# Basement humidity help ..



## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

I might have a problem ... 

I have my 225 gallon with 50 gallon sump in my basement , as well as a 120 gallon and 20 gallon ,

Humidity levels I have not read yet but I am sure they are high . My window stays cracked but during the winter I don't think I can keep the windows open . 

This is about 400 gallons of water ... 

I have read about dehumidifiers and I've thought about ventilation fans but during the winter I'm not sure if a window fan would let the cold air in ? As well I'm not too sure how to measure BTU on AC/dehumidifiers and I'm wondering how much BTU I would need to keep my humidity levels down ..

Is anyone able to help me with this ?


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## VPM3 (Aug 9, 2012)

I keep my dehumidifier running all summer and discharging into my sump. A floor drain will work too. For the winter months I shut it down since the furnace is drying out the air. I find the humidity hovers around 50-55% all winter. 

I think your best bet and cheapest way is get a dehumidifier. Costco sell them for a reasonable price.

Hope that helps


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

What % do you keep your humidity at ? Have you ever had problems with the water quality when you drain it into your sump ? It should be pure distilled water but does the dehumidifier add any pollutants into the water ? That sounds like a really good idea almost like auto evaporated top off


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## VPM3 (Aug 9, 2012)

LOL i should say i drain my dehumidifier water into my house's sump.

I try around 50% thats my target and the humidifier does a good job doing that.

Iv actually seen breeders discharge the water into their aquarium sumps. I discharge my dehumidifier water into my house's sump because i dont want to see that thing in the open.



SoloW said:


> What % do you keep your humidity at ? Have you ever had problems with the water quality when you drain it into your sump ? It should be pure distilled water but does the dehumidifier add any pollutants into the water ? That sounds like a really good idea almost like auto evaporated top off


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

LOL . Ok well you gave me a good idea . Thanks for the help buddy . Btw what type of dehumidifier do you use .. Danby?


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## VPM3 (Aug 9, 2012)

NP man glad to help.

I have this model: http://www.ebay.com/itm/279-DANBY-Premiere-60-PT-Pint-Black-Basement-Energy-Star-Dehumidifier-DDR6011-/221348362655

Think i got it from costco long ago. There are newer ones now that have some cool features.



SoloW said:


> LOL . Ok well you gave me a good idea . Thanks for the help buddy . Btw what type of dehumidifier do you use .. Danby?


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

This is a good time of year to buy a de-humidifier as they are on sale at most stores. try Home Hardware, Canadian tire or big box stores, usually about $100 off sales. I use a de-humidifier and aim for a 60% humidity.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

bob123 said:


> This is a good time of year to buy a de-humidifier as they are on sale at most stores. try Home Hardware, Canadian tire or big box stores, usually about $100 off sales. I use a de-humidifier and aim for a 60% humidity.





VPM3 said:


> NP man glad to help.
> 
> I have this model: http://www.ebay.com/itm/279-DANBY-P...nergy-Star-Dehumidifier-DDR6011-/221348362655
> 
> Think i got it from costco long ago. There are newer ones now that have some cool features.


Hey guys how much BTU should I aim for ... Or pints per day ? With 400 gallons of water .. One has 5x3 foot print the other 4x2 .. Not sure how strong of a dehumidifier I will need .


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## SmokeSR (Jan 28, 2009)

The first thing you will want to do is get a hygrometer. I've gotten a few for free from trade shows or home shows. 

Most people should use a dehumidifier in the basement, regardless of tanks, but tanks add a lot of humidity, especially if uncovered. 

I use a Danby from Costco (love their warranty, have taken advantage of it a few times on dehumidifiers over the years). Some of the models were more failure prone, which is why Costco is a good place to get it. 

I target 50% and find there's no issue keeping it there. I find them completely unnecessary in the winter as humidity lurks around 20-30% even with the tanks uncovered. 

Step 1, get a hygrometer.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

SmokeSR said:


> The first thing you will want to do is get a hygrometer. I've gotten a few for free from trade shows or home shows.
> 
> Most people should use a dehumidifier in the basement, regardless of tanks, but tanks add a lot of humidity, especially if uncovered.
> 
> ...


Thanks . Will look for one ...

Am looking for one ... Anyone have one ? LOL


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## SmokeSR (Jan 28, 2009)

Lol you could start off as low tech as those $3.99 ones for reptiles (intended to stick-on tank). They're analog and semi-accurate. 

