Wave System

[dpg]

Is anyone familiar with this ventilation system for a musty basement area? Any other suggestions or solutions looking for alternatives other than emptying a dehumidifier all the time. Yes, I realize some empty themselves. Good/bad experiences and product suggestions would be appreciated.



http://www.wavehomesolutions.com/ventilation/landing/?keyword=wave%20dehumidifier&gclid=CLWNzrvL7McCFUQSHwodkbgAug&_vsrefdom=p.2504

[ishoot308]

Is anyone familiar with this ventilation system for a musty basement area? Any other suggestions or solutions looking for alternatives other than emptying a dehumidifier all the time. Yes, I realize some empty themselves. Good/bad experiences and product suggestions would be appreciated.



http://www.wavehomesolutions.com/ventilation/landing/?keyword=wave%20dehumidifier&gclid=CLWNzrvL7McCFUQSHwodkbgAug&_vsrefdom=p.2504

If your basement is not finished and you have access to the concrete walls, I would highly recommend to Dri-Lok paint the interior of all the walls and seal or paint the floor with a proper product. I did this to one of my previous homes and it made all the difference in the world! No dehumidifier needed after that.

Dan

[dpg]

If your basement is not finished and you have access to the concrete walls, I would highly recommend to Dri-Lok paint the interior of all the walls and seal or paint the floor with a proper product. I did this to one of my previous homes and it made all the difference in the world! No dehumidifier needed after that.

Dan

It's finished (well semi) which I may re-do someday. The proper paint you mention wasn't used that would be on the bucket list for sure.

[HellRaZoR004]

Do you have Forced Air Furnace? If you do, you most likely have a pump to vacate condensation to the outside. It should look like this:
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/plumbing/systems/winterize/pbsywz30aro_winterize.jpg

I bought a dehumidifier with optional discharge drain (instead of using the bucket) that drains into the pump and removes it from the house. No buckets needed.

[SIKSUKR]

If I were in your situation I would use something similar to this.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_526012-57007-DH-70KP1SLE_0__?k_clickID=b1afc74e-1753-493c-bda4-984e0b7b94de&store_code=1831&productId=50134738&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=%5Bcom.lowes.commerce. storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%407c3d7c3d%5D&storeNumber=1831&kpid=50134738&kpid=50134738&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-SeasonalLiving-_-Dehumidifiers-_-50134738%3AHisense&CAWELAID=&CAWELAID=320011480001749707

[dpg]

Do you have Forced Air Furnace? If you do, you most likely have a pump to vacate condensation to the outside. It should look like this:
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/plumbing/systems/winterize/pbsywz30aro_winterize.jpg

I bought a dehumidifier with optional discharge drain (instead of using the bucket) that drains into the pump and removes it from the house. No buckets needed.

Hmmm interesting the furnace is forced hot air however it's around 40 yrs old, also on the "short list" of things to attack. I do not believe it has anything like this currently but definitely something to look into.

[dpg]

If I were in your situation I would use something similar to this.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_526012-57007-DH-70KP1SLE_0__?k_clickID=b1afc74e-1753-493c-bda4-984e0b7b94de&store_code=1831&productId=50134738&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=%5Bcom.lowes.commerce. storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%407c3d7c3d%5D&storeNumber=1831&kpid=50134738&kpid=50134738&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-SeasonalLiving-_-Dehumidifiers-_-50134738%3AHisense&CAWELAID=&CAWELAID=320011480001749707

Yeah always the stand-by option just was looking for something to more easily blend into the space without looking like such a standout if you will. Would have to figure out the draining aspect, there's a half bath but again don't want to look at such a unit all the time. I'd preferably like something operating behind the scenes but as much out of site as possible. Emptying it myself is out of the question it needs to operate without anyone there.

[dpg]

The Wave system looks like it fits the bill but has as many bad comments as good ones on the web.

[4Fun]

The wave system seems to be just a fan that extracts air out of the basement. If your other rooms have AC it might draw dryer air in to reduce humidity. You could probably rig up a duct fan with a humidistat to get the same result for a fraction of the cost.

A dehumidifier is really the only way to remove moisture in the air. At home we installed a ductless AC last year in our basement but it's just too cold and it short cycles so it's still humid. We have to add a de-humidifier as well.

Our condo a the lake is 1/2 below grade so we run a dehumidifier all the time and it just pumps out automatically. Keeps the RH at 45% and no smell.

There are some built in dehumidifiers from SantaFe and Aprilair but they are around $1500....

[DickR]

Addressing moisture in a basement, to improve building robustness and avoid that musty "basement smell," involves eliminating intrustion of water from outside. Water may be coming in via leaks in the wall or floor due to cracks in the concrete, diffusion through the relatively porous concrete, or it may be simply a matter of exterior humid summer air contacting uninsulated walls that are in contact with cool ground. The ground is apt to remain in the 50s through the summer, while the dew point of summer air typically is above that.

Coating the interior concrete surfaces with a product that seals cracks against leakage and also seals the porous concrete against diffusion can go a long way toward reducing those two sources of moisture.

When contemplating the use of an exhaust fan to remove moist air from the basement, remember that the air removed will be replaced with air leaking into the basement, from either the living space above or the outside. If that replacement air is not dry, then ventilating the basement is a waste of time. Once any leaks via cracks have been eliminated and the surface sealed against diffusion, the next step is to insulate the walls with rigid or spray-applied foam, and finally covering that foam with something like sheetrock for ignition and thermal protection of the foam. The insulation will keep the inside surface above the dew point of the air. The insulation also will make the basement notably warmer in winter and reduce greatly what often is a huge parasitic heat loss to the ground.

For more reading on this, here are a few links:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-insulate-basement-wall

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/design/departments/energy-smart-details/air-sealing-a-basement.aspx

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/fixing-wet-basement

[dpg]

The wave system seems to be just a fan that extracts air out of the basement. If your other rooms have AC it might draw dryer air in to reduce humidity. You could probably rig up a duct fan with a humidistat to get the same result for a fraction of the cost.

A dehumidifier is really the only way to remove moisture in the air. At home we installed a ductless AC last year in our basement but it's just too cold and it short cycles so it's still humid. We have to add a de-humidifier as well.

Our condo a the lake is 1/2 below grade so we run a dehumidifier all the time and it just pumps out automatically. Keeps the RH at 45% and no smell.

There are some built in dehumidifiers from SantaFe and Aprilair but they are around $1500....

When we do (what ever we do) I'd be ok with up around 1,500 if it cured the issue, I'd put that at about my threshold for what I'd want to pay. I've bought $200 units before at home and most of them crap out for one reason or the other in a year or two. One last thing is there any "higher" end dealers for dehumidifiers like the SantaFe in the immediate area? Looking into them it seems you have to buy one approved for colder temperature operation, during the winter we maintain a temp of 45-50 when not there.

[Irrigation Guy]

I've heard those new heat pump water heaters do a pretty good job of keeping humidity down in basements while being a low energy water heater at the same time.

[secondcurve]

The Wave system looks like it fits the bill but has as many bad comments as good ones on the web.

I have one. It does a good job of eliminating the musty smell. I still use a dehumidifier for about 3 months each year. The combination of these two systems does a good jobs for me..

[ITD]

Run a hose from the dehumidifier to a condensate pump like this, then from the condensate pump to a drain or outside. Works great for me.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SM342Q?keywords=condensate%20pump&pebp=1447853183404&perid=843XY32RFCHKG652H9FW&qid=1447853174&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1