Humidity levels in a basement

Question

I have a damp 28' by 60' basement with 2 concrete walls and 2 walls with paneling. What humidity level should I set my dehumidifier at?

I keep mine at 35%, but I also feel uncomfortable at anything above 50% in general. — BrownRedHawk, Jul 27 '16 at 19:53
What environment are you in? If you have cold winters, the appropriate RH varies widely by season. — isherwood, Jul 27 '16 at 20:06

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 26 '16 at 21:07

I keep my dehumidifier at 60% or 65%. That's a good default when you're using the space for storage or are concerned about limiting mold/mildew.

If you're not having problems with the humidity, then consider running it at a higher setting or even removing the dehumidifier altogether. Dehumidifiers use a lot of energy.

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 27 '16 at 00:05

Depends on what you use the basement for.

A setting over 75% might be okay for a storage area. Personally, for a sleeping area, I prefer 35-45%.

While dehumidifiers use as much power as an air conditioner, once they get an area to the setpoint humidity it should not work nearly as hard afterwards to maintain the humidity—unless humidity ingresses rapidly.

Humidity levels in a basement

2 Answers2