It's March 11, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. The outside temperature is a seasonal 43 degrees, with an expected high of 53 degrees. Not bad. What is bad is that the relative humidity (RH) is a whopping 93%. Wow! That's what's going on outside. How does that translate into what's going on in your home? Chances are your indoor RH is rapidly rising, leaving you very uncomfortable and putting your home at risk from the dangers of mold, mildew, bacteria, viruses and more. What can you do to eliminate these risks and concerns? Install a whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire.
Aprilaire is your whole-house solution
An Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to efficiently remove moisture from every room of your home. Also, unlike portable units that only remove moisture from the room they are sitting in, Aprilaire dehumidifiers have no messy tanks to empty and clean. Aprilaire truly is the best dehumidification solution.
Call your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier. End the suffering; call today.
Aprilaire - protecting you and your family for over 50 years!
Water is not getting into the distribution tray. It is in the water line. Can you tell me possible reasons for it and how to fix the problem?
Aprilaires' response:
There are a few reasons that water would not be getting into the distribution tray. Here is a small list:
1. Perhaps the solenoid valve is not opening. That could be due to no voltage getting to the solenoid, or just a solenoid gone bad.
2. If there is no voltage getting to the solenoid, you would need to determine the cause of that.
3. The inline strainer may be clogged. This is in the solenoid. If you remove the copper feed from the main water source, then use a Philips screwdriver and put that into the opening where the copper line just came out of and use a scrapping motion to pull out the strainer. You may clean it and put it back. It is about an inch long and shaped like a pen cap.
4. The orifice may be blocked. The orifice is located in the feed tube that comes out of the solenoid and puts the water into the humidifier. If you remove that feed tube from the solenoid, and tried to look into the tube you would not be able to because the orifice is right there at the end of the tube. Make sure that there is a small hole in the center, and that is not blocked. If it is blocked, use a small pin or needle to clear the hole. Do not stretch the hole any bigger.
Do you remember last spring when all the snow was finally melted and it got warm enough
outside to go without a jacket? Do you also remember that it wasn't warm enough to turn on the air conditioning, but you still felt uncomfortable? This happens every spring due to the high levels of relative humidity (RH). The phrase "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" is all too true. High RH levels can make it feel like it's 5 to 10 degrees warmer than it actually is. One way to combat this is to turn on your air conditioner, as moisture removal is a natural byproduct of air conditioning. But in order to remove the excess moisture, you need to cool the air to a level that makes you too cold. 
Aprilaire to the rescue
A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to remove excess moisture from every room of your home. Unlike air conditioning that is designed primarily to cool your home, Aprilaire removes moisture when AC is not required, efficiently removing moisture and providing the comfort you deserve. Maintenance is a breeze with Aprilaire as well. Unlike portable dehumidifiers that require you to empty and clean a tank on a daily basis, Aprilaire dehumidifiers only require an annual filter cleaning. Hassle free convenience and comfort; that's what Aprilaire is all about.
Contact your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today and avoid all the discomforts you felt last year. Your family will thank you for it.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
I won't do that. Even our Model 5000, the best whole house particulate removal product, will not deter the harmful affects of 2nd hand smoke. It WILL help clean your air of all kinds of nasty stuff; virus-sized particles, allergens and other contaminants.
It's best just to properly ventilate, or maybe just don't smoke in the house. Go outside with the other 2nd class citizens!
Here's a loosly related story about things getting hung up.
When I bought my house it was about 30 years old; a big 2-story; solid, well-built but really worn. Needed alot of work. It had been a foster home for years and it really showed the wear and tear.
One of the nice features I remember when we looked at this house was a laundry shoot; crucial really, especially for a two story with laundry facilities in the basement (two flights down from the bedrooms, where most of the laundry comes from and goes to). REALLY handy!
It was a good sized shoot. You could stick your whole head in and look around. Once in a while we'd catch the kids climbing in and dropping down into a pile of dirty clothes on the basement floor (Thankfully they never tried this from the 2nd floor).
When we first moved in I noticed something hanging in the shoot between floors. A rag or a piece of clothing or something got caught on nail or something protruding from the wall inside the shoot.
I got a broom handle and snagged it. It was a very large pair of women's underpants. About the size that would've fit the previous owner. Presumable dirty, since it was hung up in the laundry shoot! EEEEEEW!
So, who knows what kind of treasures might be hanging around inside your air ducts!
Get a contractor to check it out occasionally! And while you're at it, have your entire HVAC system cleaned and checked.
