Therma-Stor Forum / Residential / Crawlspaces

Sealing My Crawlspace

Lukester — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:21:37 GMT

I would like to seal my own crawlspace, add a dehumidifier to bring down the humidity levels under my house. Does anyone have any guidance, web sites, advice, pointers, etc. Thanks!

duct for reducing vibration and sound

Anthony — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:08:31 GMT

My Santa Fe HC was installed about a mouth ago in my crawlspace.
It has surpassed my expectations of controlling the humidity.
I read in the manual that by attaching a length of duct on the outlet collar can reduce the
airflow noise. Has anyone tried it and do they recommend this or have users found better
ways to reduce the airflow noise.
Also if duct work is the only way to go, are there any recommended materials to use?
Thanks for any help
Anthony

about to purchase the santa fe advance

tommy — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:52:50 GMT

I've been researching many of the posts and crawlspaces.org. I live in NC and experience many of the problems on the forum with a damp crawl and newly installed maple floors (in may) beginning to cup. Sure, my wife and I have the musty smell and occasional sinus infections (we think brought on by the crawl), but our real concern now is the cupping floors as they cost a lot of money to install. we've been in the house just going on two years and the first thing we did when we moved in was install a perimeter drain with a sump in the crawl. it cut down on the water moving through, but the poly isn't covering the entire floor. Now I realize how important sealing the vents and covering the floor is. So I have a few quesitons concerning sealing....

1. we have a gas furnace in the crawl and an electric water heater. I can't get the poly under the units, so any suggestions on sealing around them? also, do I need to vent with this gas furnace? It vents through the roof and I'm assuming pulls air through the returns in the house?

2. I'm thinking of purchasing the sante fe advance, but just wanting to be reassured the increased expense up front is worth it over the $200 home depot units...I read on the website that it can save over $200 a year compared to the consumer brand DHs....How much are these things going to cost to run??? any other reassurance thoughts are appreciated....

thanks for your help.

Santa Fe vs Honeywell DH90

Lukester — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:34:13 GMT

Are they made by the same company? Anyone care to comment on the difference between the two?

Thanks, Luke

Compressor type in Santa Fe Advance?

rb1 — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:56:30 GMT

Quick technical question: Is the compressor in the Advance a reciprocating-type compressor or a scroll compressor?

Thanks.

Automatic Cut-Off of Advance If Condensate...

javellar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:19:50 GMT

I have an Advance in my crawlspace and use a condensate pump to remove the water captured by the Advance. The condensate pump has a safety swtich that can either turn off a furnace or activate an alarm. Currently, I have it connected to an alarm. I would prefer, however, to use the safety swtich to turn off the Advance instead of activating the alarm. What is the best way to connect the condensate pump safety swtich to the Advance to turn it off?

"dirt odor" in basement

dogdoc — Sat, 12 May 2007 22:47:51 GMT

Hi Ken; my new(old hosue) has large crawl that is 100% covered; it is however OPEN to the livable part of the basement; they never sealed the block all the way up and there is a large opening to get in if you need to; as you know my HVAC guy called you and we will be putting in the Ultra Aire 95; there is an existing french drain as well and my inspector says its a dry basement.should the crawl be sealed off from the living space,i.e bricked up to the joists except for a door opening; I cannot figure why this "dirt odor" is so strong; is there humidity under the vapor barrier? Will the dehum. system take care of the problem?dogdoc, Atlanta:w00t:

Use ducting to draw air in from outside, dehumidify, "pressurize" crawlspace?

rb1 — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:37:40 GMT

The subject pretty much says it all. I'm wonder if this would be worthwhile.

I have a Santa Fe Advance, and during the day the outside air is dry enough to "help" with the crawlspace moisture (the dehumidifier cycles), but at night when the humidity outside goes up, the unit will run continuously at some point.

I was wondering about ducting one of the vents and blowing the dehumidified air into the crawlspace. Of course more work is required to dehumidify this air when it is moist outside, but the dehumidified air would also actually displace the moist air in the crawlspace and prevent other air incursions.

With the input at 100% R.H. and 70 degrees, any idea what the temperature and R.H. of the output would be?

Of course, if this is just a bad idea, then that's good answer also, but if the output above is anywhere near 50%, seems like it might work.

