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How Does It Work?
Moisture becomes heavier as it cools and settles to the lowest point in
the home. That is usually the basement, or crawlspace. By pulling the moist,
musty air out of the basement or crawlspace, it causes the warmer,
conditioned air from above, usually the first floor to flow down and
replace the removed air, acting like a broom in sweeping out the moist,
stale air. This sweeping action of the air from upstairs is accomplished
by putting in a floor vent from the first floor at a point as far away
from the location of the The MBS as possible.
In the average home
the air is completely replaced about once an hour with a The MBS installed.
To determine the rate of air exchange in your basement, multiply the
length X the width X the height of your basement. Divide the result by
200, and this will tell you how many minutes it will take to change all
the air in your basement with a The MBS.
Why Is The MBS Better Than A De-Humidifier?
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It will save on your electrical bill, perhaps $30-$50 or more per
month.
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It will change the air in your basement instead of re-circulating
the stale air.
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It never, ever, needs emptying.
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It will never freeze up.
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It is quieter.
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It will not heat up your finished below grade basement, like a
de-humidifier will in the summer time.
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It has a 10-year warranty; a de-humidifier only has 1-year
warranty.
It has a fuse built
in, so it is less likely to be destroyed during a nearby lightning
strike, as will be the case with all your other electrical appliances not
on a surge protector.
Do I Leave The Unit On
All Year?
Yes! The fan is controlled by a humidistat. If the humidity is higher
than the setting, the fan will run at full speed. If the humidity reaches
the desired setting, it will slow the fan down, but will still keep some
air moving. So, the unit is left on year-round. It is a “set it and
forget it” operation.
If you leave your
home to go south in the winter, or have a vacation home, it will smell
better when you return.
So the principle is
totally different from a de-humidifier, and is more accurately called an
alternative to a de-humidifier.
What Happens to the
Water?
You will not see any water since it does not condense it like a
traditional de-humidifier. It is instead removing the moist air and
replacing it with warmer, conditioned air from upstairs.
Will It Affect
Anything on the Outside of the Vent?
Usually the flowers outside the vent will bloom and disappear earlier
than the other flowers a distance away, since it is making for warmer,
moist air. If your basement is especially bad smelling, you may not want
to locate the vent under the bedroom window, so the musty odor does not
blow in your bedroom window. There are no bad effects of the air blowing
outside.
Won’t It Increase My
Heating and AC Costs?
Not at all. Since it is governed by a humidistat, this will not be a
problem. First of all, heat rises and you are pulling off cold air at the
lowest point in the house. Most houses in the winter have a problem with
too little moisture and have to put in a humidifier. Also drier air is
easier to heat than moist air, so it will be easier to heat the air once
the excess humidity is pulled out. If you have to use a humidifier in the
winter, set the humidity ventilation system at a higher humidity setting
than your humidifier.
In an air conditioned
house, the air conditioner is acting like a big de-humidifier, and so it
would be sending drier air into the basement, and when the humidity
ventilation system senses the drier air, it will slow the fan right down.
Also, the reason many people who have central AC in the basement still
have moisture problems is because the AC unit stops moving air as soon as
the targeted temperature is reached, but this is before all the moisture
is removed. So the humidity ventilation system assists the AC to do it’s
job, and drier air feels cooler, and the AC operates more efficiently.
Also, since our units usually save at least $30 in electricity each month
as compared to a de-humidifer, there is an energy savings from the first
month of operation.
As compared to
purchasing and operating a de-humidifier, purchasing and operating a The
MBS provides an investment payback in about 2 ˝ to 3 years. It is
also guaranteed for 10 years, a de-humidifier only 1 year.
Where should the
unit be installed?
Since you need to vent out the 6” round pipe, you would first try to find
a clear bay between two floor joists, and make sure there are no wires or
pipes in the way and go outside to check outside for obstacles. Although
the unit is quieter than a de-humidifier and about the same noise level
of a refrigerator, you would want to avoid putting it under the master
bed. Some people can hear the hum of motors when their head hits the
pillow, so avoiding this area avoids relocating the unit later.
Since the flow of air
across the basement helps sweep out the moisture and musty odors, you
will want to provide a free flow of 80 cubic inches of air from upstairs
to supply the air which is being removed from the basement at the rate of
200+ cubit feet per minute. This is accomplished by installing an 8 x 10
floor vent in the first floor at a point as far away from the unit as
possible. Some areas may be under a bureau or raised piece of furniture,
under the refrigerator, in the wall of the stairwell to the basement, in
the basement door, etc. Some homes have an open stairway to the basement,
and so the air will naturally flow down the stairway. Remember that the
ideal situation is to have the air vent as far away from the unit as
possible, but is not always attainable.
If you have a
bulkhead access, you will want to have a door installed at the bottom of
the stairs to stop airflow through the bulkhead door. A pre-hung steel
exterior door is a good choice for this, and it also adds to the security
of the basement access. Also do not leave the cellar windows or vents in
the crawlspace open, as you want the drier air from the first floor to
wash across the basement, and also to stop the movement of the musty air
up into the living area of the first floor.
Can The Unit Be
Installed Without a Vent From The First Floor?
