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Remove Musty Odors With the Best Dehumidifiers for Basement

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By Woodsmith Review Team
Last updated: 13 Jun 2022

Since basements are located underground, they have the tendency to absorb more moisture and become excessively humid, becoming a breeding ground for dust mites, mold, and mildew. With a humid basement triggering various allergies and even contributing to childhood asthma, a dehumidifier is your best bet to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy.

Dehumidifiers run silently in the background, reducing humidity levels and clearing the air of any rotten stenches present in your basement. However, dehumidifiers often cost serious money, and you don’t want to waste money. Therefore, to help you out, we have combined a list of the top dehumidifiers for basements you can get in 2022 to rid your basement of musty odors and mold.

Top Pick
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hOmeLabs Dehumidifier
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Best Design
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Waykar Dehumidifier
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High Moisture Removal Rate
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Colzer Dehumidifier
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Most Water Storage Capacity
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Vremi Dehumidifier
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Most Cost-Efficient
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Yaufey Dehumidifier
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Show contents
What Is the Great Dehumidifier for Basements in 2022?
  • 1 hOmeLabs Dehumidifier
  • 2 Waykar Dehumidifier
  • 3 Colzer Dehumidifier
  • 4 Vremi Dehumidifier
  • 5 Yaufey Dehumidifier

Buyer’s Guide: Dehumidifiers for Basements

Buying dehumidifiers can be daunting after seeing their price tags in the market. However, if you’re willing to spend a buck or two for this appliance we would suggest carrying out some research as well in order to not get ripped off at the store. To help you out, we’ve gathered below all the information you’ll need before buying the perfect dehumidifier for your home!

Signs Indicating You Need a Dehumidifier

Are you unsure whether a dehumidifier will solve your basement crisis? Well, if you’re basement or room has poor ventilation, it’s quite possible to contain high moisture content in the air. If you don’t have a humidity reader on you, you can always judge excessive moisture if there are water stains and mold on the walls. Another red flag can be musty and rotten smells as they often arise due to hidden mildew in the room. If you’re experiencing such conditions, it’s quite likely that you’re in dire need of a dehumidifier. 

Factors to Consider Before Buying a Dehumidifier

Stats and features can sound confusing sometimes. Here’s what you should be primarily looking for when selecting a dehumidifier for your basements: 

Energy-Star certified

An appliance made to run 24/7 is bound to consume a huge chunk of energy and produce a sizeable electricity bill. However, an Energy-Star certified dehumidifier is guaranteed to save you a ton of energy and keep the electricity bill under control. Further, the certification also makes sure that your appliance manufacturers produce the dehumidifier without releasing harmful emissions from their factories, keeping the environment safe. So if you’re one to care for the environment, this certification should be considered before making your purchase. 

Water storage tank

While searching for the best dehumidifier for your basement, you should make sure that the water capacity of the dehumidifier is fairly high. We believe that a capacity above 1.5 gallons is ideal as you won’t be continuously bugged to clear out the water tank time and time again. Even though the storage tank won’t matter if you’re using a hose to drain out the water, it’s always better to be prepared for anything!

Hose connection

While a large water storage tank can be great, a hose connection for emptying water can save up a good deal of your time. If you’re paying around 300 bucks the least you should expect is a decent-sized hose connection along with a hosepipe to connect with your drain.

Moisture removal rate

You should find a dehumidifier that can remove at least 40 pints of water from an average 1200 ft² room in a day. A slower removal rate would mean that your desired humidity level will take longer to achieve and your dehumidifier will end up costing more electricity. If you live in highly humid environments, we would further advise finding a dehumidifier that can remove 70 pints of water daily. 

Convenience

Many people may overlook this aspect, but a dehumidifier with built-in wheels and handles can make all the difference. You often need to move your dehumidifier from different rooms and built-in wheels can help out a lot. With the weight these appliances are hosting, it’s essential to focus on portability and convenience unless you’re keen on breaking your back. 

