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If you're using a crawlspace dehumidifier, I've seen people just take a run of uninsulated flex duct and attach to the outflow side and run it to a far section/corner.
The dehumidifier should be enough to circulate the air as well. A fan that size will be loud enough to hear from inside the house if the crawlspace is less than 3ft high
I have a dehumidifier and the fan isn't very loud at all in my less than 3' crawlspace. The only way I can tell it's not working from inside the house is when I see the crawlspace humidity level go higher on the monitoring sensor.
Can I just say that I HATE crawlspaces (never experienced them prior to moving to NC)!! The next house I buy/build will be on a concrete slab even though I know first hand the complications that come with that. They are dark, buggy, smelly and you never know what is lurking in them.
I keep telling my husband that I want our crawlspace redone (new vapor barrier, maybe full encapsulation and a dehumidifier). I have a very sensitive nose and the smell bothers me. I'm always worried about a potential leak (or just the changes in temps/humidity that can create moisture) that could create mold down there. Mold scares me! My husband says he doesn't smell anything and he has even gone in and taken pics/videos for me to show me that there are no issues. I even recently asked our plumber that was replacing our pressure valve how our crawl space smelled and he said he didn't smell anything and everything looked fine down there.
So CD posters......how does your crawlspace smell??
Herringbone - I would love to know how the work with Shamrock goes! Thanks for posting this!
We recently had our vents sealed, a new vapor barrier put down and a humidifier with drain line installed.
This was done to prevent high moisture content in the wood joist etc. From my readings that is the real threat to your home and not smell. Also from what I have read the real measurements to be targeted our Dew Point first and then relative humidity. The target range for wood is 10-16% moisture content. Any thing above 20 is a problem. With hotter summers and high humidity crawlspace risks increase.
Well, I spoke too soon. The Santa Fe Advance90 has stopped working after 4 years. Looks like a refrigerant leak either at the coil or somewhere else in the system. Before this, I had a Siera Global Watchdog 900 that lasted for 2 years before developing a refrigerant leak and before that, a Titan XG90 again lasted barely 2 years before developing a surprise.....refrigerant leak.
The 6 warranty for the Santa Fe Advance90 includes parts only, and 2 year parts and labor. I also have to ship it to Missouri and pay trucking freight costs which is a few hundred dollars and has a 2 months lag time. Hardly anyone works on dehumidifiers here except maybe ThermoDirect on Trademark Dr.
They did offer to sell me a brand new Santa Fe Advance90 for $645 or something compared to the $1900 new on the site so we'll see what to do.
All of these dehumidifiers are really junk, even the "crawlspace" rated ones. Someone said Aprilair makes their evap coils out of a different metal, so maybe that helps.
One of the problems impacting life span is how much use they see. Targeting a humidity level lower than needed because it sounds good leads to over use, burn out and a higher utility bill then needed.
One of the problems impacting life span is how much use they see. Targeting a humidity level lower than needed because it sounds good leads to over use, burn out and a higher utility bill then needed.
I think it's more design related issues with the dehumidifier units rather than usage. They are built similar to HVAC units and nothing is built to last anymore due to cost reductions. The Santa Fe unit I have now has been holding up really well.
Just had nasty insulation removed, anti-mold spray applied. Then heavy vapor barrier installed. Cost $1500 but small house and easy access, walk-in crawl space. Drop in humidity is already drastic. Will monitor heating bill this winter to see effect of no insulation. I have known this foundation guy since he was a kid and he is not a big fan of dehumidifiers. Prefers to deal with drainage issues. I do not like noise from water pipes with no insulation. Hopefully some pipe insulation will help with that.
Just had nasty insulation removed, anti-mold spray applied. Then heavy vapor barrier installed. Cost $1500 but small house and easy access, walk-in crawl space. Drop in humidity is already drastic. Will monitor heating bill this winter to see effect of no insulation. I have known this foundation guy since he was a kid and he is not a big fan of dehumidifiers. Prefers to deal with drainage issues. I do not like noise from water pipes with no insulation. Hopefully some pipe insulation will help with that.
I hope your crawlspace vents are sealed otherwise your pipes could freeze without any insulation. Drainage and a vapor barrier alone are not enough to control humidity. Put a humidity monitor down there and you will see the variability level. Insulation removal is usually associated with crawlspace encapsulation and having conditioned air venting into the crawlspace.
I hope your crawlspace vents are sealed otherwise your pipes could freeze without any insulation. Drainage and a vapor barrier alone are not enough to control humidity. Put a humidity monitor down there and you will see the variability level. Insulation removal is usually associated with crawlspace encapsulation and having conditioned air venting into the crawlspace.
Can confirm. The company that encapsulated my crawlspace removed the insulation then did full encapsulation + a supply line vent to condition the crawlspace. Even without a dehumidifier, humidity is down significantly compared to what it was before.
Always it is better to deal with moisture outside first before working under the house. The better you deal with drainage, the better the crawlspace work will end up performing.
Always it is better to deal with moisture outside first before working under the house. The better you deal with drainage, the better the crawlspace work will end up performing.
The foundation on my home was built like swiss cheese and there's no effective way possible to keep the water out without major reconstruction, so my inside french drain system catches the water where it comes in and I have a sump pump that pumps it out. I always say the brick masons must have been drunk when they built my house.
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