Santa Fe HC pan leaking

Julian — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:42:46 GMT

I have noticed that there is a small puddle of water under my HC and now I will have to pull it out of my crawl space to inspect/repair has anyone had this type of problem with the pan leaking?Julian

95% Humidity

susan0101 — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 15:02:07 GMT

The man that unstalled the vapor barrier put down 6 mil instead of 9 mil - which is what I requested. My husband crawled around yesterday and noticed several spots where there are rips also. The hygrometer is reading 95%!! It has been rainy here in Charlotte NC for two days, but I thought the humidity would go down from the 80's to at least the 60's when the vapor barrier was installed. The earth was uncovered for about a week without any v.b. I called the Thermastor 800# and discovered that I need to find a dealer in my my area - not just anyone can buy a Santa Fe. The hardwood floor dealer is paying for some of the expense to install the dehumidifier and he's hired a local HVAC company to do the job. I want to pay the difference and have a Santa Fe installed. My concern is, will he know where to find a distributor? Here are my questions: 1. What should we use to repair the rips in the V.B? 2. Will this local HVAC co. be able to purchase the Santa Fe for me, or do I need to order it through the 800#? 3. How long will it take to receive if I have to order it? 4. How quickly will we see a reduction in humidity? 5. What materials should we use to seal up the crawl vents? Thanks so very much!! Susan

Problems Continue w/Crawl

susan0101 — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:20:48 GMT

Since my last post we've installed French drains to ensure water is staying out of crawl. The man who did the work suggested "drying" out the crawl space after removing the current 4 mil vapor barrier which covered only about 80% of the space. After pulling up the old vapor barrier, he placed two fans in the crawl and hoped to dry it out. Well, we placed a hygrometer in there a week before this work began and were shocked to see it shoot up to 86% humidity after he removed the v.b. We've received estimates of $6,800-8,000 to encapsulate the crawl space. Way out of our budget. If we put a 9 mil vapor barrier with 100% coverage, seal the vents and put a Santa Fe in, will it do the trick? Or, do we need to seal up the whole crawl space? Also, if encapsulation is the only answer, has anyone out there attempted to do this themselves?Thanks! Susan

Trouble with Sante Fe Advance...

rb1 — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:37:49 GMT

My 6-month old Santa Fe advance was acting up yesterday. Ambient conditions (per remote sensor) were 57F and 53% R/H, so it was near the minimum temperature range for the unit.Anyway, the fan was running, but the compressor wouldn't start. I could hear it trying to start about once per minute (a compressor-like sound lasting around 1 second during which the lights dimmed briefly), then it stopped. After I noticed it doing this, I turned the unit off.I wasn't sure if this is because of the temperature, or because of some other problem with the unit. It hasn't run much lately because it's winter, but I've had the dial set to where it was typically maintaining about 55% humidity at 70F, so I didn't have it turned down excessively.Any thoughts?

Question about my nearly finished crawlspace..

fishandfly — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:15:52 GMT

Hey guys.I wish I had found this forum prior to starting my project six months ago. When we moved into the home it had a slight moisture issue in the crawlspace which originated from poor drainage in one location in the back of the house. After heavy rains their would always be a small puddle in the back corner of the crawlspace.Here's what I've accomplished so far.-Installed trench drain and drain box which stopped the puddles from forming-Hepa vacuumed slight surface mold that existed in the floor joists-Removed all insulation from crawlspace -Sprayed everything down with microban (a commercial product that inhibits future mold growth)Then, I installed a 15 mil vapor barrier called stego wrap. Sealed it all upInstalled $200 sears dehumidifier which is piped out of the crawlspaceInstalled lighting for ease of future work in the crawlspace.==Now here's my issue. After 6 months my wife still complains about a faint "crawlspace" smell in our house. I keep the humidity around 65 percent. According to crawlspaces.org I don't need insulation in the floor anylonger since the entire space is essentially a climate controlled area, but is that lack of insulation allowing smells from the crawlspace to come directly into the 1st floor living area?Thanks[img]http://matlosz.com/images/Crawlspace/1.jpg[/img][img]http://matlosz.com/images/Crawlspace/2.jpg[/img][img]http://matlosz.com/images/Crawlspace/5.jpg[/img][img]http://matlosz.com/images/Crawlspace/7.jpg[/img]The images above need to be copy/pasted in the address bar since it seems the forum blocks images from being displayed. sorry.