If the owner absolutely does not want a vent installed in the floor, yes,
it can operate without a vent from upstairs. However, the The MBS
will not operate as efficiently. It is highly recommended at that point
to cut off the bottom of the door to the basement at least 1” high to
allow some air to flow into the basement. In some installations, an 8” x
10” hole is cut into the stairwell wall into a first floor room, and
covered with a finishing air grill on both sides.
Will The The MBS
Affect My Furnace?
You should always respect the furnaces need for a large amount of air for
combustion purposes. This is why we recommend that the The MBS not be
installed any closer that 8’ from a furnace or combustion type hot water
heater. Building codes require a furnace installer to allow for a good
air supply, and many new combustion type furnaces and hot water heater
are direct vented. There are also ways to bring in fresh air to the
furnace. One is to install a 2” PVC pipe from the outside to the vicinity
of the combustion appliance. There is a device described on the Internet
as a “Skuttle” specifically designed for this purpose. A device called a
“CONDAR AIR VENTILATOR” is also available, and is strongly recommended
for people with fireplaces and wood, coal, or pellet stoves.
At minimum, owners of
new tighter homes, or older retrofitted homes, should keep one or two
windows open very slightly to allow an intrusion of fresh air into their
living space, both to avoid negative air pressure, and since the EPA has
said that our home are now so well built, and tight, that indoor air
pollution is worse in most cases than outdoor air pollution.
Why Would I Choose
the The MBS over other units?
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The humidistat in the The MBS is electronic, not mechanical as
most humidistats are.
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The older humidistats have a 10 percent + or – accuracy, whereas
the The MBS, being an electronic humidistat has a
+/-2% accuracy.
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In the event that warranty replacement of parts is needed, any
homeowner who knows how to use a screwdriver can change the parts, which
can easily be sent by UPS. The entire installation does not have to be
dismantled to service the machine. UPS ships the replacement part to the
owner, they unscrew the defective part, and drop it in the shipping box
and give it to the UPS driver or UPS pick station. The owner thus saves the
cost of a service call, usually at least $75.
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Our exhaust vent has a grid inside the flaps, preventing entry by
mice; therefore you do not need an extra hood on the exterior.
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Because of its compact design and flexible air pick up hose, it
can be installed anywhere, even in a closet, and draw air thru the wall
from the adjacent room.
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It also has a built in fuse, which will protect it from nearby
lightning storms.
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Instead of the confusion of which unit to choose, our unit is more
powerful and we have a “regular” model with the flexible hose, or the
“covered” model with a finishing cover. So a dealer only needs to stock
two boxes in his truck, or shop.
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Our unit ships for ˝ the price, the box being 45% smaller (10” x
14” x 48”) and 15% lighter.
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The competition has limitations as to where it can be installed,
but we have not yet found an installation that will not accommodate a The
MBS.
What Are Some Of the
Complex Installations Where MBS Can Be Installed?
If the area to be serviced
is an inaccessible crawl space, the unit can be installed on the first
floor with a hole cut thru the floor into the crawl space. The air pick
up tube is then dropped into the crawl space, and the 6” exhaust is cut
into the wall behind the unit to vent to the outside. In this case the
unit can be installed in a hidden closet if desired, making sure of
course that the exterior wall is clear for the vent to go out. This
installation is especially helpful if it is a very old house with a very
thick beam on top of the foundation wall, sometimes being a beam that is
not high enough for the 6” opening. In that case, the The MBS can be
installed as described above, or be installed in the basement, with a 6”
hole cut into the floor above and then vented out thru the side of the
house above the foundation and sill. In areas with long winters and deep
snow buildup, some homeowners may prefer this installation instead of
regularly clearing the snow from the exhaust.
Where wires run along
the bottom of the floor joists and/or pipes, large or small run
horizontally along the basement wall, the The MBS can be hung from
the floor joists, out from the wall the distance of the obstacles, and
the solid or flexible exhaust pipe can go over the top of the obstacles,
between the floor joists. Mounting on the floor joists is especially
helpful when the foundation is an irregular, old stone, foundation.
The units are
supplied with a solid exhaust pipe. However, if the installation is
difficult, a 6” flexible hose may be purchased at the local hardware,
Home Depot, or Lowes, for about $8. The hose is easily cut to fit your
needs.
The unit can be
mounted vertically, at an angle, horizontally between the joists, etc.
The top of the unit can be unscrewed and the right angle pipe inside the
box can be turned to exit out the top of the unit. Solid pipe can be
added to the exhaust, but we do not recommend going a further than 4’
since the more distance reduces the air flow.
If the air needs to
flow through a finished basement bedroom, but the white noise of the unit
is not desired in the room, it may be installed in a closet or on the
other side of a wall in another room or unfinished adjacent portion of
the basement, and the flexible pick up hose connected to a diffuser box and
grill pulling air from the room needing the air flow.
The above scenarios
has been especially helpful on more than one occasion where the unit has
literally been installed right next to the furnace, but the air has been
draw directly into the unit through a wall vent and diffuser box.
How Do I Know How to
Control the Settings?
