My humidifier control is not working so well...what should I do?
When should my Aprilaire model 700 humidifier run?
Do you have a digital humidistat that you are controlling the humidifier with? The digital humidistat has a blower activation switch on it and you might have that in the on position. Turning the blower activation switch to the off position should solve your problem of the humidifier running in these different times.
If you have a manual control to wired to the humidifier, then you would need to have your service contractor trouble shoot the current sensing relay that would be wired between the humidistat and humidifier.
My Aprilaire humidistat is on the wall, where is it testing the humidity level?
Consumer question:
I installed my humidistat on the wall in my house and was wondering which location is more effecient / effective at reading the humidity level...on the wall or on the return duct at the furnace.
Aprilaires' response:
Orfice, orfice where does the orfice go?
>>> Phyllis Kaplanek 02/21/12 08:35 >>>
Hello Jeff,
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
The yellow orifice goes into the water feed tube. The end that the orifice goes into will be the end that is then inserted into the solenoid valve, at the outlet end of the solenoid valve.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Phyllis Kaplanek
Customer Service Specialist
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
ptk@aprilaire.com
1-800-334-6011, ext 6181
visit www.aprilaire.com
Call Center hours are M-F, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
>>> Jeff Reiher 2/18/2012 4:40 PM >>>
Name: Jeff Reiher
Email: jeff.reiher@thomasrepro.com
Address: 3316 Country Wd Dr
City: Burnsville
State: MN
ZIP: 55337
Country: USA
Phone: 612-296-4426
Product_type: Humidifiers
Model number: 600M
Installation date: 2012-02-27
Professionally installed: N
Comments: I purchased my Aprilare 600M recently on line. It's all installed with one exception, where does the yellow orfice go? In the water supply line before the selenoid?
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The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
Can I install the Aprilaire humidifier above the cooling coil and still get the same efficiency ...
From: webmaster@aprilaire.com
>>> Phyllis Kaplanek 02/21/12 09:01 >>>
Hello William,
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
Yes, you may install the humidifier above the cooling coil, or you may also install it on the cold air return duct. You really are not limited to where this unit can be installed. It would also be best to plumb hot water to the humidifier.
There is an 'orifice' installed into the water feed tube. The feed tube comes out of the solenoid, and brings the water into the humidifier, and deposits the water in the distribution tray at the top. The orifice is installed into the feed tube at the end that is inserted into the solenoid valve. That is the only metering device we have to monitor the water flow.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Phyllis Kaplanek
Customer Service Specialist
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
ptk@aprilaire.com
1-800-334-6011, ext 6181
visit www.aprilaire.com
Call Center hours are M-F, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
>>> William Cape 2/19/2012 6:45 PM >>>
Name: William Cape
Email: mcape1622@att.net
Address: 1806 S 35th St
City: Manitowoc
State: WI
ZIP: 54220
Country: USA
Phone: 920-684-3607
Product_type: Humidifiers
Model number: 700
Installation date:
Professionally installed:
Comments: I would like to install a Model 700 Humidifier on my forced air gas furnace that has a cooling coil in the furnace. Due to the location of the cold air return ducts, I'm not able to locate the unit in the plenum in line with the coil as instructed in the manual. I would have to move the unit up above the coil to have enough room between the plenum and duct work. My question is --Can I install the unit above the cooling coil and still get the same efficiency from the unit? Also, does the solenoid on the unit control the 6GPM the unit used and is it preset to do that?
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
I'm trying to decide between the 400, 600 and 700 Aprilaire whole house humidifiers? Please advise.
From: webmaster@aprilaire.com\
>>> Phyllis Kaplanek 02/20/12 15:21 >>>
Hello Dan,
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
Yes, the 400 does not drain, it will evaporate all of the water used.
The 600 uses no power, so would be less expensive to run than the 700.
When the 700 is operating, it is drawing air from the duct work, humidifies it, and blows it back into the duct work all in one spot. Also, yes, sometimes it has been reported that cold air would come out of the vents in the 700 during usage of the air conditioner.
It is difficult to offer 'utility expenses' since each home uses different amounts of water or electricity depending on the humidification needs.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Phyllis Kaplanek
Customer Service Specialist
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
ptk@aprilaire.com
1-800-334-6011, ext 6181
visit www.aprilaire.com
Call Center hours are M-F, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
>>> Dan 2/18/2012 10:14 AM >>>
Name: Dan
Email: civdan@yahoo.com
Address: 7109 Marrisey Loop
City: Galena
State: OH
ZIP: 43021
Country: USA
Phone:
Product_type: Humidifiers
Model number: 700
Installation date:
Professionally installed:
Comments: I\'m trying to decide between the 400, 600 and 700 whole house humidifiers. I like that the 400 wastes no water and uses cold water. Does the fan in the 700 draw air in from the basement or is it sealed so it only pulls heated air from the duct? Would air conditioned air escape from the 700 into the basement during the summer?About how much energy does the fan use on the 700? Will this cost me like $20 more per year in electricity than the 600, for example? How much less would the 400 be in utility costs than the 600 or 700? Thank you!
