Forked over $250 for a dehumidifier to fix my crawlspace mold problem

I got tired of my crawlspace smelling like a wet basement and saw some black spots forming on the joists. Figured I'd drop $250 on one of those mid-range dehumidifiers from the hardware store to dry things out. Set it up on a timer to run six hours a day and checked back after two weeks. The mold got worse, not better, because the thing just recirculated damp air without draining right in that tight space. Ended up spending another $80 on a proper vent fan and some vapor barrier plastic to actually fix the airflow issue. The dehumidifier now sits in my garage collecting dust. Has anyone else had better luck with those units or am I just picking the wrong setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_harris252d ago

$250 for a dehumidifier and it made things worse? That's rough.

the_lee2d ago

Man I had the EXACT same problem last year with a cheap one from a big box store. What finally helped me was getting a unit with a built-in pump so I could run the drain line straight to a floor drain. Once the water had a way to get OUT of the house on its own instead of filling a bucket, the humidity levels actually started dropping for real.