Initial Florida crawl space plans - firt timer

rangerman — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:31:48 GMT

Hello, thank you for running this forum. I purchased an early 60's pier and beam home in Ocala, FL. 2 years ago and have spent some time underneath. Up until a few months ago I had not noticed mold. Recently I decided to check and noticed near the entrance that some white mould is now growing on the joists, and on the surface of the ground. The home is on a tiny bit of slope, and some of the vents are actually below grade. I plan on covering the earth asap.Questions:1. I cannot afford a dehu. just now. Should I close off the vents after covering the earth without a dehu?2. The home is approx. 1800 sq ft. When I get a dehu what size/brand are recommended.3. I'm under the impression that I should rent or buy a fogger and fog the crawl space with moldstat to kill existing molds. Will these buy me time until I can afford a dehu? Currently in FL. the humidity has dropped with the colder temps to 30-50% but I want to get pro-active about future problems and my families health.Any advice appreciated.Tom in FL

crawl space moisture

kent — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:12:08 GMT

hi, I have excess moisture in my old house (~ 1930s). It has a very small cellar and the rest is a crawl space that is only about 16 inches and includes plenty of barriers such as ducts and plumbing, and has only 2 vents. It seems that it would be good to place a vapor barrier and possibly close vents and possibly add a dehumidifier BUT due to the low crawl space it would be somewhere between extremely difficult to impossible to install a vapor barrier. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Odor in crawl space

Tom — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:40:38 GMT

I live in Colorado and just this year have started to experience a musty/mildewy odor in my crawl space. I have a half basement and half crawl space under the house. The crawl space is approximately 700 square feet in size. This odor is carried through the whole house when the furnace runs because the return air duct runs through the crawl space. The crawl space has always had some moisture in the dirt about three feet in from the west foundation in the summer due to a high water table in this area. It has always dried up in the winter and has not given me any problems until this year. A previous owner installed a french drain in part of the crawl space and the odor is coming from the rocks in the french drain. It was minor to start with and I thought that I would eliminate it so I sprayed the rocks with a solution of one gallon water to one gallon Clorox. This seemed to aggrivate the problem as the musty/mildewy odor got considerably worse. The next step was to put lights and a fan in the crawl space to dry out the rocks and air out the space. This has only marginally helped. The next step was to put baking soda on the rocks to try to absorb the odor. This doesn't seem to be helping. What can I do to eliminate whatever is giving me this odor and neutralize the smell? I hesitate to put down plastic because the area would never dry out in the winter if it was completely covered. I have two vents above the sill plate in the crawl space that I try to close off in the winter to conserve the heat under the floor but I will not be able to do this if this odor presists. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Tom

P Trap and dead spaces

mrlittlemiller — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 17:27:14 GMT

Hi -We live at the Oregon coast on a lake, so we have considerable mositure year round, even when it isn't raining. Our air is saturated for eight months of the year. We are in the process of midigating foundation rot from a pioria condition and we want to make sure this condition does not return. Probable cause was poor construction in that paticular location along with dead air space plus plenty of mositure. Our ground is dirt coverd with plastic (will need some repair after the midgation is complete) and then a layer of 3/4 minus. We are considering a Sante Fe HC for our crawlspace. It is located on a slope and ranges from 36" to 72" in heigt. It is around 1600 sq ft (hard to measure most everything is round. There are some total dead spaces that are causing the real problem. I know I can duct the unit to get more circulation, but I have several locations that would still need some type os circulation help because they are awkward corners seperated by walls that keep air from flowing through the area. Would seperate circulation fans directed at those paticular locations help move that dank air out to the dehumifier? OR can the unit's duct system be split to accomodate several areas? If so would we be sucking the wet air out or blowing the dry air in?Also, we'd like to connect our hose drain to a 1/2 pvc pipe that gravity drains our a/c to an outside location. There is no p trap. Can you describe what you mean by install a p trap near the dehumidifier.Thank you for your help.J

70 pint DH too small???

