Choosing the right crawl space dehumidifier for your home

Helitech customers ask all the time “Why does my crawl space seem so musty even though I don’t have any water in the crawlspace?”.

The answer is simple, really. Most homes that are built over a crawlspace were designed with foundation vents that allow air to pass into the crawlspace from the outside – which is really a big problem that can lead to much larger issues than just a musty smell.

Your home’s crawl space provides easy access for plumbing, electrical, and structural repairs. But if proper precautions are not taken to prevent high humidity levels, your crawl space can easily become a breeding ground for mold, musty odors pests, and microscopic organisms which thrive in damp, dark, cold conditions.

A crawl space dehumidifier can help. It will remove excess moisture from your crawl space air and pump it outside to drain. Crawl space dehumidifiers improve not only the air quality of crawl space but of your entire home.

Keep this in mind if you don’t think that musty crawl space is a big issue … 50% of the air in your home comes directly from the crawl space. That’s right … at least 50% of what you and your family breathes comes from the crawl space. Any mold spores, mildew, bacteria, and dust mites that are in the crawl space are also in the air that you are breathing.

As the warm air from your living space rises and escapes through attic vents, the cold air from your crawl space travels upward to replace it. This is called the ”stack effect,” and it is why mold in your crawl space can spread upward to your home. And, because mold and microorganisms can aggravate your children’s asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions, it’s important to your family’s health to install a crawl space dehumidifier with a pump.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, health problems associated with poor indoor air quality include eye irritation, allergies, headaches, and respiratory problems such as asthma. These problems can be directly related to the presence of mold and dust mite infestation in the home. One of the recognized solutions to addressing these health issues is effective moisture control.

Before you commence with a crawl space dehumidifier installation, though, you need to do your research. Here’s what to look for:

1. The capacity of your dehumidifier to remove water from the air
   It seems that this should go without saying, but often people rush into buying the cheapest model without much research. High-quality de-humidifiers have high ‘gallons removed per day,’ meaning that they are able to remove quite a bit of moisture from your crawl space’s air. This is, after all, the chief purpose of your crawl space dehumidifier. In addition to reading product descriptions be sure to parse through Hydrabreeze crawl space dehumidifier reviews—as well as other brands—to see the real-life capacity of the dehumidifier as well.
2. Your dehumidifier’s airflow
   In order to effectively reduce the relative humidity (RH) of your crawl space, all of your crawl space’s air must flow through the dehumidifier every couple of hours. To accomplish this, your dehumidifier must have a powerful fan and a high air flow as measured in CFM (cubic feet of movement per minute). Usually, you can look through crawl space dehumidifier reviews to see what past users have thought of the airflow. We use the HydraAir dehumidifier, which can remove an astonishing 110 pints per day. Most compact models provide only 70 pints per day of water removal.
3. Look for a dehumidifier with a pump
   Unless you want to go into your crawl space every so often to empty your dehumidifier’s reservoir, it’s important to look for dehumidifiers that come with a pump. These pumps will direct the water removed from the air outside to drain away from your house.
4. Installation company
   The crawl space dehumidifier installation company you choose is just as important as the actual equipment. In order for it to work, it needs to be installed correctly. Usually, your dehumidifier needs to be paired with a ventilation system, a vapor barrier, and a drainage system. Helitech can point you toward the right crawl space air system for your home.

At Helitech Waterproofing & Foundation Repair, our goal is to improve the health of your home. We’ll guide you toward the best solution for your home and family.