A dehumidifier is a must for many people who live in a humid area or have damp summer months. Rather than placing a portable dehumidifier in a basement and an attic separately, you can also opt for installing a whole-house dehumidifier.
So how much does a whole house dehumidifier cost? On average, an installed whole-house humidifier will cost you around $2500. However, the brands, home size, labor cost, and many other factors will affect the cost you are going to pay.
In this post, I will analyze the cost carefully by taking the most important factors into account. By the end of this post, I believe you will have a reasonable estimate of how much you will spend on installing a whole-house humidifier.
Whole House Dehumidifier Product Costs
First things first, let’s look at the price of a whole-house dehumidifier on the market right now. Generally speaking, a whole house dehumidifier is much more expensive than a whole-house humidifier.
A furnace dehumidifier can cost between $1000 and $2500. The capacity, efficiency, and brand you select all have an impact on the retail price. In this section, I will break them down for you.
Whole-house dehumidifier costs by brands
Compared to room dehumidifiers, whole-house models have fewer brands available. Aprilaire, Santa Fe, and Honeywell are household names in this industry.
Aprilaire whole house dehumidifier price
Aprilaire makes an array of reliable add-ons to the HVAC system. They offer a 5-year warranty on their dehumidifiers, which range in price from $1200 to $1700.
Santa Fe whole house dehumidifier price
Santa Fe specializes in the manufacture of basement dehumidifiers, crawl space dehumidifiers, and whole-house dehumidifiers. Their whole-house models typically range from $2000 to $4600.
Honeywell whole house dehumidifier price
The products of Honeywell are everywhere. Regarding the whole house dehumidifiers, you will usually pay for it $1500 to $2000 with a 5-year warranty.
Whole house dehumidifier costs by capacity
When buying a whole home dehumidifier, people often use capacity as a crucial metric to describe how many pints of water a model can remove per day. The higher the capacity, the higher the product price.
You should think about the humidity level in your area to decide if you should go for a high-capacity model. Some units have a capacity of 200 pints.
| Capacity(Pints) | Unit Price |
|---|---|
| 70-80 | $1000 to $1500 |
| 90-120 | $1300 to $2000 |
| 120-200 | $2000 to $4000 |
Whole-house dehumidifier costs by efficiency
The efficiency affects the performance and the electricity usage of your furnace dehumidifier.
Units that are “energy-star” certified can save about 15% to 30% electricity. You can check this page to see all the energy-star-certified whole-home dehumidifiers.
However, it also means they will have a higher upfront cost. In many cases, they will cost 15% more than their other counterparts.
Labor cost to install a whole-house dehumidifier
We don’t recommend you install a whole-house dehumidifier on your own unless you have related expertise.
The labor cost depends on the local labor rate and how long it will take to install a furnace dehumidifier.
Depending on where you live, the rate can range from $50 to $150 on average. A handyman will charge between $50 and $100, whereas a professional will charge between $70 and $150.
In terms of installation time, a professional will take about 6 hours to connect your machine to the central HVAC system, which will cost between $400 and $900.
Other costs when installing a whole-house dehumidifier
Except for labor costs, you may have to pay more to get your whole-house dehumidifier installed.
Ductwork
Usually, the furnace dehumidifier will be attached to the return ductwork for your HAVC system. However, you may need to install a dedicated return line to accommodate the dehumidifier in some cases. If this is the case, you will have to pay an additional $250 to $500.
Pump cost
There are different ways to drain a dehumidifier, but for a furnace dehumidifier, dumping the water yourself is not an option.
You can take advantage of the gravity and allow the water to flow out to any drain nearby. Otherwise, you should install an extra condense pump.
As far as I know, not many furnace dehumidifiers have an internal pump, therefore, you should opt for an external one. Luckily, an external pump is affordable with a $70 to $125 price tag.
Filter cost
You need to replace the dehumidifier filter every 3 to 6 months. When the filter is clogged, your dehumidifier may freeze up. A filter replacement will usually cost you $50 on average.
Dehumidistat
You don’t want to access your dehumidifier whenever you want to modify the humidity level, right? Getting a humidistat installed is necessary.
Some packages come with one already included. If not, an extra one will typically cost you between $70 and $120.
Cost to run a whole-house dehumidifier
All the whole-house dehumidifiers are electronics, and their performance is affected by the air quality. As a result, it will cost you some money to operate.
Electricity charge
A furnace dehumidifier usually has a higher wattage than other dehumidifiers since it will cover all the rooms in your house. The wattage typically ranges from 600W to 800W.
Depending on how often you use it, the electricity usage will cost you about $60 to $200 per year.
Annual maintenance cost
To extend the lifespan of your dehumidifier, you can hire a pro to maintain it every year. It will cost you about $50 to $100.
How much does it cost to repair a whole-house dehumidifier?
Don’t be concerned! Whole home dehumidifiers are not something that is easy to break. When it starts to malfunction, you can check the manual or the tips online to fix it on your own. Many models have a 5-year or longer warranty. In this case, you can contact your manuafucter to ask for help.
If you must hire a professional, expect to pay between $50 and $400.
How to calculate the cost of installing a whole-house dehumidifier?
We’ve already covered all of the costs associated with installing a furnace dehumidifier. You can use the formula below to determine how much you must pay.
The Total Cost = Product Cost + Labor Cost +Filter Cost+ Electricity Charge+Maintainance Cost(Optional)+Ductwork Cost(Optional)+Pump Cost(Optional)+Dehumidistat(Optional)
Conclusion
The ultimate solution for removing excess moisture in the home is to install a whole-house humidifier. However, calculating the total cost can be difficult.
While the product price is about $1000 to $2500, you have to pay for labor cost and other fees, which could range from $400 to $1500. Therefore, on average, a whole-house dehumidifier will cost about $2500.
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