Portland, OR – Types of Dehumidifiers to Be Used in Crawl Spaces and Basements 

Did you know that there are different types of dehumidifiers? Here are the types of dehumidifiers that work best in crawl spaces and basements!

If you live in an area with high humidity levels, then you will need to use a dehumidifier to keep excessive moisture at bay. This is because moisture can promote mold growth, which can damage the structural integrity of your home, lead to a musty indoor smell, and trigger allergic reactions. The two places where moisture and humidity levels are the highest are basements and crawl spaces.

The humidity level in these places should be between 30% and 50%. If the humidity in your basement or crawl space is above 60%, then you will face mold growth. This is where dehumidifiers come into the picture! They remove the excess moisture from the air, which lowers down the humidity level in the air and helps keep mold at bay.

With that said, not all dehumidifiers work well in basements and crawl spaces. You need to know about the types of dehumidifiers that are well-suited for your basement or crawl space and how they work so that you can control the moisture and humidity in those areas of your house.

Here are the two dehumidifiers that are ideal to use in basements and crawl spaces:

Desiccant Dehumidifiers

Desiccant is a substance that curbs humidity by absorbing water molecules. Silica gel desiccants, which have “do not consume” written on them, come inside medicine and vitamin bottles or shoe boxes. They help keep the moisture away from these products.

Similarly, there are mechanical dehumidifiers that blow air over a desiccant such as bentonite clay or silica gel, which you can use to dehumidify your basement. There are also desiccant dehumidifiers, powered by electricity, which are ideal to dehumidify a small basement or crawl space. They use a silica material that effectively absorbs the moisture in the air and keeps your crawl space or basement dry.

Refrigerant-Based Dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers that are refrigerant-based blow air over a refrigerated surface called a coil to force the condensation of moisture. This is the same technology that air conditioners and refrigerators use. In such a dehumidifier, condensed water droplets collect on top of the coil as air passes over it.

Then, condensed water drips down into a reservoir, which contains all the water so that it doesn’t fall out or drop down on the floor. Such a dehumidifier works best for basements and crawl spaces due to their high humidity levels.

Furthermore, when selecting a dehumidifier for your basement or crawl space, don’t forget to consider its function, efficiency, and capacity.

Capacity

Capacity entails exactly how many pints of water the dehumidifier will eliminate from the air over 24 hours (PPD), under “standard” conditions, Dehumidifiers that have a large capacity can remove 50-75 PPD. Meanwhile, medium-capacity dehumidifiers remove 45-50 PPD and small-capacity ones remove 25-40 PPD. So, depending on the size of your basement or crawl space, choose a dehumidifier with the right capacity.

Efficiency

The Energy Factor (EF) entails the amount of water (in liters) that a dehumidifier can eliminate from the air per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power expended. You want a dehumidifier with a large EF as they are the most efficient.

Function 

Some dehumidifiers can be used around the whole house, while some others have special features and functions that make them ideal for high moisture areas, such as basements or crawl spaces. Make sure to choose a dehumidifier based on your needs.

If, despite using a dehumidifier, you spot mold growing in your crawl space or basement, then get in touch with a mold removal service right away.

For professional mold removal and remediation in Portland, visit our website today!