Dewetifier
My basement is too wet … when it rains, the walls leak, and when it doesn’t, it just feels damp down there. Sure, the excess water usually goes right down the floor drains, but I’m pretty sure that I’d like to buy a dehumidifier to dry the place up and keep my stuff in good shape.
I’m guessing that I’d probably keep it on most of the time, especially after it rains, just running a hose straight into the drain. But i’m not sure how much electricity or wear-and-tear that kind of use would involve. I also figure that a new one is the way to go, that it’d be more energy-efficient than a secondhand one (regardless of the up-front cost savings). But many of the reviews i’m reading say that the cheaper ones (from Wal-mart, Best Buy, etc.) die within a year … not good.
Have any advice? Do I want to get one with a larger capacity (45-60 pints/hour), even if that requires more energy? Which brands (Whirlpool, Danby, etc.) are reliable? Which stores give good deals on quality appliances? How about something like this?
June 25th, 2008 at 9:06 pm EST
i bet they are all made in the same factory in China…
go to your local library and look them up in consumer reports magazine. we have had EXCELLENT luck buying appliance brands and models they have recommended… they test the tar out of ‘em and then will rate one or two models as “best buys”… worth the trip to the library, IMO.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:16 pm EST
When one builds a new house, there is a lot of moisture in the materials. It was recommended to us to run one 24/7 for at least a year. We did that most of the year and the Whirlpool we bought has not died yet. I think a factor one overlooks is how loud they are especially when the house is quiet at night! You kinda get used to it though.
Make sure to look at the hose connector for the drain because only certain hoses would fit on ours. Basically they had a hole in the side where the hose went through the unit and they did not make it large enough for some hoses to fit in…My 2 c…
June 26th, 2008 at 3:19 am EST
Thanks, guys. Consumer Reports hasn’t reviewed any dehumidifiers in five years, so I had to rely on actual consumers and read a ton of reviews online. I ended up springing for the Costco one … decent price, and that model actually had some decent reviews about it.
Thanks, Rachel, for the Costco hookup … glad you were up at 3am.
June 26th, 2008 at 3:50 am EST
Hey, it’s the least I could do…hope it works out for ya.
June 26th, 2008 at 8:48 am EST
My mom has a dehumidfier for her damp basement. She’s been in the house for three years. She bought it at Walmart and has run it very nearly everyday with no problems. She didn’t connect it to the drain instead, and I find this a little wierd, since the water is clean she dumps it into Her washing machine and uses it to wash laundry. It cuts back on water usage and keeps her basment from smelling musty. Whatever works right?