AprilAire Whole-Home Dehumidifiers

Whole-Home Dehumidifier Installation in Elgin & the Fox Valley

Fox Valley summers are humid, and basements here are damp from May to September even when the air conditioner is running. A whole-home dehumidifier pulls the moisture the AC misses, dries the basement without a bucket to empty, and holds the house at 40 to 60% RH. We are an AprilAire Preferred Partner and install the AprilAire E100W as our standard unit.

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  • AprilAire Preferred Partner
  • AprilAire E100W: up to 100 pints a day, homes up to 5,500 sq ft
  • Self-draining, Wi-Fi control, no bucket
  • Ducted into your system or standalone in the basement or crawl space

Signs Your Home Needs a Whole-Home Dehumidifier

If the house feels sticky at 72°F, the problem is moisture, not temperature.

  • The basement smells musty. That smell is mold and mildew feeding on humid air. Basements in Elgin sit below grade in damp soil and stay humid all summer.
  • A portable dehumidifier that never stops. If you are emptying a bucket every day, the unit is undersized for the space and still not reaching the rest of the house.
  • Condensation on cold water pipes, ductwork or the toilet tank. Sweating surfaces mean the air is holding more water than it should.
  • Indoor humidity above 60%. An inexpensive hygrometer in the basement and one upstairs will show it. Above 60% is where mold, dust mites and warped wood begin.
  • The house feels clammy even with the AC on. On mild, humid days the air conditioner satisfies the thermostat quickly and shuts off before it removes much moisture. An oversized AC makes this worse.
  • Mold spots on basement walls, stored boxes or closet ceilings. Mold needs moisture. Take the moisture away and it stops.
  • Doors that stick and floors that cup in summer. Wood swells as it absorbs moisture. The same floors gap in winter.
  • Allergies and asthma that flare in summer. Dust mites and mold thrive above 60% RH.
  • A finished basement you cannot use in July. Carpet, drywall and furniture below grade hold moisture and smell.

What We Install

AprilAire dehumidifiers, sized to the space and installed to drain on their own.

Our standard

AprilAire E100W

Removes up to 100 pints, about 12.5 gallons, of water a day and is rated for homes up to 5,500 square feet. It is self-draining, controlled by Wi-Fi from your phone, and sized to handle a whole Fox Valley house or a large basement on its own. See AprilAire dehumidifiers.

Full range

AprilAire E050 to E130

Smaller crawl spaces and basements get the E050 or E080. Large homes or homes with severe moisture get the E130. We size to the square footage, the moisture load and whether the unit is ducted or standalone.

Whole house

Ducted installation

The dehumidifier ties into the return and supply ductwork of your furnace or air handler so dry air reaches every room. Best for homes that are humid upstairs and down, not only in the basement.

Basement

Standalone installation

Set on the basement floor or in the crawl space, drawing air from the space and returning it dry. Simpler and less expensive than ducting when the basement is the problem. See AprilAire basement and crawl space solutions.

No bucket

Drain and condensate

Every install includes a gravity drain to a floor drain or a condensate pump when the drain is higher than the unit. You never empty anything.

Set to 40 to 60%

Control and Wi-Fi

The built-in control holds the humidity you set, and the Wi-Fi app lets you check and adjust it from anywhere. We set the target, show you the app, and can tie it to a compatible smart thermostat.

Replacing an Old Unit?

Whether it is a worn-out whole-home unit or a fleet of portables, here is what changes.

Replacing portable dehumidifiers is the most common upgrade. A portable in the basement pulls maybe a few gallons a day into a bucket, cycles on and off, and never touches the humidity upstairs. A whole-home unit removes several times that, drains itself and runs quietly in a mechanical room.

Replacing an old whole-home dehumidifier is usually straightforward. We reuse the drain and, on ducted installs, the duct connections if they were sized properly, and we replace the unit with the AprilAire model that fits. Old units with a failed compressor are rarely worth repairing; the compressor is most of the cost of the machine. If yours is younger and the problem is a fan, sensor, drain or filter, see dehumidifier repair first.

One note. A dehumidifier does not fix a wet basement. If water is coming through the foundation, that is a drainage or waterproofing problem first. And we do not test for or mitigate radon; in Illinois that work is for IEMA-licensed professionals. What we fix is humid air, which is most basements here in summer.

How the Installation Day Goes

Most standalone installs take a few hours. Ducted installs take longer.

1. Sizing and placement. We measure the space, read the current humidity, and decide between ducted and standalone based on where the moisture is and how the ductwork runs. Placement needs a drain, power and room for airflow and filter access.

2. Ducting or intake. Ducted units are connected to the return and supply plenums with proper transitions and dampers so the dehumidifier works with the air handler, not against it. Standalone units get a clear intake and outlet.

3. Drain. A gravity drain to the floor drain where possible. If the drain is uphill, we install a condensate pump. Either way the water leaves on its own.

4. Electrical. The unit is plugged into or wired to an appropriate circuit. We confirm the circuit can carry it and that nothing else on it will trip.

5. Control and start-up. We set the humidity target in the 40 to 60% range, connect the Wi-Fi app, and run the unit long enough to confirm it is removing water and draining.

6. Walk-through. How to read and adjust the setting, when to change the filter, and what a normal cycle looks like. Then it runs on its own.

What a Dehumidifier Installation Costs

A flat, written price for the unit, the installation and the drain.

Whole-home dehumidifier installs are quoted as a flat price by model and by installation type. Standalone basement installs cost less than ducted installs because there is no duct transition work. The quote includes the unit, drain or condensate pump, electrical connection, control setup and start-up. Nothing is added later.

Ongoing cost is electricity while it runs and a filter change, which we handle at your tune-up on the $240 semi-annual maintenance plan. A dehumidifier often lets you raise the AC setpoint a couple of degrees and still feel comfortable, which offsets some of its own running cost.