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
Stop the spread of the flu with proper humidity control?
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A Mayo Clinic researcher is testing the theory that controlling indoor humidity levels can help control the influenza virus in transmission hotspots like schools, hospitals, daycare centers and churches.
The virus can spread quickly in those areas, especially in the winter time when low humidity levels help the influenza virus survive longer outside the human body.
Replacing an existing Aprilaire model 760 humidifier, couple of questions...
Thank you for contacting us regarding the replacement for you model 760 humidifier. If you are unable to replace the 760 with the 700 then you could use the model 600. The 600 is a bypass humidifier which operates slightly different than the 760 or 700. Where the 760 and 700 are power humidifiers that use an internal fan to add humidity to the air in the duct work, the 600 is a by pass unit that utilizes the HVAC blower to add the humidity to the air.
The 600 has similar capacities to the 700 and can provide humidity on a tight home with 8 foot ceilings of up to 4000 square feet.
Additionally, due to the differences in the installation, as well as the wiring of the humidistat control, we recommend the installation be done by a licensed HVAC contractor. When installed by a licensed contractor, the units come with a 5 year warranty beginning on the date of installation. If you choose not to use a licensed contractor you risk voiding the 5 year warranty.
If you have any further questions regarding this or any of our products, please feel free to contact our customer service department at your earliest convenience.
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Call center hours are M-F 7am-5pm CST
Sand/Silt in my water, is that effecting my Aprilaire steam humidifier?
Blower Motor Cycling Issue
Consumer feedback:
I have the Model 700 with the Model 58 humidistat. The problem I'm having is that the humidistat is callingtne furnace to start the blower motor I guess because the humidity has fallen below what it needs to be. However, the blower motor comes on for like 10 seconds and the shuts off. It will repeat this cycle 100 times a day so I have to turn the humidistat off. It generally only does this during the day because the thermostat is set to a temp that generally doesn't require heat. The HVAC guy has replaced the humidistat already with no success. My furnace is an Amana prane model. What's going on with this? Thanks
Name: Ken
City: Middletown
State: MD
Aprilaires' reponse:
Dear Ken,
Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 700 Humidifier. Based on the information provided, it’s not clear how this humidistat has been wired. Normally, the model 58 humidistat does not have the ability to operate your furnace fan without an additional relay. It’s possible that this relay has not been wired properly. We would recommend that you have your HVAC guy contact us when he’s next on-site. We can provide troubleshooting assistance by phone.
We look forward to assisting you with this issue.
1-800-334-6011 Ext.6172
Call Center hours are M-F, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Can I run and Aprilaire 600 in manual mode?
Dear Randy,
Thank you for your email regarding your model 600 Aprilaire humidifier. Your model 600 can be set up as an automatic or manual control. In automatic there is an outdoor sensor connected to the control which will allow the control to automatically adjust the humidity level as the outdoor temperature changes. In manual mode you will need to adjust the humidifier control as the outdoor temperature changes. If not, you may over humidify your home. If you choose to run in manual mode simply remove the outdoor sensor from the terminals labeled odt and connect the manul model sensor instead.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be of service
Have had a Aprilaire model 560 humidifier since 1995 but looking for a new one, please help!
Dear Rich,
Thank you for your email regarding your model 560 Aprilaire humidifier. The model 560 was discontinued in 2002 and replaced by the model 600. Both models will effectively humidity a tight home up to 4000 square feet with a .50 air change rate. As homes age they can become less tight and humidity can escape. We design all our Aprilaire humidifiers to maintain an indoor humidity level of 35% at an indoor room temperature of 70F anytime the outdoor temperature is 20F or above. The operating time of the HVAC system will directly affect the operating time of your model 560.
We just bought this house and have some questions on the Aprilaire products...
Consumer question:
We moved into this house and it had the aprilaire system installed. We purchased a maintenance kit and installed it. It has a handle with summer, winter, o & c. What does o & c stand for and do you put the handle over the word that you want or point it at it? Thanks for your help.
Aprilaires' response:
O & C would indicate Open and Closed. Typically the handle would be over the word indicating the season "winter" during the humidification season and "Summer" during the off months. This is to prevent conditioned air from backflowing into the return side and making sure that all the air flow is directed to the living space.