Side Effects of a Dehumidifier

If you’re planning to purchase a dehumidifier for your place, you need to look into the cons as well. A dehumidifier can potentially make the air drier than needed, giving rise to skin allergies like eczema or making conditions like pneumonia even worse. To prevent such side effects, we recommend purchasing a dehumidifier with an adjustable humidity level. Ideally, your basement’s humidity should be somewhere between 30-50%. 

How Does Temperature Affect the Dehumidifier? 

Places with a temperature lower than 65 degrees can give a hard time to your dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers work by removing moisture from the air and condensing them to their inner coils. However, for this procedure to work efficiently, the inner temperature of the condenser should be colder than the surrounding air. In case the temperatures are misbalanced, ice and frost can build up inside your dehumidifier, causing it to lose its efficiency. If you live in colder climates, we recommend finding something like the Waykar dehumidifier which features an auto-defrost system to remove any ice inside the appliance. 

How to Get the Most Out of Your Dehumidifier?

Many people complain that their dehumidifiers lose their efficiency after a couple of months of use. However, mostly this performance reduction is owed to dusty air filters inside the dehumidifier. To avoid any such troubles, we recommend regularly cleaning out the air filters at least once a month. For maximum efficiency, you can also make sure that the vents of the dehumidifier aren’t blocked off, restricting the airflow of the fans. 

Desiccant Dehumidifiers

A desiccant dehumidifier tends to be smaller and lighter than the usual compressor variants but consumes more energy per hour. However, the desiccant dehumidifier is definitely more effective at extracting moisture, even in colder environments, as it doesn’t face the usual frosting issue present in compressor dehumidifiers. Moreover, the desiccant materials inside the dehumidifier have no expiry, allowing you to use the appliance without worrying about replacing individual parts. However, desiccant dehumidifiers can be relatively costlier and may consume more energy in warmer climates than their compressor counterparts.

What Is the Great Dehumidifier for Basements in 2022?

1

hOmeLabs Dehumidifier

– Top Pick
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THE SCOOP

The hOmeLabs Dehumidifier is ideal for large basements as it can cover an area of up to 4500 ft². The dehumidifier has a whopping 1.6-gallon storage tank, capable of removing 50 pints of water from the air daily. The dehumidifier allows you to adust the ideal moisture setting for your basement, running for a complete 24 hours before shutting down automatically. The moisture killer even comes with a drain hose outlet if you’re too busy to empty out its water tank daily.

Key Features

Further, the Energy Star-certified machine will make sure to keep your electricity bills in place, even with its turbo mode which features extra fan power to clear out excessive humidity in your basements. Most importantly, with a quiet fan, the dehumidifier won’t be drawing any attention to itself, allowing you to attend your calls without it sounding like you live on a helipad.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Large water storage tank
  • Turbo mode for higher fan speed
  • Automatically shuts down when the water capacity is reached
Cons
  • The large size may make it noticeable in the room
  • Doesn’t include a hose to plug into the drain hose outlet
2

Waykar Dehumidifier

– Best Design
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THE SCOOP

This Waykar machine reduces moisture in a radius of up to 2000 ft², which is more than sufficient for your moldy basements. The dehumidifier is able to remove about 34 pints of water in a day, allowing you to adjust your room’s humidity, ranging from 30% to 85%. Featuring a water storage tank of 2.5 liters, the dehumidifier will automatically switch off if the tank’s filled to the brim so you don’t need to worry about the tank overflowing with water.

Key Features

If you’re finding manual drainage to be a hassle, no need to fret as the dehumidifier also comes with a drain hose outlet along with a hose that you can attach to your drainpipe and forget about emptying out the water tank for days to come. However, if you’re somehow unsatisfied with this behemoth of a machine, Waykar also offers a complete money-back guarantee within 30 days!

Pros
  • Includes a hose for automatic drainage
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Automatic shutdown when water tank is full
  • Adjustable fan speed
Cons
  • Not Energy-Star certified
  • The water storage tank has a low capacity to store water
3

Colzer Dehumidifier

– High Moisture Removal Rate
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Check On Amazon
THE SCOOP

Tired of dehumidifiers removing 50 pints of moisture a day? Well, the Colzer dehumidifier is tested to remove a whopping 70 pints of water from spaces of up to 4500 ft². Further, with a storage tank of 1.2 gallons along with a drain hose for automatic water drainage, you shouldn’t be worrying about water spillage as long as the dehumidifier is alive.

