Congates on the new digs. I would rather have the basment totaly independent of the living quarters. Sun light aliminates odors,air circulation does little more than dilute them. A dehumidifyer in the basement will likly do a lot of good and require nothing else. If you want to fast track it,use a blower to change out basement air with outdoor air at the onset. It's a serviceman's dream keeping a zoned system working right. Plus it's more $$$$ up front at installation.

With your size basement you should do fine with a 70 pint dehumidifier you can buy in Sears or Home Depot. Ideally it should be set up so the condensate can flow into a drain.

Gas hot water heaters are not expensive to operate. So it may not be worth buying the most efficient model. The Energy Star models use a power vent. It required electricity to run. This means in a black out you will have no hot water. The conventional gas models required no electrical supply.

thanks guys! the basement is separated into two rooms.. will the one do it all or does each room need one? also, I plan on getting an april air because the main floor will likely NEED humidity in the winter..is this ok to dehumidify one level and add humidity to another? seems counter intuitive. basement doesn't have windows that open so not sure how to get fresh air down there. Thanks again

erin,are you planning to hands do the basement ventilation or do you intend hireing it done ? Answers to questions you are asking are different depending on what role you are playing and what level of skill you have in construction and hvac.

Do you have a forced hot air system? If yes are there any returns and supplies in the basement?

duplicate post

This post was edited by mike_home on Fri, Oct 11, 13 at 8:15

Ventilating a basement can be counterproductive in warm seasons in humid conditions. The basement can be at a temp below the dew point and you will be importing moisture. A dehumidifier is about the only thing you can do in that case. No windows that open? A dehumidifier will make waste heat so it might get hot down there in the summer. You might need cooling too so maybe a window unit can be fitted to a non-opening window so that it can be removed in the cold season if you have one.

Where do you live? (What is the climate like?)

The need for humidifiers during the winter in temperate climates is greatly minimized if homes are well-sealed. Leaks remove the moisture, that is naturally-generated from living activities, to the outside and let dry outside air in. If you are moving to a high efficiency furnace or boiler from a low efficiency unit, you will have less outside air infiltration. That might be good news for the dry air upstairs, but might be bad for the basement. On the other hand, some basements need dehumidification in the summer and never in the winter.

Dehumidifiers are of two types with very little variation within the two types. There are inexpensive portables on the one hand, and more expensive ducted units. The latter are less costly to run and less costly in the long run. Look at the Energy Star web site for efficiency figures. You should only need one if you leave the door open between the two basement rooms and maybe even if you don't. Get a couple of inexpensive hygrometers and monitor the humidity.

There will be some good water heater info for you to read at the Energy Star web site too. Gas is cheap right now so as mike_home wrote, there is not much incentive to change it for a marginal improvement. (More efficient gas heaters cost a lot more and don't save that much fuel.)

I'd seriously consider hiring a local energy rater to look over your house. They will be familiar with local construction and climate. They will know local energy efficiency programs that might save you some money with rebates or pay for part of the improvements. They can identify the low-hanging fruit for saving money and help you with your moisture problem.

www.resnet.us

thanks to everyone! truly some great info i especially didn't know that it might not be the best use of money to upgrade to a super energy efficient furance. Have that extra money back in the rehab budget will help alot. You guys rock!

I was referring to water heaters not a gas burner for space heating. You have to do so calculations to see if it is worth going to high efficiency for the latter.

I live in a really humid area. If I get a dehumidifier for my basement will I need to get one for the main floor? I've been looking at the Danby DDR30E Dehumidifier . It got good reviews here http://www.squidoo.com/best-basement-dehumidifier but it seems a little small for a whole house.

What is the humidity on the two levels, basement and main? Where is the moisture coming from, all from the outside or is there water liquid or vapor coming through the walls and floor of the basement?