Drying a crawl space question?

[1st choice restoration]

Last time I dried a crawl space I rented a dri eaze dragon furnace. I have another crawl space and that same furnace isn't available. Can I dry a crawl space with an e-tes and air movers???

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yep E-Tes works great. If big we use two. They nuked our TES trailer, just rarely a need anymore. E-Tes kicks butt.

 

[1st choice restoration]

Richard I have a question... Crawl space area that's wet is about 500 sq ft but the problem is there isn't enough space to fit my etes in any of the the crawl space holes and the house is brick and instead of cutting a hole in the floor and drop down etes what if I did this. The loss actually occurred in laundry room so I was thinking about taking apart the dryer vent under the house and then remove dryer and hook my etes directly to that dryer vent and pump the hot air down and move around with air movers and exhaust with vortex?? What do u think?? Might take awhile

 

[Desk Jockey]

Several options, do whichever works best for the situation.

You can disconnect the boot on the ducting and pump air down into the cavity. It won't have the volume that it will if you cut out or pull up a section.

Removing subfloor gives you much better access. Not hard to do, we've done it to dry and we've done it for mold work access. Just keep the crawl under negative air so you don't get contaminated air in the living space.

You can also pump the air in with layflat with the unit outside chained up and under cover. Not ideal but if you have no other option, it can be done.

 

[1st choice restoration]

Probably using the Phoenix max dehu exhaust down the dryer duct would do just as good as trying use the etes

 

[Desk Jockey]

It would help but it is limited in volume and heat. The energy (heat) produced from the E-Tes or Dragon are what allows the rapid drying. I don't think you'll see anywhere near the results without the volume of heat.

It will dry and it helps it's winter with low grains but it might take a few weeks.

 

[1st choice restoration]

I'll try the etes down the dryer vent. How many days u think I'm looking at 7-10??

 

[Desk Jockey]

4-5???

Less if you can let the heat build up before exhusting.

 

[1st choice restoration]

Heat buildup?? Hook up etes and let it pump hot air without any air movement? Or exhaust? Vents open or closed

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes. Keep an eye on it, you wouldn't want to create secondary damage but you want it hot in there. The exhausted and allowed to repeat the process. Eventually reducing the moisture in the crawl space. Heat creates the big movements.

 

[1st choice restoration]

So by only having the heat pumping in there from above and the air movers off underneath I don't have to worry about keeping crawl space under negative pressure? Thanks Richard. Good conversation and advice

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd have some concerns but you can monitor it. Run an airmover on low exhusting. Or if you have a small one or Triad or Velo, they will move air but not so much to drop your temps.

 

[1st choice restoration]

Well I would feel a little better about it if I hept it somewhat under negative pressure Even if some of the heat does escape and it takes longer. A lot safer since the property has little kids living there

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yes, it would be best to do so. Lots of micro bugs in the dirt. You don't want to allow that air inside.

However you also must have concerns about affecting hot water heater and furnace exhust.

 

[1st choice restoration]

Well I would feel a little better about it if I hept it somewhat under negative pressure Even if some of the heat does escape and it takes longer. A lot safer since the property has little kids living there

 

[1st choice restoration]

Furnace and hot water heater exhaust out the roof...but the duct work is underneath

 

[Desk Jockey]

They are "supposed to" exhust that way unless some goofball pulls it down with too much negative air. Or if the same goofball doesn't have negative air and allows fursarium into the living space.

Don't be "that goofball".

 

[Nate The Great]

I think lay flat is pretty cool.... There's a lot of tricks you can do with it....