Whenever we talk about basements, the first thing we think of is the dirty damped place. Many would even ask what does a dehumidifier do in a basement because they have never thought of drying it up before.
Basements have many advantages in the household, like home laundry, storage of some belongings, or even a place of fun for some people. Such an important part of the house shouldn’t be left unkempt and damped.
A dehumidifier does the magic drying for many people. Therefore, in this article, I will be answering what exactly does a dehumidifier do in a basement.
This is Why Your Basement is Always Damped
To establish what a dehumidifier does, it is essential to know why you always find moisture in your basement.
Based on experience, you would notice that the common signs of excess humidity in your basement are the presence of water condensation on the floor and the wall; there may even be some molds and mildew lying around.
Among many other features, you might also notice the rotting and damage of properties in the basement and the paint swelled up.
Moisture enters your basement via many sources which could be:
- Small leaks in the foundation of the building causing rainwater to leak into the basement
- Little cracks on the wall
- Leaking of your toilet pipe, water pipe, gas pipe, bathtub and even the shower
- Unnoticed gaps in the framing of your window
- Unvented cloth dryers
- Heat from the kitchen
These are the major ways that raise the humidity level of your basement. Usually, this water from the sources will evaporate and instead of escaping into the atmosphere, there is no outlet for them, hence they condense and attach to the walls, floors and even the roofing of the basement.
Why Do You Need to Act Fast?
Moisture would never disappear with time if you did nothing to remove it. In fact, the longer it stays, the more harm it causes to your belongings and your health.
When entering an overly damp basement, the humidity may make you sweat profusely. Moisture might also have other negative impacts. Some of these impacts include:
- Rusting: you will start to notice that your metallic properties are getting rust; why? Studies have shown that water speed up the rusting of irons, especially in a condition whereby the ventilation is not much.
- Mold and Mildew: Mold and mildew not only damage your walls and floors but also adversely affect your health.
In what way? The type of mold that you find in your basement is called black mold and contains a highly poisonous substance known as mycotoxins. This thing can cause mental impairment, respiratory problems, hemorrhage, skin inflammation, fatigue, and suppression of the immune system’s power.
Mold can grow in less than 24hrs and get into your system by forming airborne mold spores. But they only sustain themselves based on the amount of water found in your basement.
- Decay: High level of humidity has a way of damaging your belongings. Dampness starts with destroying your carpeting and rugs then it will find its way to the paint on your basement walls. It doesn’t stop there; it moves to the wooden structure and soaks them wet until they decay.
- Odors: One can immediately sense an unpleasant stench in the basement due to inadequate ventilation and the lack of an escape route for excess moisture.
By now, you know why you need to deal with moisture in your basement. The best way forward for this is to get a dehumidifier. So why are dehumidifiers the best solution?
Also Read: How to Dry Up a Basement Fast
What Does a Dehumidifier do for Your Basement?
Dehumidifiers Can Dry Up Water in Your Basement!
Dehumidifiers are constructed to remove the water in your basement. They can reduce the moisture content in space by 50%.
For an average-sized home basement, a dehumidifier that costs less than $200 can get the work done, which makes it a cost-effective product. Not only will it dry up the basement, but it is also beneficial to health by halting mold growth.
Also read: Best dehumidifier for grow rooms
How Does a Dehumidifier Remove Moisture in your Basement?
Dehumidifiers often work just precisely like air conditioners. To remove the moisture in the basement, they all come with a compressor fan which sucks up air from the surrounding space. This moves the air by over 2 refrigerant-cooled coils, condensing the air’s moisture content into water that passes straight into the water tank.
Dehumidifiers have many adjustable features that allow you to control the rate at which they work. Some of these features include:
- Adjustable humidistat: controls the level of moisture that has been removed
- Hygrometers: allow you to read the condensation level (humidity level) in the basement
- Auto shut-off: the dehumidifier automatically shuts down whenever a task is done completely
- Auto-defrost: helps the dehumidifier automatically regulate itself to melt down the ice on the coils
- Auto-drainage: allows you to connect a hose to drain out the water immediately when its full instead of bothering yourself and removing water in the dehumidifier
Now that you are thinking of getting a dehumidifier for your basement, it is also essential to consider the effects that a dehumidifier has. This highly depends on the size of your basement and the humidity in it.
If you have a big basement, consider going for big dehumidifiers of at least 50-rating, i.e., that can remove about 50 pints of water daily. If you have an average-sized basement, you could go for the 30 or 40-rating dehumidifiers.
Also Read : Best dehumidifier for drying clothes
Final Thoughts:
- The moisture content of your basement can determine how healthy you choose to live. If your basement is so damped and dirty, it does not only damage your belongings, but you will also be prone to a number of ailments.
- Dehumidifiers can help you get rid of excess water to about 50%.
- For the maximum effectiveness of a dehumidifier, choose depending on the capacity and humidity level of your basement.
- Dehumidifiers can save you lots of cost that you might pay for having a damped basement!
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