Crawlspace dehumidifiers in Raleigh

[caspian65]

Does anyone know any businesses locally that will service a Santa Fe dehumidifier? Have one that I've been running a while in my crawlspace, started freezing up last summer and have not run it much since.

[iota20]

I would call them (Santa Fe) first about service, you may still be under warranty or they could certainly give you the contact info of the nearest authorized service tech.

[Matt Garrett]

I have found that a humidifier will turn on for the first day...maybe 2 then a few times throughout the year MAX. How do you even know its on?

Best solution ...
1. Make sure vapor barrier is complete ... so as not to have uncovered area's...why? mold comes from the ground and this surpresses mold being blow from ground up to your moist wood joists.
2. Seal vents with 1.55-2 inch rigid board insulation cut to 8in x 16in (Standard foundation vent size) 4ft x 8ft Lowes sheet $30?
3. Expanding foam (Lowes great stuff $17) sealing the rigid board foam around vents
4. cut 4 inch hole in one of your Supply line distribution boxes and screw in louvered dryer cover (Lowes $6)
*This will condition your crawl with the similar temperature as your 1st floor and will also match closely your humidity of your 1st floor. Mold grows in 70% humidity and above and this process will keep your humidity at 50-55 like your 1s floor.
*Lowes also sells a remote temperature/humidity gauge ($20)that you can put the sensor in your crawl hanging from a nailed in wire from one of your joists. The display will be inside your home somewhere on 1st floor so that you can every now and then take a quick look at it and know the temperature and humidity levels are similar to your first floor. It will show indoor and crawl temp and humidity side by side.

Con:
If your trying to save AC money by not running your AC much you wont push enough air consistantly into your crawlspace and thereby you wont condition the air.
-his method doesn't take into account the mold and critters that are already growing within your crawl...but the mold (not a mold expert) should stop growing because it is no longer 70+% humidity and warm.

Pro:
-This method will save you (on average) 15.3% on your energy bill also if your duct work is under your home.
-This will also preserve your floor joist almost indefinitely
-GREATLY reduce/illiminate your hardwood floor boards from cupping from excessive crawlspace moisture.
-Since 50% of your homes air comes from your crawl space and NOW your crawl is sealed then you reduce your dusting by 75% due to reduced outside dusty, pollen filled air being pulled into your crawl hot and humid then rising through your floor because your floor is colder (70 degrees).
-Since your AC will run 15% less your AC will last longer

The perfect solution for $2-$3 a square foot to ensure TOP AIR QUALITY and preserve your homes floor would be to remove current nasty moldy poop/urine filled partially fallen down insulation. Pressure spray mold remediation solution on entire crawl ceiling. pipes, ducts, walls...etc to sanitize crawl...Cover with 16 mil white plastic...insulate crawl walls with rigid board foam. Now its so clean and nice your mother-in-law could live there : )
This method on average saves energy bill of 15.8% in Southeastern states. More importantly your homes air quality is FAAAAAAR!!!!!! greater than a vented crawl space.
For pictures and videos... Home

[ditchoc]

I've dealt with similar issues. Personally I think a dehumidifier doesn't solve the problem, its just a band aid that uses electricity, is prone to have mechanical problems, requires maintenance, and dumps water some where else that has to be attended to.

The better solution is close off and insulate all foundation vents. This will help all by itself but is not 100%.

The best solution is encapsulation. Spray foam the walls, remove insulation from floor joists, heavy vinyl on the ground, a venting system exhausting to the exterior under the vinyl. The crawl space is air conditioned with the house, stays cool in summer, warm in winter, the house stays cleaner, less dust, no mole or mildew, cleaner air in the house, no humidity, cuts maybe 15% off heating and cooling bills. It also helps protect against termites.

Its easy to say "it ain't worth it" but would you rather have the moisture, humidity, mold, mildew, rot etc?

[carcrazy67]

Having had a "poor mans sealed crawl" for more than 10 years, I have found the system to be very effective at a fraction of the cost of a fully encapsulated/conditioned crawlspace. Humidity averages approximately 50% and I have no cupping of my hardwood floors (which are throughout the entire 1st floor) and my floor joists look as new. This was not the case prior to the installation of the system. While I would agree that a fully encapsulated/conditioned crawlspace is best, it is not always cost effective for everyone.

A few observations: 1) Mold spores are not just in the earth-they are floating around everywhere. 2) If you are going to condition the crawlspace, the proper calculations should be performed. 3) sealing and insulating the vents without dehumidification will not in itself solve issues of high humidity in the crawlspace. 4)If sprayfoaming, you must leave a termite inspection strip and keep in mind that you can't see what is going on behind the foam (and things are often going on).