Ducting in the basement

[h_curtis]

I have installed a Unico 4860L with 4 ton and this basement is pretty damp. Not wet, but in the summer is moist. Thinking about dropping a few ducts in the basement for some air flow and to drop the humidity. I am told the Unico will take moisture out pretty well and thought I might see how this goes before I look into a dehumidifier. What do you think? Will the movement help?

[belliott]

The air movement would'nt hurt, but I would still be worried about adding cool air in the summer or winter could lead to condesation problems. You know the dehumidifier will work. I'd install one.

[skippedover]

If you use the Unico, you're robbing the main house of AC to try and fix an entirely different problem. Forget trying to Rube Goldburg the job and do it right. Whole house dehumidifier.

[h_curtis]

The problem with dehumidifiers are they throw heat and use tons of extra electric on top of the a/c' consumption. I thought the Unico would take out 30% more humidity than conventional and would help the basement? Oh this home has no door between basement and the upper floors. That could be an issue as well.

[skippedover]

Never said it was free. There's always a cost. But then again, it's unlikely anybody did a load analysis on the Unico system so you've probably got lots of air to spare. So drop away.

[beenthere]

Is the basement door open to the main floor.

As in, is there a clear unobstructed path for the air to return to the air handler?

If not, it won't help.

It won't help much anyway. Since as you cool the basement. It becomes harder to keep the RH% low.

A dehumidifier is better.

[h_curtis]

Is the basement door open to the main floor.

As in, is there a clear unobstructed path for the air to return to the air handler?

There is no door between the basement and main floors, so no obstructions.

[beenthere]

Dehumidifier.

[h_curtis]

Dehumidifier.

Which means I need to install a door and the basement will be hot. Ouch.

[beenthere]

Don't need to install a door. Leave it as an open path as it is. The heat from the dehumidifier will rise to the upper levels. Where the A/C will get rid of it. Which in turn. Will also help to keep the RH lower.

[h_curtis]

Don't need to install a door. Leave it as an open path as it is. The heat from the dehumidifier will rise to the upper levels. Where the A/C will get rid of it. Which in turn. Will also help to keep the RH lower.

Is there a dehumidifier that throws less heat and isn't an energy hog?

[beenthere]

WHD are more efficient then portables. But, they cost a lot more up front.

[drewski11]

Is there a dehumidifier that throws less heat and isn't an energy hog?

i haven't done a comparo, but Teddy Bear says that the Ultra-aire / Santa Fe / Honeywell made by Thermastor have the best Pints / KWH in the industry.

[beenthere]

i haven't done a comparo, but Teddy Bear says that the Ultra-aire / Santa Fe / Honeywell made by Thermastor have the best Pints / KWH in the industry.

Honeywell isn't made by Thermastore.

TB is a Thermastore salesmen.

[drewski11]

Honeywell isn't made by Thermastore.

TB is a Thermastore salesmen.

I know TB works for Thermastor. I asked and he told me the Honeywell are made by them with some slight tweaks. If you look at them, pretty much all the specs are the same and the physical dimensions are identical.

Even the install manuals are almost identical with similar pictures and diagrams.

The Rheem WHD's look like re-badged Ultra-aire. Maybe others.

Did he lie to me? Does H-well make the T-Stor dehums? Is it a 3rd party that makes both?

[heytodd1]

With respect to whom a dehumifier's actual manufacturer is, the Energy Star website has a lot of useful information - at least for energy efficient models. :)

http://downloads.energystar.gov/bi/qplist/dehumid_prod_list.pdf

Scroll down to pages 18 and 19 for the details of the products in question.

- heytodd1

[teddy bear]

Honeywell isn't made by Thermastore.

TB is a Thermastore salesmen.

Is there any question about my honesty?
Regards TB

[beenthere]

Is there any question about my honesty?
Regards TB


Did you say Honeywell is made by thermastor. And is it?

[thorton]

Don't need to install a door. Leave it as an open path as it is. The heat from the dehumidifier will rise to the upper levels. Where the A/C will get rid of it. Which in turn. Will also help to keep the RH lower.Hi h curtis: The above answer by bt is exactly the way I use my portable dehumidifier at my home. I have no door between my lower level and my upper level. I run my portable all the time to maintain 50% to 45% RH or lower in the basement area, and at the same time some of this dehumidified air rises to the unobstructed upper level of my home. This way I can keep my heat pump set at 77 degrees during the day and need only very short run times for sensible heat removal. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to keep my temp at 77 degrees without the added benefit of my dehumidifier to keep it comfortable enough and keep the latent within a reasonable level. I didn't start doing this until the last couple of years. Initially I thought it was a waste of electricity running my heat pump (in cooling mode, of course) and a portable dehumidifier at the same time. However, now I seem to have proved to myself this combination works pretty good for me because of the open concept. Plus, I believe I get the added benefit of my heat pump not running near as much adding to it's longevity. Just to let you know this combination doesn't work during sleeping hours as I lower temp set point to 73 degrees for sleeping. A whole house dehumidifier would be the best bet as teddybear alludes to so passionately on so many, many of his threads.

thorton
__________________________
In fact, air at –18°C contains about 85 percent of the heat it contained at 21°C.

[drewski11]

hi BT. check out the link HeyTodd posted. it shows T-stor makes the Honeywells

http://downloads.energystar.gov/bi/qplist/dehumid_prod_list.pdf

[beenthere]

It shows they make some of the Honeywell's, But not all of the them.

[commerce48]

Looks like TB was right! Therma-Stor does have the most energy efficient models. One easy to compare site - although the numbers look like they came direct from the manufacturer.

[drewski11]

It shows they make some of the Honeywell's, But not all of the them.

i asked him about a specific model. i shouldn't have generalized.

it does look like they make all 3 of H-well's residential WHDs (65,90,150 pt models)