Crawl Space Dehumidifiers
Crawl Space Humidity Control Services
Humidity and water vapor may not seem harmful in open spaces, but they can cause serious problems in your crawl space. High humidity levels can damage your home’s structure, affect your health, and increase your energy bills. To prevent these issues, you need a special device that can keep the air in the crawl space dry and fresh. This device is called a crawl space dehumidifier, and it is a vital part of crawl space waterproofing. A crawl space dehumidifier works by removing excess moisture from the air and maintaining a healthy humidity level in your foundation. This way, you can avoid the negative effects of long-term moisture exposure, such as mold growth, wood rot, pest infestation, and foundation cracks. These effects can spread throughout your home and require costly repairs if left untreated. Therefore, investing in a crawl space dehumidifier is a smart decision for your home’s safety and comfort.
What is a Crawl Space Dehumidifier?
A crawl space dehumidifier is a device that removes excess moisture from the air in your crawl space. A crawl space under your home allows access to plumbing, wiring, and ventilation systems. A crawl space dehumidifier draws in humid air and passes it through a refrigerated coil that condenses the water vapor and blows out dry air. The collected water is either drained to a sump pump or a floor drain or pumped out to the exterior with a condensate pump.
How Moisture Gets Inside Your Crawl Space
- Plumbing leaks: Plumbing leaks are one of the most obvious sources of moisture in your crawl space. Leaking or burst pipes can release water into your crawl space and create puddles or flooding. Plumbing leaks can also damage your insulation, wiring, and plumbing systems.
- Soil: Soil is another major source of moisture in your crawl space. Uncovered soil can evaporate water into the air and increase the humidity level in your crawl space. Wet soil outside your crawl space can also seep through the foundation walls and create dampness.
- Foundation walls: Foundation walls can also contribute to moisture in your crawl space. Cracks or gaps in the foundation walls can allow water to enter your crawl space from rain, snow, or groundwater. Foundation walls can also absorb moisture from the soil and transfer it to the air.
- Foundation vents: Foundation vents are openings in the crawl space walls that are supposed to allow air circulation and prevent moisture buildup. However, foundation vents can also let humid air from outside enter your crawl space and condense on the cooler surfaces inside. Foundation vents can also allow pests and debris to enter your crawl space.
Why Your Crawl Space Needs a Dehumidifier
Your crawl space needs a dehumidifier because high humidity levels can cause a lot of problems for your home and your health. Some of the common issues caused by excess moisture in your crawl space are:
Mold and Mildew Growth
Mold and mildew thrive in damp and dark environments, such as your crawl space. They can produce spores that can contaminate the air in your home and cause allergic reactions, asthma attacks, respiratory infections, and other health problems.
Wood Rot and Structural Damage
Moisture can also damage the wooden components of your crawl space, such as girders, bands, joists, subfloor, and flooring. Moisture can cause wood to warp, crack, rot, or decay. This can compromise the strength and stability of your home’s structure and lead to costly repairs or even collapse.
Pest Infestation
Moisture can also attract pests such as termites, carpenter ants, rodents, insects, and snakes. These pests can damage your home’s structure, insulation, wiring, and plumbing. They can also carry diseases and create unpleasant odors.
Weird Smells
Moisture can create musty or foul smells in your crawl space and home. These smells can be unpleasant and embarrassing for you and your guests. They can also indicate a serious moisture problem that needs to be addressed.
Crawl Space Dehumidifier FAQs
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If your energy bills are high, then you might be worried about getting a crawl space dehumidifier. While it is true that a dehumidifier uses energy to work, if you have the right dehumidifier, it can actually help you reduce your energy bills. Doing your research and choosing the right foundation experts that can provide you with the best dehumidifier is what will lead you to a more energy efficient home.
How a Dehumidifier Works
Dehumidifiers absorb moisture via fans and then guide the humid air to its coils. The coils are significantly cooler than the warm air, and the contrast between temperatures creates a dew point in which the moisture in the air turns into condensation. The water droplets created from the condensation are then collected and drained out.
Dehumidifiers don’t run constantly. They go through cycles in which they absorb the air, so you won’t have to worry about a device in your crawl space constantly taking up energy. There are some dehumidifiers that do require a lot of energy consumption to run, but these tend to be ones that are poorly made. If you have the right dehumidifier, then you won’t have to worry about your energy bills.
