Dehumidifier Questions

[Chuck R.]

We’re in the process of having a new house built that includes a storage area/safe room under the garage (see picture below). As part of the construction, I’m having the ceiling framed, insulated, and dry-walled. The rest I’m going to complete as time/money allows. I’m also having the HVAC run in as part of the second/lower level zone.

We have some concerns about humidity due to the ceiling slab being in the unheated garage, and I’ve been doing some de-humidifier research. I calculate the square footage to be about 740’ with 9‘ceiling. Based on what I’ve been able to read, I’m looking for about a 70 pint, with a cold weather capability. Something along the lines of this:

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/dan....html?show=SPR

Does anybody have any experience with a similar setup?

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

[Danaus29]

Looks like a fabulous idea!

As for the dehumidifier, what little I know about them is this:
they cost as much to run as a small ac unit
the condensation collector can be drained into a drainage or sump pit easily
they put out a little bit of heat
the water from the condenser is great for watering gardens or houseplants

Being underground the area should stay pretty stable temp wise.

I would run a dehumidifier in there too. Pretty heartbreaking when you find the lids on your canned goods have rusted and the seals failed.

Personally I wouldn't consider it a "safe room" if it didn't have some sort of secondary emergency exit. As for a storage room though the idea is great.

[Chuck R.]

Thanks, the sump has already been built, so no need to empty the container.

Maybe a poor choice of words with “Safe Room”, more like a storm shelter/storage area. I’ve got a fire-resistant vault door with panic room lock inbound now, should be here a few days after X-mas.

The rest of the house is ICF with Geo-Thermal, so it should be pretty energy efficient. I guess I’ll get a hydrometer and see exactly what’s happening in the room. One of the units I’m looking at has several settings, so maybe it will be like an “efficient” small AC unit.

The initial cost for the area, wasn't too bad. We were originally looking at making a shelter under the front porch slab, which is pretty common here. Once we got the figure, we went with the entire garage instead.

Chuck

[Danaus29]

Have you checked out the remote weather stations? I've got one in the basement that gives the temp and the main unit is in the kitchen. It doesn't have the humidity though, I needed just the temp.

Still for a storm shelter I would consider the possibility of the house being collapsed in front of the door. Yeah I'm paranoid. Comes from watching too many disaster movies.

Not entirely off topic but have you by chance watched Tremors 3 Return to Perfection? Burt's safe room has an exit to be envied. Something like a slide from the safe room to the ditch behind the house. It's pretty cool. It's a real shame that it gets blown up. If I ever get around to rebuilding the guest house I want to put a storm shelter with an exit like that under the storage/screen porch section. I've got the slope for it.

[Chuck R.]

Originally Posted by Danaus29

Have you checked out the remote weather stations? I've got one in the basement that gives the temp and the main unit is in the kitchen. It doesn't have the humidity though, I needed just the temp.

Still for a storm shelter I would consider the possibility of the house being collapsed in front of the door. Yeah I'm paranoid. Comes from watching too many disaster movies.

Not entirely off topic but have you by chance watched Tremors 3 Return to Perfection? Burt's safe room has an exit to be envied. Something like a slide from the safe room to the ditch behind the house. It's pretty cool. It's a real shame that it gets blown up. If I ever get around to rebuilding the guest house I want to put a storm shelter with an exit like that under the storage/screen porch section. I've got the slope for it.

I ordered an “inward” opening door……..just in case!

I hadn’t thought much about an exit, mostly because it would have cost a boatload more, and required another securable door, which also came in at a pretty penny. There’s only so much my wife will let me get away with and the 8" concrete with extra rebar about broke the "play account".

Haven’t seen Tremors, 3, but caught 1 & 2. I’ll try to catch 3 on Netflicks.

Chuck

[Danaus29]

Originally Posted by Chuck R.

I ordered an “inward” opening door……..just in case!

Chuck

Yep, that'll work! Be sure to keep hand saws for wood and metal in your storm shelter. And a ladder too. One of those fire escape ladders should be enough.

We keep it up and your storage room will be filled before you get it all built!

8" with extra rebar? Your wife should appreciate your concern for her safety. I would love to have 8" poured walls with extra rebar. Alas I am stuck with cinder block walls. I wish we could put rebar in the openings and fill them with gravel or concrete.

[TnAndy]

Since you're insulating it, you might try putting a small electric heater in it, on a thermostat, and simply keep the room slightly warmer than the basement. That might be cheaper than running a dehumidifier 24/7.

There is a device used in gun safes called a "golden rod" that is nothing more than a small electric heater that keeps the inside of the safe a few degrees warmer than a basement, and thus keeps out any condensation. Works REAL well.

[Chuck R.]

Originally Posted by TnAndy

Since you're insulating it, you might try putting a small electric heater in it, on a thermostat, and simply keep the room slightly warmer than the basement. That might be cheaper than running a dehumidifier 24/7.

