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I have a wave. I put it in a few years ago. It's been hit and miss. If you have a lot of things in your basement that could block air flow, then you could have a problem. But I am still happier with it than with a dehumidifier. There are times when the basement does not have a basement smell and I have very grateful for that. It probably depends on your space. But all in all, for me, it's worth it.
Can anyone out there tell me if we should leave the registers for heating/air conditioning open in our unfinished basement? We have good drainage, all eaves are extended away from house, good grading around house, no laundry room in basement...have a little moisture/moldy smell and looking for ways to get rid of it. Will it help to open the register vents? My husband thinks we are heating/cooling space for nothing but I think it might help. We have no visible water problem, and the walls are all painted with waterproof paint. Just wondering if I should buy another dehumidifier or what other options we have?
Wondering if anyone here has replaced their dehumidifier with a wave ventilation system? If so are you happy with it. Seems like a lot of money and wondering if it works well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mmass
You can buy a similar product, known as the Breeze, for about $280 at Amazon. It has made it possible for our family to use our basement! We had a dehumidifier running for many years. It cost about $35 per month to run, needed to have the tank emptied, and never changed the air in the basement. Family allergies and the terrible smell kept everyone out. This appliance costs pennies to run, is very sturdy, made of vinyl, has a full variable speed fan control and a humidistat that turns it on and off based on the desired humidity level. You can barely hear the fan. It installs as a dryer is vented. At $350, it costs so much less than the competition (Humidex about $1,200) (EZ Breathe about $1,500) (Wave Ventilation about $1,700). It's a steal.
I can't testify to the specific name-brand Wave Ventilation System because I didn't buy it. As mmass indicates, many lower-cost alternatives are available. Instead, I built my own wave 'generic' for about $100 in parts (cost at Home Depot) and 1½ hours of labor.
Instead of having the system run non-stop, I wired it to a humidistat — set on 40 during winter, 50 during summer. Installed about two years ago, on the scale of 1 to 10, my satisfaction with the performance of my wave generic is a perfect 10!
Parts list:
• 80 CFM in-line exhaust fan.
• basic humistat
• 10' perforated drain pipe (for horizontal floor pipe)
• 10' non perforated drain pipe (vertical riser and short horizontal exhaust, cut to fit)
• 90° elbows (2)
• galvanized wall exhaust vent
• three feet of #14 wire
^ Maverick how is your system dehumidifying the air? It looks like you are just cycling air by a fan.
Exactly. But the air targeted for removal is the low-lying humid air.
I've had better experience with this serving the dehumidifying function that the window fan I once had in my basement. (And it's hard to find a window fan with that low a CFM rate.)
It's a hassle-free, glorified circulator that's virtually free to operate once installed. Most importantly, the hygrometer shows that it works!
Why build it when you can buy a unit that is already made, attractive, quiet, and backed by a 5 year warranty for $299?
Check out breezesystemsinternational.com
They make a standard model and a heavy duty one.
After demo'g the walls, I covered all of the concrete surfaces with 3/4" EPS, including the floor. The seams on the EPS were sealed using wrap tape. On the walls, 3" unfaced batting was inserted into the stud cavity and on the floor, two layers of 1/2" plywood were used as a sheathing. I sealed every gap in the drywall with closed-cell foam or caulk.
Sorry to go off topic, but I wanted to point something out. The way I am reading this, you apparently built a subfloor on a concrete foundation floor using plywood. The rest of your plan is sound, but the plywood floor is a bad idea.
As the saying goes, it is not "if" you will get water in your basement, it is only when. Once you have that leak/flood/etc. the plywood will get wet and become a problem. Either way, it is not good to place untreated wood directly on concrete. It is a problem waiting to happen.
There are better ways to create subfloors. They make a plastic product that rolls on, and you can place a subfloor material on top of that. There is also dir-core, which is basically plywood, but it has a rubber bottom with grooves to allow for air circulation to prevent moisture build up. There is also Tyroc (my favorite) which is the same concept as dri-core, but they use a mold/mildew resistant material instead of plywood.
The product is awesome, replacing your dehumidifier and making your basement livable for pennies a day.
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100% Satisfaction with my Wave 'Generic'
link for Breeze basement ventilator - dehumidifier