Do you ever wonder why your basement has a stale, musty smell? Or why the temperature is only 70 degrees, yet you're sweating and uncomfortable? The answer is high humidity. Too much moisture makes you feel miserable and can lead to damage to your home from mold and mildew, neither of which is acceptable. Do you ever wonder if there is a solution to excess moisture?
Aprilaire is the answer
A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire solves your excess moisture problems. It works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to quietly and efficiently remove excess moisture from every room of your home. Maintenance with Aprilaire is also a breeze. Unlike noisy portable dehumidifiers that take up space in your living room, Aprilaire dehumidifiers have no messy tanks to empty and clean. Simply wash or replace the air filter on an annual basis. That's it. We call it "out of sight, out of mind."
Call your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier today. Your family and your home will thank you.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
* Each person inhales over 3,500 gallons of air each day. Children inhale more particles for their size then adolescents or adults.
* Polluted air causes 94% of all respiratory problems.
* More than 31 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, about 1/3 are children under 18.
* About 40,000 dust mites, a common household allergen, can live in one ounce of dust.
* An estimated 10-15% of the entire population may be allergic to cat or dog dander.
* A person sheds up to 700,000 skin flakes per day.
These are just a few of the reasons to make sure your home is protected by having a whole house air cleaner installed. A high efficiency whole house air cleaner from Aprilaire makes your home healthier and cleaner. The EPA states that indoor air is often times more polluted then outdoor air so cleaning the air in your home is more important then ever.
If you currently have an Aprilaire air cleaner you can upgrade it to our newest media that removes more particulate from the air. Call you local contractor and tell them you want to upgrade your Aprilaire air cleaner today. For a small investment you can improve your current air filter.
This unit was installed and worked great for two years. Then I turned it off in the summer and forgot to turn it back on for the last two years. Now, I changed the filter and cleaned everything out. However, it doesn't seem to work. The humidity in my house is 10.
I hear the water turn on for a few minutes at the beginning of the heat cycle. Then it turns off. When I look at the filter, it is only wet at the bottom 1 inch. The rest is dry. The water seems to go into the first float chamber, but doesn't go into the second chamber. I don't see what is preventing the water from moving over.
I had the technician, who installed it, come and look at it. He suggested changing the filter and isn't sure what is wrong. He hasn't been doing this humidifiers for a while. He thought that it might be the water level sensor assembly. However, no one seems to have this part in stock. I will have to order it and get it installed. Then, I might find out that is not what is wrong, and I will have paid more money to have the wrong thing fixed. I already spent $85 for the technician and $45 for the filters. I really want to get it fixed. Can you make some recommendations?
Aprilaires' Response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 400 Humidifier. Based on the information you provided, the humidifier is working properly. The water should fill from the top, trickle down across the water panel. Verify that you are using a Genuine Aprilaire Stock #45 Water Panel. The water will only raise the float in the right-hand chamber. The left float is an emergency overflow. Water should not fill that chamber unless the first fails to shut off the water. The fact that the water does shut off indicates that the sensor is working properly. The water panel should then wick water up from the reservoir and it will evaporate as it rises.
Water shouldn't rise very far before it evaporates, but most of the water will rise up through the center of the pad, as opposed to the outer layer of material. As long as the humidifier refills at the beginning of, or during, each heat cycle, the humidifier is working. For a test of how well it's working, please do an Evaporative Test. This can be done using a measuring container and a timer.
The evaporative rate of the Model 400 is based entirely on the temperature of the heated air and the amount of run time of your furnace. The performance values are based on 120°F air and 50% run time. This should give 0.70 gal/hr.
It's not clear from the information you provided how long the humidifier has been running with your home at 10% RH. Did it start at 10% and it hasn't changed, or was it higher and has since fallen, or was it lower and has since risen? Humidity can take a while to change, so we would look at the trend of the humidity over time, if it's going up, down, or staying the same. At this time, it doesn't make sense to replace the water level sensor from a troubleshooting standpoint.
Springtime is just around the corner. Soon all of us will be able to turn off the furnace, open the windows, and let some fresh air in the house. Or will we? The outdoor temperature seems inviting, but how's that humidity? When you open those windows, do you also open up the potential to bring in lots of moisture that can make you uncomfortable as well as damage your home? You could keep the windows closed and turn on the air conditioner in an effort to dry out the air. But now you’re too cold...and frustrated.
