Here is the one I have been using for the past few years without issue: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_V1MT3C8E4F0YTP0AC4Y7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It does not run all the time depending upon what setting you have it on. I have our's set to 55% and it cuts on and off automatically to try to maintain that.
This is the Frigidaire unit I purchased in 2018 from Amazon link. It went out after 3 seasons. They sent me a replacement this year and it failed after 6 months.
I may be doing something wrong but the reviews (sorted by new) on that link tell me otherwise.
> Today I found that the insulation around the air duct work is also wet. Is this a problem where I would need to take out the whole duct insulation and replace? Or do I just leave it alone?
Take out all wet insulation as it's acting as a sponge. If you haven't done do, purchase a dehumidifier.
Might be too late, but my dehumidifier came with a little door and a threaded plastic extension that you can screw a hose into, or drip directly into an external reservoir. I got a 12 gallon tote and it collects the water, then I put it back into the plants. If I unscrew the adapter, the water just falls into the built in collection bucket.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UWP07LK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The type of unit I linked to is usually allowed where normal window air conditioners aren't.
I've never heard of an apartment complex disallowing the type of air conditioner I linked to.
But yeah, if it's cool get a nice Dehumidifier. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-70-Pint-Dehumidifier-Effortless-Humidity/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1518672680&sr=8-6&keywords=dehumidifier&dpID=316rM8FWZvL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I own the 50 pint dehumidifier which I use in the winter, and I own the air conditioner I linked to, which I use in the summer.
I recommend both!
No, just no. lol
30 pints is silly small for 2k sq feet unfinished basement, especially considering that 30 pints is under ideal circumstances. In common use you'll see less than that.
You can close the supply registers to the basement, but it could be worth keeping both of them cracked open and the return fully open. The A\C is acting as a dehumidifier, but you don't want to waste A\C in the basement. Keep them open enough to provide some dehumidified air into the basement, create some air flow, and offset some of the air that goes into the return. That's nonsense that you are dehumidifying the house air, that 30 pint unit is doing nothing for you but draining you of electric.
What temp do you keep your upstairs at? What is likely happening is your upstairs humidity is floating around the low to mid 50s with all this crappy muggy weather we've been having. Couple that with the fact you have a new, air tight home that retains the moisture better from cooking, breathing, showering, etc and it's easy to get a muggy basement. When that warm air settles in the basement where it's much cooler the RH goes up. It's completely normal, especially in older houses with no vapor barriers in the slab and newer, air tight houses. You probably had a "leakier" house before where your AC ran a lot longer and dehumidified the air more as a result.
Get yourself a 70 pint/day dehumidifier, I have one of these in mine and it's a beast. https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FFAD7033R1-Dehumidifier-Effortless-Humidity/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1472558918&sr=1-2&keywords=dehumidifier
One of these.
There is no insulation. The drywall is just a divider separating the laundry side from the furnace/hot water heater side. Flooring is on the laundry and stair case side. Door way connecting to the furnace side.
A portable dehumidifier might work a treat. I have one in my 1500sqft basement. I live in GA also and my basement AC basically never comes on. So I run the dehumidifier down there and keep it set to 55% humidity. It collects about 30 pints of water per day. If you hook it up to a drain hose you can even use the water to drip irrigate your plants.
Try it and see if it works. Use your ecobee to run the fan fairly often to circulate the air through the house. My Nest turns my basement fan on three times per day for one hour and that seems to be enough to circulate the air through all the rooms and keep the humidity under control through the whole area.
Best dehumidifier on the market
Frigidaire 70-Pint Dehumidifier with Effortless Humidity Control, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SwuLBbGGKZDYT
You also need this sensor. Keep the humidity level between 35-45%
AcuRite 00613 Humidity Monitor with Indoor Thermometer, Digital Hygrometer and Humidity Gauge Indicator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xnzLBbM5HF5BH
I have this one
Frigidaire 70-Pint Dehumidifier, Gray & White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UWP07LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_j6fdFb3E1ZN4X
I had a Soleus that I got from Menards and the pump quit on me in about 2 months. I threw it out and got this. Works great.