Dehumidifier Buying 101
Adding to the list of my many first purchases as a new homeowner, I went out this past weekend and bought a new dehumidifier for my basement. Until a couple days ago, I knew nothing about dehumidifiers, but after doing some basic research, here is what I learned. The purpose of home dehumidifiers is to keep moisture levels in areas of dampness such as basements and laundry rooms low (around 50% relative humidity is recommended) as excess moisture can foster mold growth. Home dehumidifiers are sized based on the pints of water they remove from the air every 24 hours and most range in size from 30-70 pints. Selecting the proper dehumidifier depends on the area of the space treated along with the dampness level of the particular area. Looking at several charts like the one below from Lowe's, I was able to conclude that based on my basement being relatively dry and only 800 SF in total area, it was best suited for the 30 pint dehumidifier shown below
