Dehumidifiers
Cause Sticky Situation
\Many
Walton EMC members trying to cure damp basements turn to a dehumidifier
for help. Although the appliance helps solve one sticky situation,
it sometimes creates another with the electric bill.
"A
dehumidifier is one of those out of sight, out of mind appliances,"
says veteran WEMC Member Services Representative Linda Brock, referring
to their automatic, unattended operation. "That's especially true
if you connect a hose to the unit and don't have to constantly empty
the drain bucket. It turns into set it and forget it."
"Then
the electric bill comes," continues David Foster, Brock's long-time
colleague and WEMC energy expert. "Folks wonder why their bill suddenly
spikes. They're surprised to learn a little $150 dehumidifier can
use $50 or more a month in electricity." Depending on the size of
the appliance and run time, dehumidifiers can be a sizable part
of your electric bill.
So is there a less expensive way to have a dry basement? Brock suggests
trying to stop the moisture from entering the basement in the first
place. "A good place to start is by trying to correct outside drainage
problems. For example, if gutters dump water next to your home's
foundation, you need to add extensions so the water will drain away
from the house."
Typical
causes of basement moisture problems.
Also
make sure the soil next to the foundation slopes away from the house
to carry away rainwater.
Waterproofing basement walls and floors is the next step. A coat
of vapor barrier paint may keep the invading water in check. But
not all moisture comes from outside the home.
Internal activities, like cooking, washing dishes and bathing add
to the moisture load of the house. That's why it's important to
have and use exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathroom and other high-moisture
areas. But beware of faux kitchen vent hoods that merely circulate
air and water vapor right back into the kitchen. Both kitchen vent
hoods and bathroom fans should be piped to the outdoors.
Another not-so-good idea is using contraptions that allow clothes
dryers to vent to living spaces. Quarts of water in the damp garments
end up inside, adding to water woes.
Sometimes, though, there may be no choice but to use a dehumidifier.
But there are still steps you can take to keep operating costs down.
"First,
get a hygrometer to measure relative humidity in the problem area,"
says Foster. "That eliminates guesswork; you?ll know exactly if
the moisture level is higher than the recommended 50 percent." You
can find electronic hygrometers starting at $25 to $30.
When choosing a dehumidifier, match its moisture-removing capacity
to the size and dampness of the space. Manufacturers have charts
to help with this (also look on the Association of Home Appliance
Manufacturers web site, listed below).
Then run the dehumidifier on lower settings first so the unit will
cycle instead of operate continuously. Increase the setting as needed
until mold and mildew disappear. You may also want to delay installing
a hose for continuous drainage of the dehumidifier so you'll get
a feel for the amount of water being removed as you empty the drain
bucket.
"It's
also important to keep closet doors open in the affected area so
air can circulate through them," says Brock. "And don?t forget to
regularly clean the unit's coils so it runs at top efficiency."
On
the Web
So
what does it cost to run my dehumidifier?
It's easy to figure how much a dehumidifier will impact your electric
bill by using this formula. First you'll need to take a look at
the appliance's nameplate and record the figure in the blank marked
"amps." The nameplate may be located behind the removable drain
bucket. Next, estimate how many hours the dehumidifier runs each
day.
0.288 X (amps from nameplate) X (hours unit runs per day) = $ per
month
Example: Nameplate amps are eight and unit runs 24 hours a day.
0.288 X 8 X 24 = $55.30 per month |