Aprilaire has your dehumidification solution
Aprilaire has a full line of whole-house dehumidifiers that provide all the health and comfort benefits that come with proper levels of humidification. Aprilaire dehumidifiers work quietly in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to protect every room of your home from the downfalls of excess moisture. This includes your health and comfort, as well as your personal property. Maintenance is a breeze with Aprilaire as well. There are no messy tanks to empty and clean. Simply clean the filter once a year and you're good to go.
Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today. You'll immediately feel the difference.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
This winter's unseasonably cold weather has caused all of us to spend a lot more time indoors than we are used to. The only time most of us have ventured outside has been to clear the driveway of the piles of white stuff that every state except Hawaii has been blessed with. This extra time indoors has led many of us to ponder the quality of air in our homes, qualities including dust, temperature, and, in particular, humidity. Lack of proper levels of humidity are immediately apparent in dry, itchy skin, static shock, dry and cracked nasal passages, irritated throats and more.
Aprilaire is the solution for dry air
Aprilaire whole-house humidifiers provide soothing, humidified air to every room of your home. It conveniently mounts to your home’s HVAC system, operating quietly, out of sight and out of mind. Except for the dramatic increase in comfort and health, you'll never even know it's there. Aprilaire humidifiers are also known for ease of maintenance. There are no tanks to fill or clean. Simply change the water panel evaporator once a year to keep your humidifier operating efficiently and trouble-free.
Contact your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today. Your contractor can recommend the Aprilaire model that is right for you and also recommend other Aprilaire whole-house products that can improve your health and comfort.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
They assure me their intentions were never to mislead. I guess I'll never know that for 100% sure, but I'm ready to give them the benefit of the doubt. After reading of my concerns they immediately took action to modify the language on their site and clarify what the consumer is buying.
I applaud their quick response and willingness to set things right.
Good luck, and if you're happy purchasing filters for Aprilaire Air Cleaners that are not made by Aprilaire, Cleartheairinc.com seems like a fair place to trade.
Tom
From Friday......
The site tries to cleverly describe the filter as "Clear the Air's Aprilaire Spacegard replacement filter". They probably do this so that they could argue that legally they are calling it a "Clear the Air" brand and therefore NOT misleading the consumer into thinking they are buying an Aprilaire brand.
You decide. Take a look. Would you think you were buying a filter made by Aprilaire or SpaceGard on this page?
They do this with other brands as well.
Sleazy.
If you have an Aprilaire or SpaceGard air purifier / air cleaner and you typically replace the flters yourself, ask an Aprilaire dealer in your area. Often they will sell them to you off the shelf. And they'll be the real deal!
UNLIKE CLEARTHEAIRINC.COM, I'LL BE VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD WITH YOU. Take a look at the estore on Aprilaire.com , just so you get an idea of what the real thing looks like.
Sure, you can buy them there. But that's not the point. I could care less if you buy from our estore. We're the manufacturer! We get the sale of Aprilaire product regardless of where you buy it. Just go there to see the pictures. Then you'll know what the real deal looks like. Then. if you want to shop around, you can get them cheaper on other websites or from your local dealer.
And at least you'll know what you're getting for your dollar.
Some estimates predict that a programmable thermostat can save you up to 30% on your monthly energy bills. The idea behind a programmable thermostat is that you’re only heating or cooling your home when it needs to be. When you’re gone for the day at work, or sleeping you set temperature higher or lower so you’re not wasting energy conditioning an empty house. You then set it so when you return or wake up your house is comfortable.
Aprilaire’s newest programmable thermostat, the 8400 series, offers additional benefits. It has the ability to report the outdoor temperature as well as cycle your HVAC fan for air cleaning.
The best part about a programmable thermostat is that once you have it set up for your needs you really never have to mess around with it. You can set it and forget it and you will save energy automatically.
It's hard to believe with all the cold weather we've experienced this month that spring is less than two months away. Soon, the furnace will stop running and we'll be in that waiting period before the air conditioning season begins. This is the time when your home’s indoor relative humidity (RH) begins to rise and gets to levels that are not only uncomfortable, but could also be damaging to your home.
Since dehumidification is a natural byproduct of air conditioning, you could turn on your air conditioner to remove this moisture. But to do this, you must turn your thermostat down to levels that are too cold for comfort. You could purchase a portable dehumidifier, but then you have to constantly empty and clean the tank. And don't forget to turn up the television, because you need to hear it over the sound the portable makes. Bottom line, neither of these are good solutions to your moisture problems. 