Key Features

Are these features not enough for you? Well, the Colzer also features a “Laundry-Dry” mode to dry out your clothing indoors! Boasting a sleek and modern look, this dehumidifier is perfect for people living in high moisture environments, requiring to dry out the air constantly!

Pros
  • A fairly high moisture removal rate per day
  • Multi-purpose 
  • Includes a 6 ft drainage hose
  • Adjustable fan speed
Cons
  • Not Energy-Star certified
4

Vremi Dehumidifier

– Most Water Storage Capacity
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THE SCOOP

This “Moisture Maniac” from Vremi is capable of removing about 50 pints of water from an area of up to 4500 ft². With the Vremi featuring a monstrous 1.8-gallon water tank, you won’t have to worry about frequently emptying out your dehumidifier. However, if you’re not a fan of clearing out the water tank anyways, you can always use the in-built drain hose outlet to automatically dispose of any water as soon as it’s collected.

Key Features

What’s more, the dehumidifier also includes a separate “Turbo” mode to increase fan speed and dry out your basement even faster. Further, being Energy-Star certified means you won’t be needing to break the bank in order to pay off your electricity bills!

Pros
  • Large water storage tank
  • Energy-Star certified
  • Automatic shutdown when the storage tank is filled
Cons
  • The drain hose for automatic draining needs to be bought separately 
  • Does not include replaceable filters
5

Yaufey Dehumidifier

– Most Cost-Efficient
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Check On Amazon
THE SCOOP

This Yaufey dehumidifier is perfect for your cozy little basements, effectively clearing out moisture in an area up to 1750 ft². Removing around 32 pints of moisture a day, this appliance is perfect for people who own small basements and are looking for a cheap and effective solution for their humidity problems. With a 1.8 liter tank and an automatic shutdown feature, you can enjoy clear air without worrying about the dehumidifier overflowing.

Key Features

Further, the dehumidifier comes with its own hose and a drain plug which you can set up for automatically emptying out any water collected. All in all, this dehumidifier is the most cost-efficient appliance you can get to get the job done without any hassles.

Pros
  • 30-Day Money-Back guarantee 
  • Includes drainage hose
Cons
  • Low water tank capacity
  • Not Energy-Star certified

People Also Asked

Q: What is the ideal humidity level for my basement?

A: The ideal humidity level for an average basement size of around 3000 ft² is around 30-40%. However, this percentage can vary according to the temperature or medical issues.

Q: Is dehumidifier water reusable?

A: The water collected by a dehumidifier should not be consumed by a human or an animal as it can contain traces of harmful elements which can cause illnesses. However, it can be used to water plants or for cleaning purposes.

Q: How loud is a dehumidifier?

A: A dehumidifier with a quiet fan would be as loud as your refrigerator, operating at 50 dB. However, noisy dehumidifiers can be noticeable, roaring like dishwashers at 70 dB of sound.

Q: How long does a dehumidifier last?

A: Residential dehumidifiers can last for about a good 3 to 5 years. However, this life span can increase depending on your usage and regular maintenance. Regularly cleaning the air filter and placing the dehumidifier in an open space can definitely help lengthen its life.

Q: Does the size of the dehumidifier matter?

A: The size of your dehumidifier depends on the room you plan to place it in. Setting down a small dehumidifier in a 1500 ft² basement would probably result in the dehumidifier failing to dry up the area. Consequently, the dehumidifier will suck up more energy and die out earlier than its predicted lifespan.

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By Woodsmith Review Team
The Woodsmith Review Team’s product reviews and in-depth guides are here to help you choose the best tools and gear to build great-looking projects confidently. The content is created by The Woodsmith Review Team. Woodsmith’s editorial staff is not involved. Woodsmith is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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