Sump in Basement issue

[brimil]

I have placed a 100 gal sump in my basement. In the last month I have noticed metal items starting to get a coating of rust.

Has anyone had this issue?

I have a small area for a basement and would hate to put a humidifier there only to take the water from my sump too..

 

[KurtsReef]

Mine has only been operating for a little over a month now, no rust issues yet. The humidity is much higher in the cellar, and in the plans is too install a fan to direct the humidity outdoors.

I have also given thought to building the sump area its own room making the cellar divided into an area with the sump and one without.

I do run a dehumidifier in the cellar.

 

[fatrip]

brimil, if you are getting rust from the evaporation of the sump, it wil only get worse. i'd put a dehumidifier down there asap. they arent overly expensive and they work wonders. if you dont have a drain in your cellar to drain it directly to i would suggest getting a humidifier with a pump to pump it out of the cellar. that is just what i would do.

 

[bosborn1]

I also run a dehumidifier in my basement. With out it its just too damp. Keep the windows in the tank room from getting condensation as well.

 

[brimil]

Scott, my basement is a alittle small than yours.
I can put one in but -
will the dehumidifier take the water from the sump? I evaporate around 3 gals a day now.

 

[bosborn1]

Probably....But not much. I leave my dehumidifier at 35% year round.

 

[jdoenumber2]

How many sq foot is your basement? The trick is to get get a dehum that has an auto cycle and you should drain it in to your sump pump. They also work better when elevated about 4 or more feet. Warm air rises and hold more moisture. There is no such thing as getting too large of a dehum. The larger the better, it will just shut off sooner on the auto cycle. Just remember that is just the rust you do see. A humid basement can cause alot of damage to so many different things (washer, dryer, furnace, electrical panel, mold). With a high humidity level basements of up to 600 sq feet need atleast 35 pt, up to 900 need a 50 pt, up to 1200 you will need a 70 pt. If its really bad sometimes you will need more than one. If you need a recommendation of brands whirlpool and Frigidaire are good. They have a 5 year warranty on the compressor. Haier, kenmore and lg are garbage, they have higher than usual failure rates and bad warranties. And most importantly make sure they are lowtemp so they wont ever freeze up. Just my 2 cents for what its worth.

 

[brimil]

my basement is around 20 x 20. ha I see your in Appliance Sales...any discounts.
Damn another thing I did not think of when I upgraded........

 

[jfl14609]

this may be a stupid idea but what if you cut a piece of plexi glass to fit over the top of the sump wouldnt that keep some of the condensation in and put a small vent in it so a little air can get through. just depends on if you have heat issues I guess

 

[tmz]

I've had the same problem. Also sweating pipes. The dehumidifier stopped it. I also think you improve gas exchange in your sump if you reduce the humidity in the air. Not much extra top off .

 

[brimil]

Having a cover on the sump....with all the testing and adding water, cut around my skimmer might be a hassel, or lazyness, but a thought.

tmz, ? still a neebie here , but what do you mean by gas exchange in the sump

 

[chrisguy]

I've had a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub in my basement since mid January. When the weather got warmer I opened the small basement windows to allow for some inside/outside air exchange and I keep a fan running in the room with the tub. I do run a dehumidifier in another part of the basement, but only in the summer.

I just went looking and could not see any metal surfaces rusting. I did have issues with the cold water pipes sweating when I made RO/DI water. That was fixed with some of the black insulation that wraps the pipes.

SO, it sounds like you had a moisture issues before adding the sump and now things are worse. Definitely get a dehumidifier and try using some fans to keep the air moving.

 

[tmz]

Covering the sump will slow down evaporation but will linit gas exchange particularly if your tank is covered.

 

[Randy1]

make sure you buy the unite for lower temps in the basment or it wont work right, just read the box.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

ironically, since all my pumps are located in my (insulated) basement it's usually the warmest area of my house. I run a dehumidifier. I can cover my 75 gallon aquarium sump with acrylic to cut down on evaporation. I usually run with it half covered.

 

[acdraindrps]

I also do what Gary does, and run my sump half covered. I also run a dehumidifier. There are actually two in my basement. My tank however is completely uncovered and it is in the basement too, with a fan blowing on the water surface usually 24/7 during the summer months. I am evaporating around 3 gallons a day out of a 185 gal system(roughly).

An issue I have while running the dehumidifiers is that of heat transfer. Especially during the summer months those things can heat up the basement pretty good. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[magdelan]

Maybe this is a moot point but, saltwater rusts metal MUCH quicker than fresh water. A Humidifier is definately something worth looking into...soon.

 

[RCBrooke]

I'm also getting some rust, mildew, salt creep on my basement (setup for 8 months). Pulled my tent out to go camping but it was covered with mildew. I haven't yet moved the dehumidifier to the basement. I need to cut down on the air bubbles that I get out of my drain line. At this point it's one project at a time, but before winter for sure. I've also been thinking about adding a bathroom type fan to an exterior dryer vent (on a timer maybe?) and a couple of fans running al slow speed.

Randy

 

[brimil]

I took everyone advise and bought a dehumidifier last night.

Thats for the feedback