to get 3.....4 years out of one anymore.

 

[jake00]

I'm trying to decide between the Aprilaire 1830 70-Pint Whole House Dehumidifier
and the Santa Fe Advance90 Dehumidifier.
https://www.sylvane.com/aprilaire-1830-dehumidifier.html
https://www.sylvane.com/santa-fe-advance90-dehumidifier.html

 

[terry274]

I just ordered the Santa Fe compact 70 dehumidifier. If you sign up your email with Sylvane you get a code good for 5% off your first order. That saved me over $50.
The cost was $1063 and "free" shipping. It should be here next Tuesday.
I'll post a follow up once I have it running.

 

[walrus]

Heat pump hot water heater, t will make hot water and take some of the humidity out the space.

 

[BigGarage]

I just bought this one and it only arrived 2 days ago so I cannot have much of an opinion on it yet. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073VBWKJZ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I went to Lowes and Home Depot and was very disappointed with the lack of info given on the boxes for their dehumidifiers. I went back home and did what's becoming a habit; ordered online, got free shipping and it was here in 2 days.

I have an unfinished basement so I just connected the drain hose and ran it into the floor drain. Don't have to empty the bucket thing this way.

Dennis

 

[BigGarage]

I just looked up the prices on the Santa Fe dehumidifiers. I can't believe the cost for something that some people here say only last a few years. I paid $220.00. I sure hope it lasts longer than a few years. I do have a small basement due to being a 2 story home. I started using it Saturday afternoon and the humidity was 77%. Today it was 47%. I've been running it on "continuous" but today I set the level to 50% so now it's going off and on as needed. My basement hasn't ever been this dry. I'm glad I saw this thread.

Dennis

 

[BigGarage]

I just bought this one from Amazon. Not nearly as expensive as the ones posted above. I doubt it will last as long but its been running for two weeks and removes a ton of water in my basement. I was reading around 72% humidity before and now I'm reading around 40%, makes a big difference. Also piped it to my sump. So far so good!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073VBWKJZ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was just rereading this thread and see that I bought the exact same one you bought. After using it for only 2 days I like it.

Dennis

 

[Showkey]

I just looked up the prices on the Santa Fe dehumidifiers. I can't believe the cost for something that some people here say only last a few years. I paid $220.00. I sure hope it lasts longer than a few years. I do have a small basement due to being a 2 story home. I started using it Saturday afternoon and the humidity was 77%. Today it was 47%. I've been running it on "continuous" but today I set the level to 50% so now it's going off and on as needed. My basement hasn't ever been this dry. I'm glad I saw this thread.

Dennis

Exactly ^^^^^^^^^. $110 on sale Menards 45 pint unit 2000sqft running on and off currently 46% measures 30 feet from the unit. Plus it comes witha 5 year warranty.

 

[BigGarage]

Exactly ^^^^^^^^^. $110 on sale Menards 45 pint unit 2000sqft running on and off currently 46% measures 30 feet from the unit. Plus it comes witha 5 year warranty.

For $1320 I could buy 6 of these. If they last 2 years apiece then in 12 years I'd need another. I truly didn't know anything about the expensive ones but with only needing mine in the Summer and having a smaller basement I hope it lasts more than 2 years.

The warranty does include this in part "The warranty does not apply to normal wear and tear". I hope the normal wear and tear takes a few years at least.

I'm not knocking the more expensive ones, I never knew of them and I'm happy that I didn't.

Dennis

 

[Bert_]

Still running an old magic chef in my basement. It's old enough that it is brown with fake wood grain on the sides. Just got it going again after fixing the fan. Plastic fan had the hub break off, a little jb weld and it was back in business.

I don't get anywhere near 50% humidity thought. I have it set around 65% and I don't really have any musty smell. But it's just a basement...

 

[Showkey]

Still running an old magic chef in my basement. It's old enough that it is brown with fake wood grain on the sides. Just got it going again after fixing the fan. Plastic fan had the hub break off, a little jb weld and it was back in business.

I don't get anywhere near 50% humidity thought. I have it set around 65% and I don't really have any musty smell. But it's just a basement...

The set level and the actual level are usually two very different numbers.

My set level is 60% actual measured level 30 feet away is 46-50%. Think the set level or built in gauge is being influenced by the water and water vapor in the unit.

 

[jake00]

I went with the 90. It's been running since wednesday Happy so far, I'm in the mid 50's now