Energy-Efficient Dehumidifier
The dehumidifier we swear by at RhinoLift is one of the most energy efficient dehumidifiers on the market. It meets and exceeds the ENERGY STAR® efficiency requirements. It also cycles 90% less than conventional dehumidifiers despite absorbing more water on a daily basis.
Our dehumidifier can help lower your energy bills because it purifies and cools down the air in your crawl space. By keeping things in your foundation cool, the air that rises into your home isn’t warm enough to fight against the AC’s air. With a dehumidifier in place, you might find yourself using your AC less and even keep it running at a higher temperature, effectively lowering the energy consumption around your home.
Humidity in a crawl space is all about balance. Too much humidity, and mold and insects will run rampant. Too little humidity, however, and you could suffer from some serious health problems.
Why Extremely Dry Air Is Bad
Extremely dry air is just as bad as humid air. Dry air can cause many of the same health problems as mold spores. Dry air can cause bronchitis, nosebleeds, and trigger eczema flare-ups. Because of how cold it can get in Charlotte, many homeowners suffer these health problems during the winter since the dry air.
You definitely don’t want your crawl space air to be too dry. Certain kinds of bacteria actually thrive in dry environments, so too far on the other end of the spectrum will actually cause other kinds of problems. Because the conditions of your crawl space have such a huge impact on your home, it’s important to be conscious of the humidity levels in your crawl space to keep you home safe.
Setting The Humidity Levels
It’s important that you keep the humidity levels in your home between 30 and 60%. Any lower, and the crawl space air will be way too dry. Any higher than that and you will have moisture problems. Ideally, you’ll want to keep your humidity levels at around 55%. You might have to change the settings on your crawl space dehumidifier depending on the season, since the humidity levels rise and fall throughout the year.
If you really want to make sure that the humidity levels in your crawl space are right, then you can always speak to our experts as they install the dehumidifier. They will be able to explain how the unit is set up, how it works, and how you can adjust the settings. You also can get an annual maintenance checkup to make sure that your humidity levels are adequate.
A dehumidifier is a crucial part of any waterproofing system, especially in Charlotte. However, it is only a part of what is a network of waterproofing devices and solutions that keep your foundation dry and healthy.
Why a Dehumidifier Isn’t Enough
Dehumidifiers absorb the moisture in the air, but they are not drainage systems. They are unable to handle flooding and can do nothing about the groundwater that surrounds your foundation. Humidity in the air isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when you have a crawl space, so handling drainage issues is another thing to consider if you want your crawl space to be structurally sound.
Charlotte’s humid subtropical climate means that summers are rainy and humid. Without the right waterproofing solutions in place, your crawl space will flood. A crawl space with standing water will always have moisture, insect, and mold problems, even with a dehumidifier, which is why other solutions need to be implemented.
Other Waterproofing Solutions
The other waterproofing solutions you may need for your crawl space are a sump pump, an interior drainage system, and a vapor barrier. An interior drainage system will handle the groundwater and any moisture that permeates through the concrete walls. The drain can be connected to the sump pump so that all the water goes out the same way. The sump pump will collect any water that gets inside the crawl space. It converts electricity into hydraulic energy, so it’s able to reliably drain out all the water.
A vapor barrier is a sheet of thick plastic that is used to cover the walls, floor, and support columns of the crawl space. By encapsulating the crawl space, you prevent water from flowing in and out. Not only that, but vapor barriers are impermeable, so by applying them to the walls and floor, water vapor is stopped from entering the foundation and raising the humidity levels.
Contact Us For Professional Crawl Space Repair Services In Charlotte and the Surrounding Areas
As a reputable foundation repair company serving Charlotte, NC, and surrounding areas, RhinoLift is dedicated to providing top-notch services to homeowners facing foundation damage concerns. Our team of skilled contractors understands the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of our clients and the longevity of their homes. We offer complimentary inspections and detailed service quotes to Charlotte homeowners, allowing us to accurately assess the extent of the foundation damage and provide an effective repair plan. You can trust us to implement the best strategy tailored to your specific needs, whether it’s addressing bowing walls, tilting walls, or other foundation issues.
Contact our RhinoLift Foundation & Crawl Space Repair team by calling 888-758-3735 to schedule an appointment. You can also click the button below to fill out our online contact form for a free crawl space inspection.
