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Why Air Movement is Important in Crawl Space and Basement

Why Air Movement is Important in Crawl Space and Basement

Air movement is a very important factor in controlling the humidity levels in the home. Air movement causes the stack effect in the house that allows air to circulate the house from the lower level like the crawl space to the upper floor.

Air movement can allow moisture to circulate in all rooms. This means mold spore can easily move from the crawl space to other rooms this leads to growing mold all over the house. This can also spread odor from the crawl space to the house.

Why is air movement important when buying a crawl space dehumidifier?

One of the most important feature to consider when buying a crawl space dehumidifier is the airflow volume of the dehumidifier.

The amount of air the crawl space dehumidifier is able to process in a certain period is the airflow volume. It measured in cubic feet per minute(CFM). This is an important factor because the crawl space dehumidifier is only able to extract moist from the air it is able to collect from the space.

This makes the air movement in the crawl space a big challenge. Most freestanding crawl space dehumidifiers tend to keep on recirculating the air that is immediately around the dehumidifier. This creates a zone of warm and lower humidity air. This will make the crawl space dehumidifier completely ineffective to control the humidity levels in the space.

The main reasons to buy a BaseAire dehumidifier is:

  1. Prevent condensation in the crawl space, by ensuring the temperatures in the space remain constant in all corners. If the temperatures in the crawl space are able to remain uniform less energy will be consumed by the dehumidifier.
  2. The dehumidifier should extra all the excess moisture in the crawl space to protect the structural integrity of the foundation.
  3. A dehumidifier should be able to maintain the crawl space the moist level no matter the change in humidity level throughout different seasons. All rainwater or leaks should be completely neutralized so as not to cause any damage.

So how do you choose a crawl space Dehumidifier that will achieve all the functions?

  • Determine the level of humidity in your crawl space and size of your crawl space.
  1. Determine the capacity of the crawl space you need. - The efficiency of any basement dehumidifier is not determined by its size, but by its capacity. Capacity refers to how many pints of water the basement dehumidifier is able to extract from the basement in 24 hours.
  • Buy a crawl space dehumidifier with airflow volume need to completing lower the levels of humidity. Air changes per hour (ACH) refer to the number of times the air should cycle through the dehumidifier to decrease the level of humidity in the room.

The recommended ACH levels according to the humidity level are:

  • 60 – 70 %( damp air) – This is the normal humidity level in most crawl spaces and basements. The ACH = 3
  • 70-80 %( very damp air) – The room has visible moisture drains on the floor and walls. The ACH = 4
  • 80 – 90% (Wet air) – Visible wet spots on the walls and floor. The ACH = 5
  • 90-100 %( Very wet air) – Puddles of water can be seen clearly on the floor. The ACH = 6

On most dehumidifiers, you find their Air changes per hour (ACH) values clearly indicated.

Note: it is important to ensure your basement or crawl space is tightly air sealed to ensure moist outside air does not end up in the basement.

Why should buy a BaseAire crawl space dehumidifier?

  • a BaseAire dehumidifier is built in a new state of the art design that allows multi-exit for the air for the dehumidifier, hence they create a force that allows air circulation in the crawl space.
  • Minimal noise. – our crawl space does produce noise from the compressor and fan when on, but it is considerably less noisy compared to another dehumidifier in the market.
  • Energy star rated – all over crawl space dehumidifiers are energy star rate, meaning there are able to extract more moisture from the crawlspace while consuming less power.
  • 5 years warranty on all our dehumidifiers.

Reading next

What is Stack Effect?
What Factors Should Be Considered When Choosing the Capacity of a Dehumidifier

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