JQ3 — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:10:09 GMT

I had standing water in my crawlspace. The crawlspace is about 1500 sq.ft. with a parimeter drain that drains to a sump in the corner of the crawlspace. There's 6 mil plastic that covers about 95% of the crawlspace. The plastic totally covers the interior of the perimeter drain, but it does not extend over the drain(rock trench with corrugated pipe) up the sides. The drainage system definitely has solved the problem of the standing water. Afterwards, I could tell that the humidity was still high. So I purchased a Whirlpool 70 pint(AD70USS) low temp DH & a %RH wireless meter with 3 remote sensors. I placed one east end, west end & one off-center. Closed off all the vents. After running a week without shutting off the sensor closest to the DH got as low as 48%, the sensor on the other end got as low as 55-60% and the off-centered one stays between 60-65%. There's duct work running all over the place. I thought a 70 pint DH would be sufficient for a 1500 sqft. crawlspace. Is it really too small! I know this is a Therma-Stor forum, but do I really need to spend $1100 for a DH! I just bought the Whirlpool DH for $219 + extended warranty for $30. If I have to shell out a grand I guess I will...OUCH that even hurts to type!Thanks for any help!!

Crawl space moisture issues

susan0101 — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 14:58:49 GMT

We live in Charlotte, NC and moved into a 5 yr. old house in June. We had 750 sq. ft of hdwd floors installed immediately. Our home inspector found moisture readings in May to be between 12-15% and the flooring contractor didn't take moisture readings of the subfloor before installing floors. Within 10 weeks every piece of wood has cupped. We've since determined that the moisture readings in the subfloor are reading 17-20% in October. They could have been higher in July/Aug. We're also noticing a musty smell coming through several areas of the first floor. I'm finding out now, that condensation on the upstairs windows could be an indicator of a moist crawl. 80% of the crawl is covered w/a moisture barrier. We plan on correcting it to be 100%. We're also planning on installing a dehumidifier and automatic vents. I've had several contractors take a look and none have recommended a french drain, but all recommend moving downspouts further away from the house. My questions are, should we be looking at containing the crawl and sealing it, or should additional grown cover, humidifier, auto vents be enough? Our house is 3360 sq. ft. What size dehumidifier should we install and what type of humidistat do you recommend? Should we also install a dehumidifier for the first floor onto the HVAC system? Thank you!

Sealed crawl & Radon

susan0101 — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:32:15 GMT

I've had some HVAC folks tell me that closing vents and sealing a crawl space increases the risk of higher than normal radon levels. I'm getting so many contradictory statements that I'm very confused about what to do to resolve the moisture issues in my crawl space and home. Has anyone else heard of this? Have any of you installed a dehumidifier and used automatic vents with success?? Thank you!

Just installed the Santa Fe Advance

Russell — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:32:06 GMT

Installed the Santa Fe Advance yesterday and it has not cut off yet. I set the humidistat to the normal setting. I have all the vents closed and plastic covering about 90% of the ground. I do not have any standing water in the crawl space. How long should it take to bring down the %RH to the normal setting? I have been looking at the drain hose and it appears that very little water is coming out. I checked the unit and it appears to be working but it is just not putting out much water.

How to attach plastic to concrete block walls?

tkokjohn — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:32:46 GMT

Egg Harbor, WI Home with dirt crawlspace about 3-4 feet high, mostly above ground level.Next week I am planning on working on my crawl space. The crawlspace is approx 2100 square feet. I have purchased lots of 6mil plastic and will glue and tape the seams.I am planning on using an adhesive to glue the plastic to the walls.I bought Tiger Foam spray foam insulation that I am going to use to seal all around the floor joists around the entire foundation.Am installing a low-temp (75 pints/day) Comfortaire dehumidifier with a condensate pump and have the hose go out of the crawlspace onto the ground outside.I also have a remote humidity meter that I will use. I am sealing all vents (wood covers and spray foam behind).I also had gutter installed.I have a couple questions:1) Is there anything else that you can recommend that I do? 2) How do you attach the plastic to the concrete block walls? Should I just use the adhesive and glue it to the walls? Or should I use something like a 1 by 2 board and screw it into the blocks? Any feedback is helpful! Your forum is terrific help for those of us looking to do this ourselves!

