Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2015 · 345 posts · 138 votes
My basement is not finished and is all cement. There is a finished wall that splits the basement so each tenant has their own laundry and storage. I do not have a sub pump where you could just have the dehumidifier drain into it so you never need to empty the bucket inside the dehumidifier.
Do I necessarily need a dehumidifier for my basement since its basically all cement? I have never owned a home before so I am just taking precautions. My parents have one but their basement is finished and carpeted... But it also drains into their sub pump and runs whenever it needs to without them always checking it. I would do that but I have no sub pump and someone would need to continually service/check the dehumidifier.
The closer to the center of the structure you can get it the more effective it will be in the shortest amount of time. You can purchase a condensate pump for $50 and plumb it to where ever you need. At that point it is self-sustaining.
If you install a dehu from a big box store each pint of water removed is going to cost you approx. $00.10 - 00.12 per pint. A real dehu will cost $00.02 - 00.04, run more efficiently, remove micro-contaminants from the air (hepa filter), and have the strength to shuffle around ALL the air in the basement through the filter. But it will cost significantly more. Clean/replace two stage filters every six months.
@Andy Hudgins wow that is great to know and excellent details. I had no idea of the different strengths and qualities to these things. Thanks a bunch!!!
There's lots more little things that could be done to arrive at a very dry structure i.e., *foundation vents ---- seal them;
*set the dehu right beside the finished wall in the center of the structure then stand back and watch it dry both sides downstairs and the upstairs!
Wait ---- you didn't mention any problems the tenants are complaining of. So maybe the basement is not too wet/humid? Before you visit and do a real inspection give me a shout and I'll tell you what the signs are.
Awesome Andy! Yea no complaints but I like to be proactive and be preventive since it is the only property I own. lol kind of easy to manage since it has my full attention. It doesn't seem too bad down there. I will definitely reach out if I come across something! Thanks again sir!