Will a dehumidifier in the basement help the whole house?

Get rid of the danger lurking in your basement.

No, we are not talking about the ghosts hiding in your basement. We are delving into a more serious issue that affects your entire house’s air quality and structural integrity.

Wondering what the problem is?

It is none other than the basement humidity.

Confined spaces like the basement, crawl space, and attic are susceptible to high humidity levels when compared to other spaces at home. Humid basements accumulate mold, mildew, dust mites, bad odor, and pest infestation that spreads upstairs to the entire house in no time. Excess moisture causes cracks and ghosting on walls, wood rot, rusting, condensation, and water stagnation on the floor.

These hazards threaten the health of every single room in your living space. Gone are the days when basements were used just as storage spaces. Today they are finished to double up as living spaces. So you need to tackle the moisture problem in basements to avoid risks that could destroy your home.

The best way to get rid of the moisture problem is to use a suitable basement dehumidifier or a whole dehumidifier.

Can one dehumidifier do a whole house?

Yes, one robust and durable dehumidifier is enough to remove excess moisture from an entire home.

While some dehumidifiers are big full house units built to decrease moisture levels in the entire house, the others are portable compact dehumidifiers for specific spaces such as the basement, attic, garage, laundry room, grow room, crawl space, etc. Some others are dehumidifiers built for commercial spaces with large square footage.

A whole house dehumidifier can reduce the excess humidity level from every square footage of the house. It is housed in the basement for best results, where the noise levels and size do not affect the living space. Placing full house dehumidifiers in basement is a long-term solution to the moisture problem in your entire house.

The dehumidifier for the full house offers great convenience and comfort. You need not keep climbing down the basement to change dehumidifier settings. Wall mount the control panel in the living room upstairs to operate the unit from the comfort of your couch. The condensed water collected in the reservoir can be auto drained to a floor sink in the basement. Hence there is no need to empty the reservoirs manually.

What is the best place to put a dehumidifier in 2 story house?

If you live in a two-storey home and have more than a single dehumidifier, you need to share it between floors that have the highest humidity level. The spaces that have high moisture are usually the 2nd floor, attic, and basement. So you can spread the dehumidifier placement between the 2nd floor and basement.

If you have only one dehumidifier, the best place to install it is in basements, as this space has the highest moisture level in the house. For more improved air quality, you must place the dehumidifier near moisture sources.

Why do you need a dehumidifier in the basement?

Basements are the dampest spaces in any home. Groundwater seepage, pipe leakage, and water stagnation increase this space’s relative humidity much more than any other floor at home. Even if you have used a sump pump to get rid of the puddles, the moisture remains a massive problem in basements.

According to the Basement Health Association, whenever the relative humidity of basements exceeds 80%, it falls prey to thriving mold growth, foul odor, and pest infestation. High basement humidity can also cause severe structural damage, wall cracks, wood rot, machine rusting, and ghosting to the home you live in. All these issues can creep upstairs and damage your indoor air quality and building in no time.

Investing in the best whole house or basement dehumidifier is the best way to ensure your family’s health and well-being. When ducted with the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the basement dehumidifier can remove humidity from the indoor air in a jiffy.

Wondering what size dehumidifier for basement is ideal?

Well, you will have to consider factors such as pint capacity, room size, energy rating, drainage option, automatic features, warranty on parts, and much more. Check out our post on dehumidifier size for more information.

Where to put dehumidifier in finished basement?

Finished basements add much value and space to your home. You can use the basement space as a living area if you remove excess moisture from your basement. A good idea is to use vinyl floors and tiles and to run fans or air conditioners. But this alone will not suffice.
You need best basement dehumidifiers or whole home dehumidifiers to eliminate mold and other moisture issues. But just installing the dehumidifiers will not do the job effectively. You need to make sure that the unit is placed advantageously to maintain adequate moisture levels and save money.

Don’t know where to place the dehumidifier in basement?

We’ll help you.

Place the dehumidifier unit at the center of the basement, or at least 6 inches away from any furniture or wall. This placement enables better moisture removal, as there is sufficient air flow around the unit.

Before buying basement dehumidifiers or whole home dehumidifiers, you must understand the temperature requirements, drainage facility, and open moisture sources. You can check out the articles we post on reviews and information on buying the best basement dehumidifier model.

But remember to read the privacy policy and terms and conditions of the dehumidifier model before making the perfect purchase decision.

Wrapping Up

Got a good view on how whole house dehumidifiers and basement dehumidifiers can help improve indoor air quality and well being of your home?

Go ahead and install the best dehumidifiers in basements. Refer to our post and reviews on the best whole house and basement dehumidifiers for 2021. Read the privacy policy and terms and conditions to make the right buying decision.