Portable room dehumidifiers are great for solving a single-room, excess humidity problem, but they aren't robust enough to remove large amounts of moisture in tough environments like basements, crawl spaces, and other areas that are difficult to reach.
Installing a ducted whole-house standalone dehumidifier through a wall can be an effective way to reach these spaces.
- Why Duct a Standalone Dehumidifier
- Standalone Dehumidifier Ducting Configurations
- How to Duct Dehumidifiers Through a Wall
- Popular Dehumidifiers for Through-Wall Ducting
Why Duct a Standalone Dehumidifier
The damaging effects of high humidity can creep up on you, especially in basements and crawl spaces. Combined with high heat, it creates the perfect environment for bacteria growth, mold and mildew growth, dust mite infestation, and continual damp conditions that can lead to structural damage.
There are several benefits to ducting a standalone dehumidifier in your home or commercial space, including:
- Hard-to-Reach Areas: A large-capacity standalone dehumidifier bypasses an HVAC system in your home or commercial space for extended coverage in remote and hard-to-reach spaces.
- Dry Air in Multiple Rooms: The extra dehumidifier ducts to multiple rooms that need dry air.
- Avoid Extra Expenses: When moisture issues are mainly on the floor (like the basement), adding a ducted dehumidifier helps you avoid the expenses and hassle of installing a whole-house dehumidifier into your HVAC system.
- Continuous Air Circulation: By running ducting to a crawl space or other area, there is continuous air circulation for less risk of constant humidity.
- Limited Crawl Space: Remove moisture from a tight crawl space that can’t accommodate a dehumidifier.
Standalone Dehumidifier Ducting Configurations
You can duct a standalone dehumidifier by attaching return ducts, supply ducts, or both.
You can also duct both to circulate dry air in the other room and achieve negative pressure. This is a popular setup when people only want to dehumidify the finished part of their basement but don’t want the dehumidifier in the same room.
How to Duct a Dehumidifier Through a Wall
The owner's manual for your dehumidifier outlines specific ducting options and installation instructions; however, the following is a general procedure that is good to keep in mind:
- Outline your wall based on the duct or vent you use to supply fresh air.
- Attach the duct collars to your dehumidifier. (You will need duct attachments designed for your specific model.)
- Add the collar or vent to the wall you connect the dehumidifier to.
- Connect the ductwork from the dehumidifier collars to the wall collars or vent.
Popular Dehumidifiers for Through-Wall Ducting
Several reliable dehumidifier brands provide efficient and reliable operation as standalone units or ducted with an HVAC system.
Santa Fe Dehumidifiers
These models can be ducted through a wall to control humidity in a singular location, such as a finished basement room.
The Santa Fe Ultra series is designed for whole-house ventilation ducted to your HVAC system. It’s available in horizontal and vertical configurations for various sizes of spaces, from 1,800 sq. ft. to 5,000 sq. ft.
See all Santa Fe Ultra Series Whole-house Dehumidifiers
Aprilaire Freestanding Dehumidifiers
These popular whole-house dehumidifiers are efficient and compact. They can remove moisture from a single room or through various types of ducting. Some models even include a whole-home ventilation kit.
See Aprilaire HVAC Ducted Dehumidifiers
Dri Eaz PHD200 Dehumidifier
This compact, high-capacity dehumidifier can be used in residential crawl spaces or ducted to a remote space, adding dry air to the room of your choice.
Learn more about the Dri Eaz PHD200
In Summary
For high-humidity climates, standalone dehumidifiers can be easily installed in a remote room and ducted through a wall to dehumidify a large area or multiple spaces while keeping the unit hidden and easily accessible. A whole-house dehumidifier ducted with an HVAC system is also a simple and efficient way to achieve healthy humidity levels throughout your home.
Still Have Questions?
Of course, there are other ducting applications as well. If you have questions about whether or not ducting would work in your application, please call our product experts at 1-800-934-9194.
