Advice on system to get rid of the moldy, musty odour and/or avoid it in basement

Hi,

I have heard a home improvement person on radio (Ren Molnar) talk about a system to remove moisture from the basement. I have added the information below. Would this work? Anyone heard of this or tried it? Any advice on this?

Thanks in advance Sheldon

Ventilate the area better. Try making your own system: As air cools, it falls and keeps falling until it reaches the lowest level in the house. It cannot fall beyond the basement floor and that is where it has to be collected and pumped outside before that moisture gets a chance to condense in order to get rid of the moldy, musty odour and/or avoid it in the first place. A booster fan (250 CFM +) is available as a 'pop in' unit to fit 4",

5" or 6" round heating duct. This can be installed in a totally separate duct line that is at least six feet from the nearest heat source. A timer on it will ensure that it operates only during the night (9pm to 9am) so cold, moist air it pumps out is not replaced by air that brings in even more humidity from outside. All joints and seams in the duct are taped and sealed for maximum efficiency and rather than a heating-type grill it should be a return air-type grill. To avoid having to core another hole in the foundation wall, this system can be vented, via a "TY" through the clothes dryer vent. Because none of the doors in the house go all the way to the floor, cold, moist air should find its way to that grill.

Answered By: Ren Molnar

If life was only that simple.

Moisture in a basement is a many part question. You need to attack the problem you have.

First, if you have excessive moisture coming in, you need to reduce that. Concrete and block are not moisture proof. Some moisture is going to come in from outside, so you need to try and reduce that. Make sure the ground, walks and drives all the way around your home slope away from your home. Next make sure the water from your roof is not draining close to your more. (20 feet is considered minimum.)

Next is ventilation. The ideas suggested would not be my first choice. While they may work in some situations, I would not start there. You may want to consult a HVAC professional to for ventilation issues.

In many cases it is going to require a dehumidifier.

If it is a craw space, then you do want to do ventilation, but with sufficient ventilation area, you should not need any power vents.