Tried using a dehumidifier in my basement crawlspace last spring

I was getting that musty smell every time it rained hard. Picked up a 50-pint unit from Home Depot for about $200. That thing pulled out 2 gallons of water a day for the first week straight. Learned that you have to keep the drain line clear or it shuts off automatically and the smell comes right back. Anyone else deal with humidity issues in older Atlanta homes?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_williams8d ago

Gotta be careful with that drain line, but it's actually more important to check the humidity setting itself. Most people set them to 50% but in a crawlspace you really want it closer to 40% to keep mold from growing. I had mine set at 50 for a month and still got some mildew spots on the wood beams. Dropped it to 40 and the problem went away. Also those 50-pint units are rated at standard conditions, they pull way less when it's colder down there.

the_rowan8d agoMost Upvoted

40% is the sweet spot for sure.

val9747d ago

So you're saying 40% is better than 50%? @kevin_williams, I think you're right about the rating thing. My unit said it could do 50 pints but it never pulled more than maybe 30 in my crawlspace with the temps in the 60s down there. I kept mine at 45% and it seemed fine, but maybe I need to bump it down to 40 and see if that kills the last bit of mustiness. The drain line thing is a pain though, mine clogged with sludge after two weeks and I didn't notice for a few days.