If you have forced air AC and a basement but no dehumidifier, here is a sure fire way to reduce the humidity in the basement, and maintain an EVEN temperature throughout the entire house, basement, first floor and even the second floor if you have one.
If you don't have a return air grille in the basement, you will need to add at least one, but two would be better. If you have the basement subdivided into multiple rooms, you will need a return air in each room. If there is a door to the basement, you can leave it open, undercut it or add a transfer grille in the door so air can flow through it from the upper area of the house to the basement. This is key to the operation,
Close off all the supply vents in the basement. Close off all the individual room doors throughout the house. If you have ceiling fans, run them all and set the direction of rotation to obtain a downward direction. Run the main fan of the AC system in manual, on high speed 24/7.
Within 24 hours you will notice a significant difference in your entire house. The individual room temperatures will usually be within 1 degree of being the same throughout the house. The basement will be drier and more comfortable than it has ever been.
Now that you have achieved temperature equilibrium throughout your house, keeping it that way will be achievable only if you can get everyone to get on board with the program. I was only successful for one season.
"The house is too dark. The dogs can't see out the windows. The fans are always blowing. Doors should remain open. It's a safety thing." I finally gave up.
The idea is sound. It actually works. If I lived alone, my house would always be evenly balanced, temperature-wise, all year long and I would be completely at peace. But life is never easy, and I still need to run my dehumidifier and let the thermostat cycle the system like everyone else.
So be it.
