HVAC Advice. Which option for Dehumidifier Exhaust?

[iReefer12]

HI all,

I'm planning a large Peninsula build for next year and I've been planning meticulously to try and avoid any pitfalls, one item that I still haven't got a good plan for is dealing with the Humidity. I'm fortunate that in Colorado its usually pretty dry, but with 600 gallons, I think it can become a big issue to deal with and I want to make sure I'm doing it right for safety and to protect the tank and home.

I have gone back and forth several times, minisplit, ERV, exhaust fan, but I believe my best option is to use an Aprilaire E070 Dehumidifier and drain to a floor drain in the mech room. I will also use an AC Infinity fan to blow air from the mech room and into the room, above the tank. Hopefully that is what you see when you see my drawing.

Now, my next biggest concern is where to vent the De-Humidifier exhaust...

I can:

A: Red, just straight out into the mech room. The HVAC, Furnace is right in that space. (The Red Line Before the DH is not in question, that's just the intake for the DH.)
B: Blue, Exhaust into the room.
C: Yellow, Exhaust into the mech room closer to the AC Infinity fan.
D: Orange, Exhaust into an existing aluminum ductwork that is running to a floor vent for the 1st floor of the home.

Any thoughts?

 

[Subsea]

Stay away from D. Central ductwork is pressurized when central unit is on.

Here in Austin, humidity is 70% of heat load in the summer time. During the summer, your humidifier will add both heat & moisture to your cooling load. I suggest you exhaust your humidifier outdoor in summer and in the mechanical room in the winter.

 

[iReefer12]

I’m leaning towards B.

 

[AlexG]

I would agree avoid D. Its better to have a separate humidity control system. I would say ventilation and a dehumidifier are good options but there is a lot more to it that just having those in place. Humidity control comes down to several factors and simply having a dehumidifier or ventilation fan is just a part of the puzzle. Its important to minimize, contain, and mitigate humidity. Moisture will always attempt to balance itself so if it can be absorbed by the structure or its contents it will be and this is something to avoid. Is your aquarium going to be open top or will there be a canopy? Where is the sump located and will it have covers? What is the current humidity level in your home? (Should be measured in a few areas).

 

[iReefer12]

Humidity in the home varies, right now the 2nd floor is 37%, 1st floor is 45%, basement is 53%.

Right not, the tank is only 220g, the new tank is planned to be around 650g, Sump will be covered completely to help mitigate evap. The display will be open top, but a canopy will run to the ceiling.

I guess I thought moisture only starts to absorb when humidity is high, at the dewpoint?

 

[SilvermistInc]

I'm rather confused here. Can you simplify things for me?

 

[iReefer12]

Yeah, sure. Which part is confusing?

 

[iReefer12]

Got the vents ant ductwork installed. You can see the middle vent, the open one, that’s where the AC Infinity fan will blow air. Then the 2 on the outside are the inlets for the dehumidifier.

Then in the mech room, you can see the AC infinity and on the left the 2 black lines will run to the dehumidifier. I’m still leaning towards exhausting the dehumidifier into the mech room or out into the room.