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Basement Dehumidifiers and Sump Pumps
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Get Control of Moisture
Part of maintaining the comfort of your basement is making sure it stays dry. A dehumidifier and a sump pump are two devices that can do that for you.
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers remove from the air moisture that can cause condensation, mold, and mildew. They work best if the source of moisture is within the house—from using a bath or shower or washing clothes, for example—and do nothing to prevent water from entering the room.
Dehumidifiers are rated by how much they can dehumidify and how many pints of water per hour they can remove from the air. Know the square footage of your basement before you buy, and make sure you purchase an appliance that has enough capacity to do the job.
Most basement dehumidifiers are automatic and can be set either to run continuously or maintain a preset humidity level—a convenient feature.
The units have removable basins or buckets to catch the water; most have a knockout at the bottom where you can attach a tube or hose that can run directly into a floor drain. Otherwise you need to remember to empty the machine periodically.
Sump Pumps
Sump pumps exhaust water through a plastic pipe buried in a shallow trench in your yard. The pipe then carries the water to a street gutter where it flows into a storm drain or to a distant low spot on your property.
Connecting a basement sump pump to a sewer line is not recommended (and not allowed by some local codes). It can overload the sewer line, especially in homes with septic systems.
Sump pumps are rated according to how many gallons of water per minute they can pump and how high they can lift the water.
Battery-powered sump pumps work during short power outages—a must if short, violent storms often cause your basement to flood. Twice a year, check that the battery is charged.