Santa Fe PVC Condensation Line

jpopeva — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:22:56 GMT

I have a 30 foot PVC condensation line on my Santa Fe Advance in my crawl space. There is a gurgling sound coming from the line outside. Does the line need a P-trap? Also, the line has condensation on the outside of the pvc at 80 degrees and 69% RH in crawl space.

Crawl Space Dilemna

Troy — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:31:36 GMT

Ken -In my basement I have a 19foot x 7 foot high mound of dirt that is currently covered by a 6 mil polyurethene plastic sheet. I want to evacuate this area and then install an anti-moisture basement system so that I can finish the basement area and use it as livable space. I am not sure if this is truly a "crawl space" as it is surrounded on 3 sides by concrete walls and the fourth side opens up into the remainder of the basement. Please advise. What should I do?

Crawl space odor! Floor Furnace Dilemma

Amy — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:37:35 GMT

Hi Ken,I’ve read a ton of the archives, but still a bit confused about my own situation. I just purchased a small single level beach cottage (about 700 sq ft) a little over a block from the beach at the Jersey shore. I’m having a hell of a hard time with musty odors (very offensive) and a general dampness inside. It’s obvious the odor is coming from the crawl space as you can REALLY smell it when you open the bathroom sink vanity (gaping hole where pipes come up from crawl) and when you stand near the vents outside (in the block foundation wall). I have not been in the crawl space myself (bugs! big bugs!) but I know that there is a vapor barrier down (don’t know what mil though) and know that there is not any standing water. There are several vents - can’t say right now if they are open or closed, but I believe open because I need to have adequate air circulation because of the propane floor furnace that is down there. The heater hangs in the crawls space and heats through a grate in the middle of the floor of the main room. So, closing the vents is not an option for me, except perhaps during the summer months when the heater is not running (however, the pilot light is left on year round – don’t know if that still requires open vents). I was thinking of putting down an additional 6 mil sheet over the plastic that is already there and considering affixing it to the foundation walls (below the vents) with wood strips and caulk. Other than this idea, what would you recommend given the heater dilemma? If you are going to recommend a dehumidifier, would one from a home center suffice (given the small footage) and how would I get the collected water out without having to empty it myself (I don’t think there is any type of drain down there to snake a hose to)? Like another poster, I too am concerned about the noise such a unit would cause. Thanks so much for your expert advice. Given the amount of posts, this issue seems to plague a lot of us!Best, Amy

Crawl Space RH

jpopeva — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:42:25 GMT

I have just put down plastic sheeting and the Advance Dehumidifier. The vents are all sealed except one the contractor missed. We had a lot of humidity in the house (70%) for several weeks and a bad A/C drain line. The crawl space seems to remain at 79 degrees and 69% RH. Inside RH is now 55% (feels good). It is hot and humid outside in Wilmington, NC. Hoping the crawl space will dry out more or do I need to seal the whole crawl space? Thanks.

What unit for crawl space

chrisv — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:53:57 GMT

Great to find this source of information on the Santa Fe Units.I have around a 1800 squ. feet crawlspace under a ranch in central kentucky. My wife is allergic to mold and the moisture in the crawl space is causing mold in some of our duct work. The average height in the crawl space is 30 inches. I am planning on the following steps.1. Make sure plastic covers all earth and overlap and tape all seams.2. Paint the walls with a masonry sealer.3. Seal off all vents.4. Install either the HC or the Advance.I have the following questions.1. Which unit would be the correct size for us?2. What needs to be done for noise reduction.3. When the humidity drops will the mold die or do I need to spray something in the ducts first?4. Does the unit come with all installation instructions? One of the posts mentioned the need for a P-trap.

wood warp danger? drying too quick

steveh — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 14:01:38 GMT

Is there any danger lowering the rh too quick causing wood to warp or are the local pest control people trying to scare me. I want to get a SF Advance and do it myself

plastic in crawl space

nick7nc — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 18:58:06 GMT

Orkin guy put plastic in my crawl space 2 months ago. I have been told to put plastic from few people, but the Orkin guy told me that the moisture in the crawl space is normal and I do not have to do it.Did I do something wrong ?! Now looks i have more moisture than before (under the plastic)The house has been without plastic since it was build - 12 years ago.Thanks Nick