Larger projects can be financed. You can prequalify in about 2 minutes with no impact to your credit score. Dehumidifiers are often part of a full AprilAire Healthy Air package with a humidifier and an air purifier, all on one written quote.

Ducted or Standalone? AC or Dehumidifier?

Two questions decide most installs.

If the problem is the basement, a standalone unit in the basement or crawl space is the right answer and the less expensive one. If the whole house is sticky, including bedrooms upstairs on humid nights, a ducted unit tied to the air handler treats every room.

An air conditioner removes moisture only while it runs. On a 95°F day it runs long and the house is dry. On a 78°F, rainy day it barely runs, and humidity climbs. A dehumidifier works independently of the temperature, which is why the two together keep a Fox Valley house comfortable all summer. If your AC is short cycling or oversized, that is its own problem; see AC repair and AC maintenance.

Why Basements Here Stay Damp

Northern Illinois soil, summer dew points and below-grade living space.

AprilAire whole-home dehumidifier

The AprilAire whole-home dehumidifier we install ducted or standalone in Fox Valley basements and crawl spaces.

  • Summers from May through September run humid, with dew points that keep outdoor air near saturation
  • Basements in 1960s to 2000s split-levels and ranches sit below grade in damp soil and stay cool, so their air is always near the dew point
  • The air conditioner is upstairs doing the temperature job and rarely dries the basement
  • Mild rainy days are the worst: the AC barely runs and humidity climbs past 60%
  • The target is 40 to 60% RH, and a self-draining unit holds it without a bucket
  • Finished basements, stored belongings and crawl-space insulation all suffer above 60%

We are an AprilAire Preferred Partner and install the E050 through E130 series as ducted or standalone units. See AprilAire basement and crawl space and AprilAire.

Humidity, Filtration and Moisture Control Together

AprilAire’s Healthy Air approach treats the three things that make indoor air uncomfortable: too dry in winter, too damp in summer, and full of dust year-round. A whole-home dehumidifier handles summer. A whole-home humidifier handles winter. A media air purifier handles the dust. We install all three on your existing furnace or air handler, often in one visit, on one written quote. See AprilAire Healthy Air products.

Already installed? On the $240 semi-annual maintenance plan we change the dehumidifier filter, the humidifier water panel and the air purifier filter at your spring and fall tune-ups, so the whole system stays working without a reminder.

Dehumidifier Installation Across the Fox Valley

Based in Elgin, we serve homes throughout Kane, McHenry, DuPage and DeKalb counties.

Don’t see your town? Call (847) 224-2420. View all service areas.

Whole-Home Dehumidifier Installation FAQs

What humidity should my house be in summer?

Between 40 and 60% relative humidity. Above 60% is where mold, dust mites and musty smells start. A whole-home dehumidifier holds the setting on its own regardless of how much the air conditioner runs.

What is the AprilAire E100W?

A whole-home dehumidifier that removes up to 100 pints, about 12.5 gallons, of water a day and is rated for homes up to 5,500 square feet. It is self-draining and controlled by Wi-Fi. It is our standard unit. See AprilAire dehumidifiers.

Why is my basement still damp with the air conditioner running?

The air conditioner only removes moisture while it runs, and it runs to satisfy a thermostat upstairs. A cool basement below grade rarely triggers it and stays humid. A dehumidifier in or ducted to the basement solves that.

Should the dehumidifier be ducted or standalone?

Standalone in the basement or crawl space when the basement is the problem. Ducted into the air handler when the whole house is humid. We measure humidity in both places before recommending.

Does a whole-home dehumidifier need a drain?

Yes, and every install includes one. We run a gravity drain to a floor drain or install a condensate pump when the drain is higher than the unit. There is no bucket to empty.

How long does dehumidifier installation take?

A standalone basement install usually takes a few hours. A ducted install takes longer because of the duct transitions and dampers. Most are done in a single visit.

Will a dehumidifier lower my cooling bill?

It can help. Dry air at 76°F feels as comfortable as humid air at 72°F, so many homeowners raise the AC setpoint. The dehumidifier uses electricity itself, so the net effect depends on how you run it.

Can a dehumidifier fix a wet basement?

No. A dehumidifier removes moisture from the air. Water coming through the foundation is a drainage or waterproofing problem that should be fixed first. Once the basement is only damp, not wet, a dehumidifier keeps it dry.

Is a whole-home dehumidifier better than a portable?

For most homes, yes. It removes several times more water, drains itself, runs in a mechanical space rather than the living room, and can treat the whole house when ducted. A portable is fine for a small, isolated problem.

Do you test for radon?

No. Radon testing and mitigation in Illinois are done by IEMA-licensed professionals. We handle moisture, filtration and humidity, and we are glad to work alongside a radon contractor.

How often does the dehumidifier filter need changing?

It depends on how dusty the space is; typically a few times a year. On the maintenance plan we check and change it at your spring and fall tune-ups.

Can the dehumidifier work with my smart thermostat?

Some thermostats have a dehumidifier terminal, and the AprilAire unit also has its own Wi-Fi control. We set up whichever works best for your system. See smart thermostat installation.

Do you install dehumidifiers in crawl spaces?

Yes. The smaller AprilAire models fit crawl spaces and we install them with a drain or condensate pump and proper airflow. See basement and crawl space solutions.

Make the Basement Usable Again. Get a Written Quote.

Tell us where the moisture is and how big the space is, and we will recommend a model and quote it flat-rate.

Call (847) 224-2420
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Request a free quote or contact us with questions about AprilAire dehumidifiers.

AprilAire and Healthy Air System are trademarks of Research Products Corporation. Rest Assured HVAC LLC is an independent AprilAire Preferred Partner.