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I just bought a 50 pint dehumidifier for my basement. What humidity level should I aim for? This time of year the outside humidity is very high (over 80%) and we do not have central air. Right now it is set to 55% and seems to be running constantly. Should we keep it running and try and get it even lower than 55%?

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If you have the ability to, you might want to consider discharging it to a drain or sump pit. Most humidifiers have a nipple that you can clamp a hose to, so you won't have to worry about the pan filling and having to constantly empty it. – Tester101♦ Jul 26 '11 at 1:23
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Without AC, if the windows are open, you'll never win the battle against the humidity. Once the windows and doors are closed, turn it up as much as you want and can stand to pay on the electric bill. – BMitch♦ Jul 26 '11 at 1:54
@BMitch: That is sort of my problem. We don't have AC so all the windows on the 3 floors we live on are open all day and night. The basement windows (and the interior door down to the basement) are closed but that is not stopping much airflow down to the basement. There are 2 large cold air returns from the 1st floor down to the basement and the hardwood floor has no subfloor (or tongue & groove) so air passes right through that as well. – auujay Jul 26 '11 at 14:01

3 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

30-40% in winter. Otherwise below 60% to keep mold away. Or even below 50% to avoid dust mites.

You can also see this question: Humidity Levels.

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up vote 3 down vote

I believe the answers above are a bit more realistic than others I've seen. Remember if air outside is 60% RH and the temp is 80°F that would be equal to about 75% RH with with a basement temp of 60°F. Keeping it around 55%-60% will be comfortable and obtainable with a decent dehumidifier.

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up vote 2 down vote

Recommended humidity levels for human comfort is 30-60%[1]. Plus, in a basement, you want to keep things dry for the sake of the structure. I'd let it run as much as it needs to run.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_comfort#Relative_humidity

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