Open or Closed?

wptski — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:43:52 GMT

For every article that find that states to vent a crawl space, you'll find another that says to close it! One site states to control humidity, purchase their auto-vent fan gadget that opens when needed and closes when not needed!From what I gather, I guess that it constantly changes, so you either make the continuous changes, somehow or keep it constant or under control somehow.My sister purchased a 15 year old cottage with a crawl space a while back. I asked her if the crawl space ground was covered. The answer was yes and they had it closed. Inspected one day, it was all wet, so they left it open and two weeks later, it was dry. They are leaving it open now and since it's 15 years old and nothing bad has happened, their not going to woory about it!! Seems like a bad attitude to take, right??Seems like crawl spaces are a PITA but are a fact of life!I provided a link for them to the Sante Fe Advance which I have in my basement.

Humid Crawl Battle continues

pctekk — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:32:41 GMT

Long story but I'll try the short version. Need your opinion. Newer home, foundation settlement problems first yr, moisture issues in crawlspace and some water infiltration after heavy rain. I extended gutter downspouts, and a couple other exterior tweaks and water infiltration is at a minimum for now. Put 6 mil barrier on crawl floor I have not sealed the seams or fastened up foundation wall yet. I have not sealed the vents. Placed temp/hygro sensor in crawl to monitor temp/humidity. Im averaging about 70% hu and 71 temp. Outside air temp is 93, humidity is 31%. It didnt seem to matter if crawl vents were open or not but I only closed them for 24 hrs. Not sure if I have to wait very long to see some change or not ? The lowest I have seen the humidity is 67% probably. Inside house temp @ 75 humidity 48-50%. Whats my next steps to get humidity levels in crawlspace down to 50-55%.

Water in Central AC duct insulation

royl1981 — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 14:28:46 GMT

I have a problem with water getting in the crawspace after a heavy rain and moisture under the house.While under the house after a heavy rain, I noticed the insulation around the central heat/ac supply duct was sagging and dripping. After further inspection, I discovered that the insulation was holding water - enough that when you poked a hold in the insulation at the bottom a 1/2 cup of water would drain out. My questions are: Was the build of water caused by normal condensation, or excessive condensation due to the water getting in the crawl space, or did the flood water soak the insulation from the outside? And did I do the the right thing cutting the insulation along the bottom to allow it to dry?I'll return for the solution to the larger problem.

whole house vs crawl space

chaffin — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 14:23:35 GMT

We have been in our current house for about 4 years. I have done much work in eliminating water issues in crawlspace including adding drainage along footing, and applying plastic on dirt. I have also closed all the vents. I have noticed moisture, but no water in crawlspace for over a year now. I purchased a humidistat to monitor humidity and have noticed crawl space was around 95% and inside house is around 50-60 % depending on outside humidity. I rented a dehumidifier and placed in crawl space and it has reduced crawlspace to around 60%( i am sure this unit is too small for my crawl space. My question is, will lowering the humidity under my house decrease humitidy inside, or can I run a duct from inside (floorvent) a large dehumidifier in crawl space. I would guess my crawlspace is about 2000 sq ft and less than 3 foot tall. What would you recommend. I think after many hrs of hard nasty work, I about have this issue resolved. thanks Les

Questions about new Advance dehumidifer, duty cycle?