I love my Aprilaire model 700A but I have a GPM question.
We had a 700A model humidifier installed about 5 months ago and it seems to work well. I am trying to find what the Gallons Per Minute (GPM) input is when the humidifier is running. I cannot find this information anywhere in the data sheets. It says that the drainage should be (as I calculated it from the FAQ) to be 0.05 to 0.1 GPM but not the input to the humidifier (I would assume this to be more than 0.1 GPM). What should the 700A humidifier be consuming in water input?
Thanks,
Nick
Hello Nick,
Thank you for contacting us. The feed rate for your humidifier is a 6 gallon per hour feed rate to the distribution tray. You should be able to fill a quart jar in 2.5 minutes to the distribution tray or fill a quart jar in 2 minutes 50 seconds for the water coming out of the drain of the humidifier. Is the humidifier mounted on the return or supply side of the furnace? Do you have a hot or cold water supplying the humidifier? The evaporative capacity for the humidifier is dependant on how much heat you are supplying to the humidifier. Supplying cold to a humidifier water mounted on the supply side get you a .75 gallons per hour evaporation, and supplying hot water to a humidifier mounted on the supply side gives you an evaporation rate of .9 gallons per hour. If you have any other questions please contact us at 800-334-6011. Thank you
Is there a way to regulate the water control on the Aprilaire model 700 humidifier?
Your humidifier, when wired properly, will allow a stream of water to flow through the water panel only during the humidification cycle. If the humidistat is not requesting humidification, then the water should not be running through to the drain. The water flow rate into the model 700 is fixed to 6 gallons per hour, during the humidification cycle. The water flow down the drain depends on the evaporation effect within your environment, estimated between 4 to 4.5 gallons per hour.
1-800-334-6011
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Hours Monday - Friday
7:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. CST
Springtime tips from the EPA
Follow these tips suggested by the EPA, http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-spring.htm
In your garden
A beautiful and healthy lawn is good for our environment. It can resist damage from weeds, disease, and insect pests. Pesticides can be effective, but need to be used according to the directions on the label and should not be relied on as a quick-fix to lawn problems.
Here are some tips to follow:
Develop healthy soil. Make sure your soil has the right pH balance, key nutrients, and good texture. You can buy easy-to-use soil analysis kits at hardware stores or contact your local County Cooperative Extension Service for a soil analysis.
Choose the right grass for your climate. If your area gets very little rain, don't plant a type of grass that needs a lot of water. Select grass seed that is well suited to your climate and other growing conditions such as the amount of sunlight and rain you lawn receives. Over-seed your lawn each Fall by spreading seeds on top of the lawn. A thicker lawn helps to crowd out weeds. Your local County Extension Service can advise you on which grasses grow best in your area.
Longer is Better. Make sure the lawn mower blades are sharp. Grass that is slightly long makes a strong, healthy lawn with few pest problems. Weeds have a hard time taking root and growing when grass is around 2½ to 3½ inches for most types of grass.
Water Early. It is time to water if footprint impressions stay in the lawn and do not spring back. Water early in the morning and only for short periods for time so the soil may absorb the water. Longer grass has stronger roots and retains water better.
Correct thatch buildup. Thatch is a layer of dead plant materials between the grass blades and the soil. When thatch gets too thick, deeper than 3/4 of an inch, water and nutrients are prevented from getting into the soil and reaching the roots of the grass. Overusing synthetic fertilizer can create heavy layer of thatch, and some kinds of grass are prone to thatch buildup.
Recycle grass. Don't pick up the grass clippings after you mow. Clippings will return nutrients and moisture to the soil. Consider buying a mulching lawn mower. This will cut the grass clippings finer and blow them into the lawn.
Let your lawn breathe. Once a year, remove small plugs of earth to allow air and water to aerate the grass roots.
Invite a few weeds and insects into you garden. Think of you lawn as a small piece of nature where pests have their place. Often, nature provides its own pest control in the form of birds or other insects that feed on the insects we consider nuisances.
Use manual tools. Tools that don't require electric or gasoline engines are especially handy for small yards or small jobs. There are hand tools available that will meet a wide variety of lawn and garden needs, like lightweight, quiet, easy-to-use reel push mowers that generate no emissions.
Using pesticides safely
If you decide that the best solution to your pest problem is a pesticide, follow these tips when selecting and using a garden product:
Identify the pest problem
Find the product that solves the problem
Buy the right amount for your needs
Read the label carefully and use the product the right way
Pay attention to warnings
Prevent harm to the environment - never pour lawn and garden products down a drain
Spring Cleaning
If you are going to be doing some spring cleaning, take a look around your house for items that present environmental hazards when they are improperly disposed of. Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be "household hazardous waste" or "HHW." Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them.
