Dehumidfier running up electric bill?

Question

When we had severe rains, my basement got very damp, had to buy a dehumidfier to get rid of dampness. The basement is dry now, how often should I use it now that things are dry, live in old home, so want to keep it dry but running all the time has doubled my electric bill. Any advice?

Answer 1

In our area, you can go to the utilities website and find out how much any electrical appliance is costing you per hour to run. That being said, you might want to purchase DampRid Moisture Absorbing crystals. It is a product that absorbs moisture from the air. It comes in a little plastic tub, you take off the lid and leave it in the room. Over time the tub fills with water. I have found this is be a little less expensive means of drying out damp areas. Also, in my area it is cheaper to use appliances after 7 PM, check with your utility if that is the case and run the dehundifier at night.

Answer 2

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Look at 4.
If your dehumidifier doesn't have an Energy Star that may be part of the problem. How many amps is yours? Ours is 5. Whirlpool is a very good brand to have. Our unit allows us to not only change the level of humidity but how quikly it establishes it.

I suggest you seal up all the cracks in your basement; especially if you have a gas furnace and water heater that have vents that might allow moist air to enter. We were even more unlucky to have a door to the outside and it was the cause of lots of $$$ from flood damage when water burst through the door frame and eventually filled the basement with 3 1/2 feet of water!
With a 1032' foot square it took all night and most of the day with a 76gpm pump! Boy did that hurt the electric bill!

Answer 3

To keep mold away, it is best to keep your humidity at the 50% level or below. Your dehumidifier should have a setting, but if you want to be sure, you can purchase an inexpensive digital hygrometer at Radio Shack that will give you a fairly accurate reading.

It sounds like it would be worthwhile from a dollar and cents point of view, as well as your family's health, to track down the source of the moisture and seal it up.