How do i get the moisture out of my basement?

Question

In the summer time it really smells like mildew. I have a dehumidifier but my husband is gripping because it runs 24-7 and it's using to much electricity. I only have it set on 5 and it goes to 10 but I dump about 1 1/2 gallons of water out of it every other day. Somebody was telling me about some kind of rock. What is it and where do you get it?

We do have central air.

Answer 1

there are silica gels that absorb humidity and a calcium carbonate substance called damp-rid that is available at walmart but damp-rid is only designed to dry out a small area like the bathroom or a closetand it traps the water below in a plastic bin. I would run the dehumidifier non stop and an ac as well if that's an option. Tell your husband to pay the electric or call a contractor to find out why the moisture is there in the first place. it is not healthy to live in a moldy environment. I live in
Mass and have no leaks at all in the basement but i still pull out 5 gallons a day. If I leave it off for 2 days my wooden doors swell with humidity and won't close.

Answer 2

Ok here goes. I'm going to explain why your basement is damp.When you walk in the house in the winter your glasses fog up. It's because moisture always goes to the coolest point. Another fact of life is heat always rises so the lower it is the cooler it is. Hence the moisture in the basement. Dehumidifiers create cold sources in the coils then cycle off so the ice will melt into the pan. You can use a dehumidifier over a sink so you wont have to keep emptying it or you can add your basement to your central system to get rid of the moisture. You need to have a large return air register in the basement so it will draw air from the basement and the water that's in the air will condense on the coils, drip into a pan and drain out that little pipe outside the house. I know that's a lot but to get rid of the moisture you have to understand the nature of moisture.

Answer 3

If you have a central Air Condition in your house open supply vent a little and do you have a return vent.
Your Central A/C is a Dehumidifier and will help.
The portable is a good idea to.

if basement wall are block and unfinished maybe
look at some thing call Drylock its a paint to help keep
out moister
good luck

Answer 4

We use a dehumidifier, but it runs in intervals, like for 2 hours or 4 hours at a time, depending on what you set, and it lets you know when it is full. It doesn't use that much electricity. You should ask your husband what ideas he has if you don't use the dehumidifier.

Answer 5

The dehumidifier is the only way to go. Tell your hubby to shut it and crank that baby up to 10!

Never heard of any rock that absorbs moisture, sorry.

Answer 6

If you go to Bed Bath and Beyond they have a lot of stuff to get moisture out. Make sure you take care of this because you don't want to grow mold...tell your husband that it's better to pay for the electric bill than a health bill!!!

Answer 7

its called silica gel but works very slowley and is for small spaces
You need to get a contractor that deals with damp basements to see why yours is damp and est to fix. most contractors will give free estimates and you can find out the problem for free and maybe fix it your self