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Aprilaire Dehumidifier
Although the Aprilaire brand was first introduced in 1954, the Research Products Corporation has been producing products to improve the quality of the air in American homes since 1938.
It’s nice to know that an Aprilaire dehumidifier is manufactured in the US at Madision WI. And although the warranty given is for 5 years the expected life of most units is 5-10 years and with improvements to newer models (1750 and 1770) their expected life is now 15 years plus.
If you live in an area with high humidity you are probably all to familiar with the bad odors and potential health problems high humidity can cause. The best solution to all these problems is a dehumidifier. There are a variety of different dehumidifiers on the market and it can be very confusing trying to work out what will best suit your needs.
At first you may think the inexpensive purchase price of a small portable unit is the main consideration, however there is a lot more to consider than just the initial purchase price.
You want to get a dehumidifier that will do the job you require, efficiently and economically.
Comparing apples with apples
One important point to note is that the smaller inexpensive models quoted capacities are usually rated differently to the larger whole house type of dehumidifier. The cheaper units generally quote their capacity (the amount of water that can be removed) based on 100% humidity.
100% humidity is actually more of a theoretical value rather that a level that actually occurs in any home, and it is the optimum level of humidity for the peak performance of any dehumidifier.
All whole house dehumidifiers (including the Apriaire range) on the other hand are usually rated on the amount of water that can be removed at a temperature of 80°F with a humidity level of 60% a much more relevant indicator of how efficiently the unit will work.
Another important factor to consider is the the amount of air the dehumidifier can move across the internal working in order to remove the moisture. It is this capacity to move large quantities air (cubic feet per minute) that really differentiates a whole house dehumidifier from the smaller cheaper models that are really only designed for rooms up to a certain size.
The other major factor to consider is, will your dehumidifier still work as the temperature drops? The lower the ambient temperature the more difficult it becomes to extract the moisture.
While most homes are heated to between 70 and 80°F the temperature in the basement is likely to be only 60°F or less. The smaller inexpensive portable units are just not designed to work properly at such temperatures.
On the other hand, while lower temperatures still decrease the efficiency of of the Aprilaire dehumidifiers, they have the still capacity to work as efficiently as possible.
Replacement Parts
Replacement parts are readily available for the entire range of Aprilaire dehumidifiers unlike most of the smaller cheaper options which are usually not designed to be repaired or the parts are often unavailable.
Installation
While the Aprilarie dehumidifier can be ducted into your existing home heating and air conditioning (some skill is necessary but it’s not beyond the skills of a capable handyman) this is not alway necessary and they can also be used effectively as a stand alone unit.
As a stand alone unit, all that is required is to run a drainage line. Portable inexpensive dehumidifiers generally collect the condensate in a container that must be emptied regularly.
While the Aprilaire dehumidifiers have a drainage tube which can be run to a floor drain or sump pump. If you want the drainage line to empty into a sink or out through a crawl space window, you may need an additional pump to push the water up the hose. Please check if the model you choose has a built in pump or requires an external pump in these circumstances
“This unit replaced the frequent fail and replace models purchased from department stores. It worked out of the box, and it just continues to work. Highly recommend”
LA Teacher from Almont, MI
The Bottom Line
Unless you only need to dehumidify a smaller space at average temperatures of 70°F or higher, a whole house dehumidifier is more efficient at a greater temperature range than the cheaper portable kind. Add to this the longer life expectancy and the readily available spare parts for this locally produced product and I’m sure you’ll agree that the Aprilaire range of dehumidifiers are a great option.