Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use
a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to
lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it
to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm
wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement covers
over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very
often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into
the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet
bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as
very attractive alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no
floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the
washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to
be).

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

On Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:07:28 -0400, Lee B
wrote:


Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use
a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to
lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it
to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm
wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement covers
over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very
often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into
the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet
bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as
very attractive alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no
floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the
washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to
be).

Yes, it's fine. The flow is low, so the pump won't run very much, and
the cover will prevent the moisture from returning to the air. And
even if the pump should fail, it's not going to flood the basement.

Paul F.

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

Lee B wrote:
Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to
use a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up
buying the Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least
get them to lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but
I don't need it to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the
water would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now
I'm wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement
covers over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't
empty very often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running
the hose into the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine
up onto the wet bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of
which strike me as very attractive alternatives for potential buyers
to see! (And no, no floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes
into the floor from the washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming
that's where a drain used to be).

I can't see a problem with that and support Paul's comment.It's not going to
increase evaporation going into a wet well that's covered.

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

Should work fine. I've also put a couple boards over a laundry sink, and put
the dehum over a sink.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Lee B" wrote in message
...

Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use
a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to
lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it
to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm
wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement covers
over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very
often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into
the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet
bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as
very attractive alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no
floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the
washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to
be).

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

"Lee B" wrote in message
...

Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house . . .
Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity.

In some places this might work, in others not. We do
not know if this house is in Florida at sea level or in
Maine halfway up a mountain.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

On Oct 29, 6:07*pm, Lee B wrote:
Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use
a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to
lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it
to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm
wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement covers
over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very
often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into
the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet
bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as
very attractive alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no
floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the
washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to
be).

Run to sump pit unless sink drains without the pump, using a sump pit
wont raise humidity. You need a low temp unit and then they only go
down so far, maybe 45f

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

yes, it's fine. it is not 'going back into the air' any more than the water
in the sump would be anyway.

s


"Lee B" wrote in message
...

Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use a
hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to lift
it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it to
last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*, but
is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water would
just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm wondering how
true that is, since there is one of those cement covers over the hole.
Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very often, other
than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into the shower
stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet bar counter
and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as very attractive
alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no floor drain - there
is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the washing machine stand
pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to be).

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

Thank you all. HA! My brother was wrong about something smirk.

Appreciate the help.


Steve Barker DLT wrote:
yes, it's fine. it is not 'going back into the air' any more than the water
in the sump would be anyway.

s


"Lee B" wrote in message
...
Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use a
hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to lift
it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it to
last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*, but
is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water would
just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm wondering how
true that is, since there is one of those cement covers over the hole.
Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very often, other
than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into the shower
stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet bar counter
and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as very attractive
alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no floor drain - there
is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the washing machine stand
pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to be).

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

Thank you all. HA! My brother was wrong about something smirk

Men's "theories" often have more to due with their egos than
substantiation. (guilty)

p_z

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

On Oct 29, 9:24*pm, "Don Phillipson" wrote:
"Lee B" wrote in message

...

Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house . . .
Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity.

In some places this might work, in others not. *We do
not know if this house is in Florida at sea level or in
Maine halfway up a mountain.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)


In those places where it won't work, how can the small amount of water
from the dehumidifier present a problem and the water present in the
sump pit from the ground not? If the sump pit is dry, the water just
gets absorbed into the ground and probably 95%+ of it isn't going to
evaporate back into the basement. If the sump pit has ground water
in it already and is running occasionally, then adding the
dehumidifier water isn't going to change a thing. QED

Also, there are dehumidifiers available that have built in drain
pumps. I wouldn't get one for this app, but for more flexibilitly or
other apps they are available.

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

"Steve Barker DLT" writes:
yes, it's fine. it is not 'going back into the air' any more than the water
in the sump would be anyway.

In fact, a wet sump might be a major source of the humidity in the
basement when there is no dehumidifier. With a dehumidifier, you're
ensuring that more of the water remains liquid in the sum, not as water
vapour in the air.

It would save some energy to have the dehumidifier drain into some drain
where it cannnot re-evaporate into the house. But if the sump is the
best drain available, it will work, and the dehumidifier *will* pick up
and re-condense anything that evaporates from the sump into the air.

Dave

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

On Oct 29, 6:07*pm, Lee B wrote:
Yet another dehumidifier question. (For a vacant house, so I need to use
a hose rather than bucket). And yeah, I probably will end up buying the
Sears one if only because it's simpler and I can at least get them to
lift it into my car. Not that I want to waste money, but I don't need it
to last forever... just until I sell the house!

Can I drain the dehumidifier into the sump pump? (OK, I know I *can*,
but is it a good idea?). Someone told me once not to, because the water
would just go back into the air and maintain the humidity. Now I'm
wondering how true that is, since there is one of those cement covers
over the hole. Left to its own devices, the sump pump doesn't empty very
often, other than in storms. The alternatives are running the hose into
the shower stall or trying to hoist the daggone machine up onto the wet
bar counter and run it into the sink... neither of which strike me as
very attractive alternatives for potential buyers to see! (And no, no
floor drain - there is a large pipe that goes into the floor from the
washing machine stand pipe, so I'm assuming that's where a drain used to
be).


I drain mine there, works great. Even if the pump should die, the
water will start to flow into the drain tile outlets before it can
ever overflow the pit. Its a better choice than the ejector pump,
which WILL back up into your floor drain should that pump die.

Dehumidifier - drain into sump pump?
 

On Oct 30, 1:24*pm, (Dave Martindale) wrote:
"Steve Barker DLT" writes:

yes, it's fine. *it is not 'going back into the air' any more than the water
in the sump would be anyway.

In fact, a wet sump might be a major source of the humidity in the
basement when there is no dehumidifier. *With a dehumidifier, you're
ensuring that more of the water remains liquid in the sum, not as water
vapour in the air.

It would save some energy to have the dehumidifier drain into some drain
where it cannnot re-evaporate into the house. *But if the sump is the
best drain available, it will work, and the dehumidifier *will* pick up
and re-condense anything that evaporates from the sump into the air.

* * * * Dave

Evaporate, a 4 sq ft area as in sump area, in low temp wont evaporate
squat in water volume. The only issue is the pump fails, otherwise it
wont increase humidity.