Humidity Venting

[s219]

Since the OP is in Virginia, venting isn't going to help, and could make it worse (pulling outside humid air into a cool environment). Two things will help -- circulation and dehumidification. A dehumidifier should be very effective.

 

[the old grind]

...Dehumidifier running pretty steady ... ' 65% and above, and the machine tools start to rust. ;-)
We use more electricity in summer keeping things dry than for any other use year round.

Same here. Also firearms in safes and the reloading bench. Learned a long time ago that basements are moisture magnets no matter how they are vented. (see post #21 )

Get a dehumidifier with the option of a hose drain. Since you don't have a basement drain, run the hose drain from the dehumidifier to a Little Giant condensate pump sitting on the floor next to the dehumidifier. Then run the output hose of the Little Giant through a hole in the sill plate outside to a point downhill from the house. You can get a condensate pump like this for under $30.

Little Giant VCMA-15UL 1/5 horsepower 115 volts VCMA Series Automatic Condensate Removal Pump for $35. at National Equipment Parts

^^ This. (Dry-appearing walls don't mean there's no ground moisture working its way in.)

btw, I don't pipe out from my dehumidifier. Daily checks/emptying can be a pain but I always know it's working when spending whole days in the seat vs in the shop. That said, a sump pump in a bucket could also serve a dehumidifier set high enough for the hose drain to fill the bucket. Only comes on when needed, like condensate pump, and requires less observation. Lots of ways to get around not having a floor drain.

 

[RalphVa]

In our experience, the best way to deal with humidity, if you cannot get it down, is air movement. Have fans going in our pool equipment area where humidity runs 70-85% and in our crawl space. The fan in the pool equipment area is on a timer: runs about 30 minutes about every 4 to 6 hours apart. Have 2 fans in the crawl space, plus there's an AC vent (not intake) in there. The crawl space is open to our equipment room for the house where we run a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier works there to keep the humidity below 55% and actually cycles the compressor off. Had a dehumidifier in the (encapsulated, like a swimming pool liner) crawl space, and it absolutely would not budge the humidity below about 70%.

Stuff stays dry and doesn't rust so much with that fan on timer in the pool equipment area.

The equipment area of the house no longer smells with the dehumidifier in it (just had the fans and had tried dehumidifier in crawl space).

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

Oh, our dehumidifier drains (via a hose) to a drain in the equipment space, as it did when it was in the crawl space itself.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

We're also in Virginia.

Ralph

 

[JamesHW]

One solution to no drain I've seen is to place the dehumidifier in an elevated spot and run a short hose into a 5 gallon water bottle that can be lugged out. A small battery moisture alarm can be set to alert when the bottle gets full.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Unfortunately, the cellar does not have a drain. Re air flow, I would be pulling air out of the cellar - the cellar is generally hotter than it is outside -
does that change the model?

It sure does. Almost unbelievable, but if actually hotter just ventilate the basement to outside. Screen door / window etc.

 

[dadster4]

The crawl should have fresh air vents installed around the perimeter outside walls...make sure these are open and clear of obstructions. I would try rigging a box fan temporarily, to exhaust air out of the basement, to see if it helps lower the humidity before spending money on a dehumidifier or installing anything permanent. If in a few days the humidity does drop...you could consider a permanent exhaust fan installation. If the humidity stays high, a dehumidifier may be needed. Encapsulating and insulating the crawl and basement is the best thing to do, but costs big bucks.

 

[sailfast]

Newer crawls are unvented

 

[dadster4]

Newer crawls are unvented

115 year old house is considered new???
Fresh air needs to be supplied for the oil furnace as well.