How to Make your Dehumidifier Drain Automatically

A dehumidifier is a very important device for those homeowners with a damp basement. Dampness can lead to mold, mildew, and increased incidence of allergies. Unfortunately, a dehumidifier can be a real pain in the backside because you have to keep emptying the water storage bucket. Simply getting it in and out of the machine can be difficult. Getting the bucket to the sink without spilling its contents can sometimes require the balancing abilities of a juggler. A better method is to take advantage of the threaded drain connection at the rear of your dehumidifier. With a lawn hose added for draining, the distance between dehumidifier and drain becomes virtually unlimited.  

It sounds simple enough, but the dehumidifier may be in one part of the basement and the floor drain another, with 50 feet of lawn hose between them. Finding the correct height for each end is the whole trick. You therefore have to determine their height relative to one another. This in turn will be the secret to eliminate the need to empty the machine.  

The simplest way to do all this and make your dehumidifier drain automatically is the following: 

1... Lay a drain (lawn) hose along the floor between a floor drain and the dehumidifier. At the floor drain end insert the hose a few inches into the drain. At the dehumidifier end locate the hose close to where the dehumidifier will be operating.  

2... Lift the dehumidifier end of drain hose up until it's approximately level with the top of the water storage bucket.  

3... Pour water into the drain hose and have someone advise you if water empties into the floor drain. If 'yes' proceed to step number 7.  

4... If water backs out of the hose without flowing into the floor drain the hose end is not yet high enough. Raise the hose a few inches and repeat the process. Continue repeating until water flows out the floor drain end of the hose. When it does make note of how high above the floor level you had to lift the hose. This height is important.  

5... To further refine the proper height add more water to the end of hose while alternately raising and lowering hose. The prefect height is slightly above the point where water backs out of the hose. 

6... Raise the dehumidifier so that its threaded drain connection is above the height determined in step number 4. If this requires the dehumidifier being elevated off the floor do so temporarily, using blocks or supports under the machine. A more permanent structure can be constructed later. 

7... Reconnect the drain hose to the threaded drain hose connection at the rear of the dehumidifier. 

8... To test, pour water into the drain trough pan at the rear of the machine. On most dehumidifiers this is a small plastic trough or pan just above where the drain hose is now connected. If your machine has a rear cover remove it to gain access to the drain trough.  

Pour water into the drain trough. It should run out the floor drain end of the hose freely. If the trough overflows go back and start over at step number 3. 

9... Reconnect dehumidifier to electricity. Allow it to operate for 24 hours with the drain (lawn) hose connected. If it appears to be operating properly, proceed to final step. 

10... Construct a permanent stand to hold dehumidifier. Run the drain hose along baseboards and secure. Secure drain end of hose into drain. 

Your dehumidifier drain is now fully automatic. Every time the dehumidifier cycles off the accumulated moisture will run into the drain trough, down the drain hose, across to the floor drain, and down the drain. No more having to empty cumbersome water storage buckets.  

Throughout this article the term 'floor drain' is used. If you have no floor drain then an alternate can be used. Consider a shower stall drain, a toilet, a sink, a sump hole, or a standpipe. Although a floor drain is easiest, any of the other drains work equally well. The fact that they are higher above the floor level simply means the dehumidifier end of the drain hose will have to be raised higher to compensate. 

  By Donald Grummett

Copyright © 2006 Donald Grummett. All rights reserved

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