dehumidifier, Humidex, exisiting HVAC?

[BETAC-T]

I am looking into options to dehumidify a basement in a home that I recently bought.

The basement is about 25'x30' with a high ceiling, has poured concrete walls, and two basement windows that are currently sealed shut (I just ordered replacement windows that I am waiting to come in). The basement is dry but it does have a sump pump that keeps it that way. I do know that before the sump pump was put in, the basement used to sometimes get water in it, but the sump pump fixed that (I know the prior owner). The house is located in Eastern Pennsylvania.

The only problem is that the basement feels just slightly damp and musty. A friend suggested putting a dehumidifier down there and I am in the process of searching the Internet for general info about dehumidifiers. One thing I just ran across was an ad for a Humidex system, but that looks like all it really does is bring whole house air into the basement and vents air to the outside.

Here's what I am wondering. Would one possible option be to just make sure the HVAC has an air intake in the basement so the basement air will get circulated throughout the whole system along with the rest of the house air? The way it is set up now, the basement is pretty much isolated from the rest of the air circulating throughout the house. The house has central air and an electric heat pump for heating.

[daytona°]

There a lot of different theories to this. The dehumidifier or the Humidex is the route. The dehumidifier should be dedicated to a drain...filling the tank and having it shutoff is a work reminder. The Humidex comes with two fan speeds and they do work. There alot of comments about that type of product ... that you a sucking out conditioned air to the outside. YOUR CHOICE

[Stormin Mormon]

Works for me.

[<kjpro]

Good, cause the work you do SUCKS!!!!

[BETAC-T]

Thanks. I do have a sump pump so I can have the dehumidifier dedicated to drain into that.

[Abby Normal]

Humidex is for lowering humidity in the winter not the summer

[BETAC-T]

Thanks everyone.

I haven&#39;t moved into the house yet, but I went there on Saturday morning and checked out the HVAC duct work in the basement. There are no cold air returns and no supply vents in the basement. So the basement is completely isolated from the system. I found a place where I could easily open a 6" x

6" space in the cold air return duct and could feel the air being drawn in through the opening. About 6 hours later, it seemed like I could already feel a marked difference in the basement -- it didn&#39;t feel damp or musty at all.

I&#39;m going to go back this week and check it again to see if that solved the problem. If so, I&#39;ll put an adjustable intake vent in the cold air return duct, and I&#39;ll add one or two adjustable supply vents for the basement.

It would be great if this simple change solved the problem and eliminated the need for a dehumidifier.

[tony]

DO NOT OPEN RETURN IN BASEMENT "THAT WILL CREATE VACUUM IN BASEMENT" AND YOU MIGHT WIND UP WITH PROBLEMS YOU DO NOT WANT!

[Stormin Mormon]

Would that suck all the dirt, house hold appliances, cats, and carpeting into the cellar?

[tony]

Hello Chris yes something like that Tony

[<kjpro]

Too bad it&#39;s against IMC and a MAJOR safety issue!!!

DO NOT cut an opening in the return as you suggest!!!!

[BETAC-T]

Okay, I give. It&#39;s an electric heat pump HVAC system. So, why would including the basement in the HVAC system (including a return duct) be "a MAJOR safety issue"?

[Zyp]

As long as there are no fossil fuel burning appliances in the basement, it

*may* be permited. [Beware, that if you do have fossil fuel burning appliances you *must* provide combustion air and proper ventilation for the products of combustion. You could also cause a negitive pressure and draw fumes from other areas of your home into the basement as well.] Check with your local city and county codes. In some area&#39;s basements are "conditioned" to prevent water pipe damage during cold weather.

[Abby Normal]

Sometimes it is the definition of the basement itself.

In some places it is a space not yet finished off, but suitable to become spare bedrooms, rec rooms.

Others places it can be a vile place not much better than a deep crawlspace.

When you line floor joists in the basement and use them as return ducts for the floor above, probably half of the return air the furnace draws in comes from the basement.

Air likes to fall down the strairs when the furnace runs. Can cause problems in some homes