If you live in a humid climate or have a basement that naturally has high moisture content, you probably want to invest in one of the best dehumidifiers for basements. A basement dehumidifier can significantly reduce the damp, musty feeling in a room and keep the air healthy and comfortable to live in. Dehumidifiers are also great for protecting furniture and belongings that can be harmed by too much moisture in the air. In addition, humidity is a breeding ground for mold, mildew and bacteria and it can cause damage to wood support beams or wooden floorboards.

The dampness in basements isn’t just unpleasant — it can cause structural problems that are often not seen until they are too late. The dampness can eat away at caulking and mortar and can make concrete cracks bigger. It can also rot wooden support beams, drywall and paneling. If this happens, you will need expensive repairs. A basement dehumidifier can prevent this by keeping the air dry and preventing the deterioration of wood items.

Dehumidifiers can also save you money on your energy bills. Humid air causes your home’s air-conditioning to run more frequently, driving up cooling costs. A dehumidifier will pull the humidity out of the air, allowing your air-conditioning to run less frequently and at lower capacity, saving you money on your electricity bill.

While there are many variables that can impact how well a dehumidifier works, the biggest factor is the amount of moisture in the basement air. Ideally, you would like to keep the humidity below 50% – anything above that and mold, mildew and other microbial agents begin to grow.

The size of the space you need to dehumidify will be another determining factor in what kind of basement dehumidifier you should buy. A larger space will require a more powerful unit to remove the same amount of moisture as a smaller space. It is also important to consider the drainage options for your basement dehumidifier — both gravity and pump drainage are possible and can work well in conjunction with a dehumidifier, depending on how your home’s drainage system is configured.

In general, you should try to position your dehumidifier as close to the problem area as possible — this will enable it to pull unprocessed moisture out of the air and spread processed drier air throughout the basement faster and more effectively. It is also helpful to keep doors and windows closed during dehumidification, as this will allow the dehumidifier to focus on the area it’s working in.

The best dehumidifiers for basements are those that have a lot of useful features and are easy to use and maintain. Some of the best dehumidifiers have a lot of settings that you can adjust to suit your specific needs and preferences, including different timer settings, a continuous mode, auto restart and multiple fan speeds. The Frigidaire FFAD5033W1 is a good example of an affordable and effective basement dehumidifier with a lot of features. Another good option is the hOmeLabs compressor based model, which offers similar functionality and has an even better price.