How should I drain water from a basement dehumidifier?

Question

Our basement has had difficulty with water in the past, from intrusions through the side (fixed by gutters) and chimneys (fixed by chimney caps). Most recently, however, water has been collecting on and dripping from cold water pipes and the basement refrigerator on to the concrete floor below. The amount of water isn't massive, but it's significant enough to cause a problem in and around the affected areas.

The problem, obviously, is humidity. We have placed a 30 pint Frigidaire dehumidifier in the basement, but the problem is that on humid days 30 pints doesn't go very far. We have to empty it some days twice, other days three or four times in a 24 hour period.

Update: Sorry, part of my description got cut off. The dehumidifier can be hooked up to a drain unit, but I'm not sure where or how to drain the water safely. We don't have a basement drain, the sump area lacks a pump and also is where the radon remediation system works, and so the only thing I can think of is to put the dehumidifier on a shelf and gravity drain it with a garden hose out a window, which obviously isn't ideal from an aesthetic standpoint.

So, suggestions welcome.

Answer 1

The simplist solution to dehumidifying in an area with no drain is to use a dehimidifier with a built in pump such as this one:

It has a long thin tube that can be routed to an area with a drain (such as a washing machine drainpipe) or to the outside (through a window frame or a very small hole drilled through the wall). If to the outside, you need to direct it away from the foundation.

There are a few versions available and they tend to cost a good bit more than a simple tank type, but the convenience may make it worthwhile.

If you already have a good dehumidifier and don't want the expense of replacing it, you may be able to use an add-on dehumidifier pump such as this one

It is hooked up to the demidifier and then uses a thin tube to move the water in the same manner as a pumping dehumidifier.

Answer 2

My dehumidifier drains into dish pan, daily I dump it into large plastic container. Every so often that can be drained outside using small submersible sump pump. Will take less than 5 minutes.