The MBS was designed with simplicity in mind! There is a button to
push for “Summer” and one for “Winter”. In the event that the unit is
installed in a crawl space where you want constant airflow irregardless
of the humidity level, there is also an override button to the right. By
pressing this button the fan will run 24/7.
Why Is The MBS
So Economical To Run?
Since the unit draws less than one amp and uses less than 50 watts of
electricity, it costs no more than leaving a light bulb on all the time.
De-humidifiers are small refrigerator compressors and are therefore
costly to run. Our local electric company projects the cost of a
de-humidifier running only 12 hours a day to be $26 a month.
Will the Unit Get
Rid of The Mold In My Basement?
NO! Mold is ubiquitous, it is everywhere, and is a natural decaying
material that contributes to the recycling of organic material. Mold out of
control, and in excessive amounts can be detrimental. In all cases of
extreme mold contamination, super simple and economical measures were not
taken due to either distaste for “work” i.e. normal, regular, cleaning
practices, being penny wise and pound foolish in not addressing water
leakage or intrusion problems, or improper use of storage materials in
basement environments. See the page on our website, “Mold and Humidity
Ventilation Systems”
However, since mold
needs moisture to grow and prosper, we help you to keep moisture from
building up in your basement, crawlspace, by maintaining a 24/7
ventilation. Just as it is your responsibility to keep an eye out for
crabgrass and dandelions on your lawn, and take measures to keep them
from multiplying, your basement environment is your regular
responsibility. However, many customers have noticed an improvement in
their basement with the use of our product. Remember, you can keep
introducing mold into your basement by walking over dead vegetation
outside, and tracking it into you basement, or allowing dead leaves to
blow into your basement, or storing planting and gardening materials in
your basement. Never, ever allow particleboard shelving or plywood to be
used in your basement, since that imports mold spores. Mold thrives on
cellulose and cardboard and books, etc., are 100% cellulose. Shame on you
if you have your basement filled with the aforementioned items and wonder
why you have a mold problem.
However, the The MBS is perhaps the most effective tool at your disposable in the fight
against mold. It will pull mold spores out of the house, and keep them
from hanging around and multiplying. However, it won’t suck out the
in-laws that just moved in and show no signs of leaving soon.
If you have a serious
mold contamination, you must either undertake a good thorough cleaning,
fix any water leaks, including replacing any water damaged materials,
including the carpet, and/or calling in a mold remediation company.
Remember, it is your vigilance and diligence that keeps you from getting
to that point.
Will A Humidity
Ventilation System Make The Musty Basement Odor Go Away?
Usually within a few hours of installing a system, people remark how much
better their basement smells. This is because our units are diluting the
smell existing in the basement by changing the air so frequently.
However, after a unit is installed, it is the owners responsibility to
remove the sources of the odor such as old, molding cardboard boxes, rugs
that have gotten wet and are now mold cultures, old clothes stuffed in an
unheated, unventilated closet in the basement. Let’s illustrate with
clothes that have been thoroughly washed, but left in the washing machine
and not put in the drier immediately. The excessive moisture starts to
cause a smell to develop very quickly, and just drying them later will
not remove the odor. They must be rewashed and immediately put into the
drier. Or they must be hung outside to allow the natural ozone in the
outside air to give them that fresh air smell (just like Mom used to do.
And you thought she was a super mom because your clothes smelled so good.
Well she was for doing all that work to hang the laundry outside). It may
also be necessary for the owner to wash all the walls and floor with a
bleach solution to kill mold that cannot be seen, but is contributing to
the odor. Dirt crawl spaces should ideally be covered with a cement dust
cap or 6 mil plastic sheeting.
The most common word
we hear back from many of our customers that had musty basements is “We love
the unit. It has done all we expected and more”
However, our product
is not a miracle worker, and good old-fashioned clean housekeeping
practices are still necessary. Remember, if you haven’t used something in
2 years, sell it, give it away, or throw it out!
What If I Am Unhappy
With the Unit?
90% of our dealers will offer a 50% money back guarantee of an installed
unit, but only after you have given it a full 11 months (but no more
than 12) to work in
your basement. This 50% money back guarantee does not cover
repairing any holes made during the installation. The vents provided
during installation are left in place to act as a finish if the unit is
removed. WHO ELSE GIVES YOU AS GOOD A GUARANTEE?
Are There Other Side
Benefits to Installing The MBS?
Many replacement window companies have found that when they install new,
expensive, tighter, replacement windows, the first winter the customers
complain about their expensive windows sweating. Usually by installing
the MBS the problem is corrected.
One remodeling
contractor in Maine that installs vinyl siding told of a customer that
had a new sliding patio door installed. For the following winters, she
could not open the door all winter long, since an ice dam formed until
spring set in. Once a humidity ventilation system was installed, she
could use her sliding patio door, all winter long.
Read the Industries Leading Expert's
Recommendations
SO WHY WAIT?
THE
SOONER YOU PUT IN THE MBS , THE SOONER YOU WILL HAVE:
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A BETTER SMELLING BASEMENT!
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A LOWER ELECTRIC BILL!
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BETTER QUALITY AIR FOR YOUR FAMILY IN THE BASEMENT!
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