Hello all,

I have a 1,500 sq ft 1966 home with an encapsulated crawl space and spray-foamed attic in CZ2. I have a two-stage heat pump with an air handler located in a central return closet. The heat pump does a great job at keeping the home dry (45 – 50%) during the warm seasons, but humidity is a problem during the shoulder seasons and winter.

To keep humidity low in the cooler seasons, I have been using a consumer-grade dehumidifier located next to the small central return closet. This works OK but requires manual intervention, takes up space in the hallway, and is a bit noisy.

I’d like to install a pro-grade whole-home dehumidifier like the AprilAire E080 and hook it up to my air handler controller for automatic dehumidification.

My question is where should the dehumidifier be located for a central return system like mine, and how should it be ducted?

Is it feasible to simply locate the unit underneath the air handler in the central return closet, without the use of any ducting? In other words, allow the air handler’s fan to turn on with the DeHu, pulling air into the return closet, through the DeHu, and into the air handler’s return. My thinking is that this would operate essentially the same as my current floor-standing setup. A major benefit of this location is that the unit is accessible without going into the crawlspace or attic, simplifying filter changes and any other maintenance.

Any advice is appreciated!