Family Handyman

One Less Thing to Remember

If you forget to empty the tank on your dehumidifier, it’ll either overflow or shut off. That defeats the whole purpose of running a dehumidifier in damp areas. I didn’t have a floor drain in that part of the basement, so I bought a condensate pump ($40 to $100 at home centers) and tubing and rigged it to my dehumidifier. Then I ran the tubing up to the ceiling, through the joist areas and down to the laundry tub. Now the dehumidifier runs full time, and I never need to empty the tank or worry about it shutting off. — Doug Baltzer

Alternative Ideas

If a traditional dehumidifier isn’t in the cards, there are a few alternative ideas for taking moisture out of the air. These simple tactics involve the use of some common household chemicals. In these instances, spread the ingredients out in a pan or in a bowl or even in an old sock and place in the affected area to begin collecting moisture. These ideas are most effective in small, enclosed areas like a refrigerator, a drawer or perhaps even a closet.

Some of the ingredients to use for dehumidifying include:

  • Charcoal – Works best in a porous container like a sock or a vessel with holes poked in it. Also controls odors.
  • Baking soda – As simple as opening a box and placing in affected areas. Replace when material hardens.
  • Silica gel beads – These are the little pouches that come with medicines, clothing, electronics, etc. Gather enough of them together and they make a good DIY dehumidifier.
  • Road salt aka calcium chloride – Works very well. Place in a sock or vessel with holes punched in side. Place over a container as excess water can collect.
  • Rock salt or table salt – Work similarly to road salt, but not as effective. Will dissolve as they absorb water. Place in a container where dissolved water can collect. Rock salt is typically more economical than table salt.