I am in the process of finishing my walk out basement. What type of dehumidifier or air purifier should I purchase for the basement? Also how big? My basement is 1000 sq ft. Thanks!
Hopefully your finished basement has walls that have been sealed and insulated effectively reducing the load that may be placed on a dehumidifier. But purchasing a dehumidifier of 40 pints or greater with a digital display which allows you set a desired level of humidity is likely a wise investment. Smaller units may work longer and more continuously to have the desired effect, thus requiring you add a second unit for totally effectiveness, though another factor which may cause you to have 2 units is having wall partitions in you basement which break up the air flow and thus having 2 units, 1 in each large area will better even out the entire basement humidity. Set the desired humidity to 40% or 35% humidity and it will cycle on & off to maintain this level and while keeping at this level will result in no mold or mildew being allowed to grow. Most units have tanks which must be emptied periodically but also allow a hose to be attached which can be run to sump to drain away any excess collected moisture. Because of the size of the basement check the unit information prior to purchasing which often gives a description of the size of space it is capable of handling. I have a unit with the digital readout and once the tank is full it emits a beefing sound informing me that it needs emptying.
Once you purchase and set the unit don't be surprised if it units a fair bit initially to bring down the humidity. But once the level it brought down to the desired level you should note a longer period between cycling on and off. The unit may also cycle on & off more frequently at different times of the year because of outside atmosphere and soil conditions. If you note that the unit seems to run continuously in the beginning for a week or more requiring that it be emptied every day, consider getting a seconding unit and this will lower the load on the unit and bring the humidity down much quicker and save on energy in the long run. Just set the units up in opposite corners of the basement.
Hopefully this info is of some help. Others may have additional suggestions.
You can also google dehumidifer calculator and there should be some results that will let you put in some data and will tell you how big a unit you need.