rb1 — Wed, 03 May 2006 19:22:26 GMT

I have tried several dehumidifers in a 2000 square foot crawlspace in Georgia. None have succeeded in maintaining a 50% humidity level for an entire day. The crawlspace is fully lined with more than 1 layer of heavy plastic (10 or 20 mil). After I started the Advance yesterday, I started sealing some (but not all, as there is a gas water heater that needs combustion air so I left one open) of the crawlspace vents. After about 90 minutes, the Advance cycled off with the humidity between 48 and 53% depending on which of 3 remote stations I was monitoring. However, it cycled back on an hour or so later and has been running continuously since (about 14 hours now). Over night, the humidity levels at the 3 locations were 52%, 48%, and 62% (better than the last dehumidifer at the first two spots)A few questions:1. Is it OK for the unit to run continuously (or say 80-90%) of the time during the warm months? It seems to be operating OK -- plenty of drainage, warm air from exhaust, condensate hose cold enough to sweat. 2. I used a 1/2 inch garden hose (cut) instead of the plastic hose, and configured a trap as recommended. (Best placement of the unit is about 15 feet from the sump, so I need 20 feet of hose). This seems to be working fine but I wanted to be sure this is OK.3. The crawlspace for is uneven, and hence getting the unit level is difficult. The level indicator is not obviously in any shaded area,but the unit is basically tilted down towards the drain port (so the bubble is up against the very front of the indicator in the clear triangle). I assume this is also OK. Note that it has been the pattern with this (and perhaps all crawlspaces) that the humidity is highest first thing in the morning, and then it drops all day until it will bottom out around sunset, and then slowly climb through the night. I guess this is because the air that infiltrates during the day is warmer and dryer, so maybe this is the best I can hope for.

Winter Operation

dfj — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 12:07:10 GMT

I have the Santa Fe Advance in the crawlspace maintaining 50% RH. As winter is coming, I am not sure what the temperature will be in my crawlspace, although I am monitoring it. Is there anything I need to do with the Advance for winter operation, for example, installing a thermostat to turn it off below a certain temperature? If so, what cut off temperature?ThanksDFJ

Raining in crawl!!!

dfj — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 20:08:55 GMT

I have a 3000 sqare foot house in southeastern Virginia. The crawl space turns so there are wings. I have poly on the ground. Two air conditioning systems - lots of ductwork. All vents are open, and I have placed fans in a few locations wiithout much improvement. Some areas seem to stay dry, but in some areas it is literally raining there is so much moisture. Water drips from the AC ductwork. The dew point is currently 79 degrees F. Would you recommend a dehumidifier, and if so how many?Thanks

Sizing Dehumidifier by Square Footage

javellar — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 13:53:01 GMT

I have a crawl space that is 3500 sq feet but the height is only about three feet. Since the volume of air is 3/8 of a customary eight foot high room ceiling, do I reduce the 3500 square feet by 3/8 (1312.5 sq feet) to size a dehumidifier for my crawl space?

Dehumidifier Best?

dfj — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 12:42:49 GMT

A dehumidifier certainly does the job in the crawlspace, but it sure is exspensive in electricity to operate. Your unit is the most cost effective. What is your opinion of the Humidex technology?(www.humidexatlantic.com)This technology takes conditioned (dry) air from the living space in the house and blows it into the crawlspace and then exhausts it through an external vent. Basically adds the crawlspace to the heating and AC system. The air conditioning system basically becomes the dehumidifier for the crawlspace.What do you think?

Condensate Pump for SantaFe Regular

dk1047 — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 01:56:07 GMT

I am going to install my brand new SantaFe (Regular not RX) near the back of my crawl space. I have a "floor" drain in an interior drainage system designed to allow me to input the condensate directly into the system. However, I tried that and the cement just seems to get damp around it and I suspect the amount of condensate let out by the SantaFe in insufficient to carry to the sump pump, about 75 feet away.Therefore, I was considering installing a condensate pump on the CS floor to drain the condensate directly outside. However, I have been having problems with the gravity drainage of the unit due to the relatively low placement of the output and its tendency to kink if not placed almost straight out (per instructions).Could you recommend a specific type/brand of condensate pump for this specific application?Would a regular or "low boy" be best? I am thinking about the "Little Giant" VCMA-20ULS, a regular unit, or the Model VCC-20ULS (55420" units. Both have 20-foot vertical lift and cost about the same.Thanks!

1/2 Basement/Crawlspace Dehumidification

DHL — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 00:14:07 GMT

I have a summer home on a lake in upstate NY where dampness in the "basement/crawlspace" has caused cupping in a new hardwood floor. The space is about 1000 sq ft with a concrete floor and block walls, about 4' of headroom. There is seepage in one corner caused by runoff from the granite facewall behine the house. There is a french drain, but I don't think I can divert all the moisture. I also have condensation and some seepage where the well pipe comes into the basement. There is no sump.Your most recent post identified a new model, the Advantage, that sounds like what I need. Agree? Also without a sump, I will have to pump out the condensate. Any recommendations on particular pumps, systems or setups? Thanks,David