Dehumidifiers

[cheles2kids]

Normally I would not have put this in the "stockpiling forum" but since it is related to helping to care of our stockpiles, I thought I would ask this here.

I will be needing to purchase a dehumidifier for our downstairs rec. room where my stockpile is located.
This room is completely finished, drywalled, carpeted, etc. a person could actually live down there.
BUT, since it is underground and we've had a tremendous amount of rain lately, as you can guess it's a bit 'damp'.

So for those of you who use dehumidifiers or who have bought one recently, what do you suggest?
Brands, sizes, any other info. that I need to consider before purchasing one.
By guessing, the space is around 800 sq. foot or so.

I do not have any outside outlet to run a hose to let one continually drain, so of course I will need to look at a larger size so that it would only have to be emptied once or twice day.
Or would it be better to buy 2 smaller ones to place in each corner of the room?

TIA for any & all help!

[Grainlady]

You can now find Energy Star rated models, which are energy efficient. We got a new dehumidifier at our local True Value Hardware store last year - an Energy Star rated - Westpointe and had a 20% off coupon, and even got a tax credit when we did our taxes - so check to see if that applies when you do your taxes.

This web site may help you out: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?..._dehumidifiers

We just turned ours on (I set it to 50% humidity). I haven't checked it with the Watt A Meter to see what it's costing us to run, but whatever it is, it's one of those things I consider "essential" because of all the things we have in storage in the basement, especially our sizeable food stockpile.

If you visit your local library, you can check the Consumer Reports on what models they suggest.

[wuvsnoopy]

We have a Whirlpool dehumidifier that we keep in the basement (1200 sq ft) to keep the stockpile and other basement items fresh and dry. It's been on non-stop for 6 years now. I think it holds 2.5 gal of water and we too don't have a drain so it's a jaunt outside/sink with the bucket. During the summer we may empty it daily but at this time of year and in the winter weekly although we keep an eye on it as it freezes up from time to time. (Literally, ice forms). I should add that we also keep a fan on non-stop as well and this helps keep the dampness out.

On the flip side, we got one for my mom's basement, about the same size, Haier I think was the brand - it died after about a year but did an amazing job while it worked.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.
Wuvsnoopy

[cheles2kids]

Grainlady, thanks for the info. on the tax credit and also the link, I found a pdf. file of the ones that would be included with the energy star label, so that will come in handy when we begin shopping.
I will check into that a bit more.

Wuvsnoopy, I'm glad to hear that your whirlpool has been working so well for you. It's good have an idea of which name brands work well and which ones don't.

We are in the beginning stages of reasearching and shopping for one, but the information that you both provided me with will help to make the decision part much easier.

Thanks again!!

[luvhilndr]

Keep in mind that dehumidifiers vary greatly in the amount of noise they make. We returned a Haier last year because it was so loud that we could hear it clearly all over the main floor of the house. (Loud hardly begins to define the racket that thing made!) We replaced it with a Frigidaire that is very quiet, even when on the high setting.

Ours is a 70 pint model (#FDF70S1) with electronic controls for setting the humidity and fan levels. It comes back on automatically if the power is interrupted, something not all models do. Our basement is about 1000 sq ft. and it does a decent job keeping humidity under control. I usually empty the bucket twice in 24 hours on more humid days.

[missyali]

I have a Frigidaire as well (I believe) and it is only 40 pints for a 600 sq. ft area in the unfinished side of the basement. Our well and laundry room are in this area. I have been contemplating a second one in the play room, but during the humid months we have the air running. Keep in mind that if you are carrying this water any distance how heavy it will be. I water my plants (in door and outdoor) with the water and actually have been putting some in 5 gallon buckets from our driveway resurfacing project last year to flush toilets with in the event we have a power outage.