There is a device used in gun safes called a "golden rod" that is nothing more than a small electric heater that keeps the inside of the safe a few degrees warmer than a basement, and thus keeps out any condensation. Works REAL well.

You might be on to something! I'm having the heat/AC run in with closing dampers, that on low setting might just do the trick. Then use the dehumidifier for the peak (damp/humid) months.

My current gun safe has a Golden Rod, and it does work extremely well. My plan is to keep the high-dollar stuff in the gunsafe, within the vault, for a two layered approach. I'm pretty sure the Golden Rod will work there. I'm more concerned with my reloading equipment and other storage stuff.

Thanks,

Chuck

[irondale]

I have a spt sd-65e that works awesome. You can get them from Target or Home Depot.

[Chuck R.]

Originally Posted by irondale

I have a spt sd-65e that works awesome. You can get them from Target or Home Depot.

Irondale,

How large a room are you using it in, and does it draw much juice (Electric)?

Thanks,

Chuck

[Bearfootfarm]

I have no experience with these, but they are SUPPOSED to be better than dehumidifiers:

http://www.wavehomesolutions.com/content/ventilation/crawl-space-basement-dehumidifier-systems.cfm

Reduce Moisture and Expel Pollutants

Odors and mold activity, especially in a home's basement and crawl space, are warning signs that your entire home may be making you sick. Indoor ventilation is an everyday necessity, now more than ever as today's homes are designed to be air-tight, trapping moisture and pollutants inside. Basement and crawl space dehumidifiers only recirculate the same polluted air; they don't provide any mechanical ventilation. WAVE provides a controlled ventilation system which expels humidity and pollutants while simultaneously exceeding health and building requirements for indoor air exchange.

[irondale]

Originally Posted by Chuck R.

Irondale,

How large a room are you using it in, and does it draw much juice (Electric)?

Thanks,

Chuck

I have a 1800 sq ft house that is a split level. So I have an open stairway between the 2 levels and I keep the dehumidifier in the utility room with the door open. It can easily keep the humidity at 60% and it can keep it at 45% but it will run all of the time. I have never calculated the electric cost.

[GoldenCityMuse]

Well, if you moved the basement to New Mexico, you would be running a Humidifier, especially in winter. It's DRYYYYY!

Less than 10% RH.

[pheasantplucker]

Don't buy Soleus brand...terrible and zero customer support.

[Chuck R.]

All, thanks for the info and suggestions. Had a meeting with the builder and Geothermal folks yesterday afternoon. Bottom line is the Geo unit will handle whatever humidity is in the “bunker” between it’s heating/cooling and air exchange system. We’re now adding another thermostat to create a 3rd “zone” (the bunker zone) in the house.
We’ll monitor and see how it works out.
Thanks again,
Chuck

[meanwhile]

Fans. Just try a small fan set on low and see if that circulates the air enough to keep it from being too damp. My sons have a property caretaker business and in many of the home they take care of, a small fan is just enough to move air around and help.

The de-humidifyers always clog up, they are expensive to use and sometimes you have to put clorox down the tube to unclog the mold.

Good luck. The house looks good so far.

[jross]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

I have no experience with these, but they are SUPPOSED to be better than dehumidifiers:

http://www.wavehomesolutions.com/content/ventilation/crawl-space-basement-dehumidifier-systems.cfm

[B]

That system is nothing more than an exhaust fan in the duct controlled by a humidistat and an installed way of allowing living space air down into the basement. While the chargefor installation is around $1300, the cost of the equipment is nowhere that. I got 8 feet of 4 inch ducting, two 6 inch to 4 inch reducers, a 6 inch duct fan, a humidistat, a dryer vent, and brackets for around $100. I borrowed a 4 inch hole saw to cut through the rim joist to put in the dryer vent. I installed two 4x8 floor registers back to back( removing one of the dampers) through a hallway wall that separates the hallway from the cellar stairwell to allow living space air ( air conditioned) to flow into the basement. Worked like a charm this summer.

[Darren]

Did the builder install water stop around the perimeter of the floor before pouring the walls?

[Chuck R.]

Originally Posted by Darren

Did the builder install water stop around the perimeter of the floor before pouring the walls?

I’ll ask, don’t believe so as it’s not the norm herem did some research. I do know that the foundation was treated with a sealant/waterproofing.
Chuck

[Darren]

It's standard in a lot of construction but home builders usually skip it either because they don't know about it or they're cutting corners. It stops water from infiltrating through the cold joint between the wall and the floor slab. Was a perimeter drain installed?

Something to consider is to deepen the sump. That will draw the water table down to a point that it is not higher than that joint. I've seen a lot of problems with basements in some areas during some weather situations. You really can't do too much to keep water out of a basement. The best approach would be a perimeter drain installed correctly, water stop, the external waterproofing covered by insulation, and a deeper than normal sump. Check the website at the link.

http://www.sierraconcretefoundations...stop-walls.php