Also, regarding the size of the dehumidifier, I'd recommend whatever Costco is selling. They usually don't have options. I find that the one they sell should be good for just about everyone, as it'll just turn on more often when needed. I actually use 2 of them in the basement and find that neither of them are on very often. Also best to hook it up to direct drain because the tank fills up quite fast any time it rains.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

Do you think I could hook it up to my aquarium sump... ? Also are they costly to run all the time ?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

you won't need the dehumidifier much in the winter typically. It depends on your house, my last house all the aquariums helped keep humidity up at a good level, without the aquariums the air got too dry.

Most dehumidifiers have an auto setting that by default is 50 percent. If the humidity is over 50, it runs, if under 50, just the fan on it runs, you can change the level to on most. 50 is a good amount of humidity, lower causes extra static and more is too humid.

It is probably best to not use the water in aquariums due to the aluminum and dust get is in that water.

it is handy to have it drain into your house sump or some kind of drain so you don't have to empty it daily.

Many basements need a dehumidifier in the summer, with aquariums it is most likely very beneficial.


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

SoloW said:


> Do you think I could hook it up to my aquarium sump... ? Also are they costly to run all the time ?


You do not want to do this. All the pollutants in your air will be filtered out along with water and then you add that to your tank. Your next thread is why are my fish dying?

P.S. I agree with buying a dehumidifier at Costco and running it at 50%. Just make sure it's Energy Star compliant which most of them are. 
--
Paul


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## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

You might want to look for a dehumidifier with self-evaporation system, so there's no hassle of emptying the bucket. My Soleus Air can remove 60 pints of moisture per day which gets expelled through a basement window vent.


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## SoloW (May 25, 2014)

rickcasa said:


> You might want to look for a dehumidifier with self-evaporation system, so there's no hassle of emptying the bucket. My Soleus Air can remove 60 pints of moisture per day which gets expelled through a basement window vent.





Y2KGT said:


> You do not want to do this. All the pollutants in your air will be filtered out along with water and then you add that to your tank. Your next thread is why are my fish dying?
> 
> P.S. I agree with buying a dehumidifier at Costco and running it at 50%. Just make sure it's Energy Star compliant which most of them are.
> 
> ...





pyrrolin said:


> you won't need the dehumidifier much in the winter typically. It depends on your house, my last house all the aquariums helped keep humidity up at a good level, without the aquariums the air got too dry.
> 
> Most dehumidifiers have an auto setting that by default is 50 percent. If the humidity is over 50, it runs, if under 50, just the fan on it runs, you can change the level to on most. 50 is a good amount of humidity, lower causes extra static and more is too humid.
> 
> ...





SmokeSR said:


> Lol you could start off as low tech as those $3.99 ones for reptiles (intended to stick-on tank). They're analog and semi-accurate.
> 
> Also, regarding the size of the dehumidifier, I'd recommend whatever Costco is selling. They usually don't have options. I find that the one they sell should be good for just about everyone, as it'll just turn on more often when needed. I actually use 2 of them in the basement and find that neither of them are on very often. Also best to hook it up to direct drain because the tank fills up quite fast any time it rains.





bob123 said:


> This is a good time of year to buy a de-humidifier as they are on sale at most stores. try Home Hardware, Canadian tire or big box stores, usually about $100 off sales. I use a de-humidifier and aim for a 60% humidity.





VPM3 said:


> NP man glad to help.
> 
> I have this model: http://www.ebay.com/itm/279-DANBY-P...nergy-Star-Dehumidifier-DDR6011-/221348362655
> 
> Think i got it from costco long ago. There are newer ones now that have some cool features.


Ty all for your help. Much appreciated . This forum needs a thank / thumbs up feature ...


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

One thing I can vouch for is that the 'DEhumidifying' effect of indoor heating in winter sucks a lot of water out of my tanks. This evaporation does help keep the humidity in the rooms a bit higher than it would be otherwise, and before I had the tanks it was bone dry in here.

I have a tenth floor apartment, not a basement, but I find I do as much, sometimes more, topping up of tanks in winter as I do in summer when I have cooling fans running. So you are unlikely to need dehumidifying in winter. 

I know the basement in the house I grew up in was pretty clammy in summer until my folks put in a dehumidifier, which drained into a floor drain. Made all the difference in the world. Dad had a hygrometer on the wall upstairs and down, and tried to keep it around 50%. 

I can also tell you the water that came out of the dehumidifier smelled very metallic and was not particularly clean looking. If I wanted to use it for an aquarium, it would need to be run through some sort of filter first, to remove pollutants. But could do that if you had a way of collecting the output. You could also use that water as it is, for plants or gardens, if you collect it. Why waste any water if you don't have to ? But given the risk of the output tank overflowing, you need to have a floor drain or house sump to handle that.


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