Heating and cooling
Is your home's cooling equipment more than 10 years old? If so, EPA encourages you to have your current system inspected for energy performance by a professional contractor before their busy summer season hits.
If it's time for a replacement, be sure to choose equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR for high efficiency.
If it's not yet time to replace, have your contractor perform routine annual maintenance on your system to make sure it will efficiently and comfortably carry you through the hot summer months without costing you more than necessary.
Clunkers and Junkers – Room Dehumidifiers Double As Boat Anchors
Ever notice, every Spring and Fall there are a few of these old junkers at the curbside. A pretty common site in the Midwest. Those heavy, messy, noisy dehumidifiers never seem to last. Here's an actual posting on Craigslist. Really, this is all too common:
CL> madison> all for sale / wanted> free stuff
Reply Reply to: b25dn-3727381983@sale.craigslist.org [?]
flag [?] : miscategorizedprohibitedspambest of
Posted: 2013-04-06, 4:18PM CDT
3 dehumidifiers-non functioning (Fall River)Have 3 non working dehumidifiers to give away. All or none proposition. First one who comes and picks them up gets them. Will not hold to see, ect. We are 2 miles west of Columbus, off Hwy 16. About 20 mins on USH 151 north from Sun Prairie.
- Location: Fall River
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Perform Aprilaire Humidifier Annual maintenance like a boss!
For best performance, we recommend you replace the Water
Panel evaporator in your Aprilaire humidifier at least annually with
the exception of Models 400 and 400M, which should be changed at
least twice per heating season.
The “Change Water Panel” indicator light (Digital Control only) will blink
when it is time to change your Water Panel. See individual model instructions
for additional maintenance.
To purchase a new Water Panel:
• Visit estore.aprilaire.com
• Call the installer of your Aprilaire humidifier.
• Call your heating and air conditioning dealer.
• Use our “Dealer Locator” at: www.aprilaire.com
• Purchase only Genuine Aprilaire Water Panels to maintain best performance.
If your humidifier is equipped with a Digital Humidifier Control with Water
Panel change indicator, after replacing the Water Panel, turn the control
knob to the “Test/Reset” position until the “Humidifier On” light blinks to
reset its timer. (Blower must be operating and HVAC calling for heat.) Be sure
to turn the control knob back to it’s original setting. If the “Humidifier On”
light continues to blink, your humidifier is in Test mode. DO NOT LEAVE THE
CONTROL IN TEST MODE OR HUMIDIFIER WILL NOT OPERATE.
Also review the periodic preventavtive maintenance in the owner's manual.
We installed this Humidifier last fall and it is located within the garage area...
Consumer question:
We installed this Humidifier last fall and it is located within the garage area, mounted on a forced air gas furnace.
the problem we are having is the humidistat says it is 50% humidity and if we check the area that the control is in that is true. the problem is we want 40% in the working area that is being treated and are only reading 34% in the area where it is needed? Can you advise?
Aprilaires' response:
You would need to contact your installing contractor to discuss possible solutions to your humidity problem. The first thing that would need to be checked is the actual humidity reading is in the duct at the same location as the humidistat and the area around the humidistat to see what reading you are getting. This would need to be done to see if you are getting an accurate reading of the humidity from the humidistat. Air around the humidistat might be leaking into areas around the humidistat and affecting the reading that the humidistat is getting.
One possible solution is by replacing the automatic humidistat with a manual humidistat mounted in the living space to get a better average humidity level for the home than your current installation could provide. If you have any other questions please contact us at 800-334-6011. Thank you
Just noticed that my Aprilaire Air Cleaner is installed backward, should I get it fixed?
Consumer question:
I just changed the filter in a Aprilaire model 2200 with one of your replacement filters.
It is obvious from the arrow on the filter basket and the fact that the black plastic combs face into the incoming air, that the unit was installed upside down.
Is this a serious matter that would make it worth having the unit professionally removed and reinstalled in the correct direction?
Aprilaires' response:
If you have any further questions regarding this or any of our products, please feel free to contact our customer service department at your earliest convenience.
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
1-800-334-6011
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Call center hours are M-F 7am-5pm CST
I just changed the filter in a gardair model 2200 with one of your replacement filters.
It is obvious from the arrow on the filter basket and the fact that the black plastic combs face into the incoming air, that the unit was installed upside down.
Is this a serious matter that would make it worth having the unit professionally removed and reinstalled in the correct direction?
Thank you
Allan
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.
The information contained in this e-mail and any attached document(s) is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.