Aprilaire is your whole-house solution
Aprilaire has a complete line of whole-house dehumidifiers that work in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to quietly and efficiently remove excess moisture from every room of your home. Aprilaire is also user-friendly, with no tanks to empty and only annual maintenance required. Not only will your home be a more comfortable place to live, but you will also prevent damage caused by mold, mildew, and more.
Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today. You'll be glad you did.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
The EPA says indoor air can often be many times more polluted then outdoor air. Further they say we spend as much as 90% of our time indoors. In the winter when it's cold outside the percentage is probably even higher so it's important to understand what you can do to make sure your homes indoor air is clean.
There are some real basic things that can be done including use non toxic cleaners, dust often, use fans when cooking, wash your bed sheets in hot water, if you have an attached garage pull your car out right after you start it, don't smoke indoors, and the list goes on.
Despite doing the aforementioned items you're still going to end up with particulate and pollution in your homes air. Due to the fact that in the winter there is very little fresh air getting into your home that pollution can build up and cause everything from cold symptoms, sore throats, stuffed up noses, allergy symptoms to much more serious long term effects like asthma and other long term respiratory health problems.
That is why it is important to have a whole home air cleaner to remove particulate in your homes air before you breathe it. Aprilaire offers 3 different levels of air cleaning with different efficiency ratings and control options. Control is a very important part of any air cleaner; most air cleaners only run based on temperature, which doesn't make much sense...you need to clean the air when your air is dirty and that has nothing to do with when you need to change your temperature. Look for more on the importance of controlling your air cleaner from me in future blogs.
Trapping Flu Virus with Air Cleaners
The real answer is IT CAN HELP! Our Aprilaire Model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner DOES trap airborne particles down to 1 micron in size; well within the range of the size of flu viruses. Here's how:
If a virus attaches itself to a piece of airborne dust, and when your system blower operates, if that dust is blown through your return air ducts to the air cleaner filter, the Model 5000 will permanently trap 98% of those particles and they will not re-enter your living space.
In that way, the air cleaner helps control and reduce the spread of the virus. A virus that someone leaves on a hard surface may never be airborne so the Aprilaire air cleaner cannot help that---- NO air cleaner can!
Be sure you take all the precautions that the pros tell you about the spread of the flu.
I've written about this interesting phenomenon before; that certain types of plants might act as air filters, absorbing pollutants in our homes and releasing cleaner oxygen.
I just ran across an interesting debate about this. One is a blog which reports the findings by NASA about the filtering benefits of plants.The other, which was someone who commented on the blog post, shares a link to Building Ecology, which disputes the evidence, stating that 1. plants filtering effects are negligible, 2. the NASA study was done in static chambers which don't accurately simulate a home environment, and 3. Get this: Plants could actually contribute to poor indoor air quality, releasing excess moisture when it's already too humid. And if pesticides and fertilizers are used, those are no picnic for the indoor air we breathe.
So now you have two sides to story.
Anyway, the Building Ecology site has alot of other interesting information about Indoor Air Quality. Spend some time there.
For example, it sites a study that shows that sunlight, and its production of Vitamin D, may help control the spread of H1N1 and other viruses by assisting in "proper immune system functioning and could play a role in resistance to infections such as the influenza virus".
The site is also quick to stress "the importance of scrupulous standards of hygene to combat the spread of viruses". So don't let your guard down just because the sun is shining! Mr. Sun may help, but you still have to wash your hands!!!
It's like when we talk about the benefits of using air cleaners to reduce contaminants in our air. These are real benefits to be sure! But they should be used IN CONJUNCTION with proper hygene and taking normal precautions to avoid exposure. DUH! An air cleaner won't protect you from someone sneezing in your face, for example. Or from someone scrathing their nose and then touching your silverware with H1N1. Eeww!
So, let the sunshine in, get some fresh air, filter the air you breathe in your house and keep your hands clean (and every other surface you can reach). And if Aunt Gladys is sick with the flu, tell her to stay home and rest. It'll do you both good.
Here's to a 2010 without H1N1.
Mr. T. Cadorette- a Homeowner in Sun City shared his story:
“We are looking for Comfort. We did not like the smell in our home. We would clean and odors would remain. We tried potpourri. Our carpet was feeling wet or damp when you walked on it. At night I would get sweaty and would have trouble breathing. We also kept our thermostat in the low seventies during air conditioning season.
“Yes, we smoke in the house and now it is hard to tell. I feel it is because Prestige (our HVAC contractor) installed an Aprilaire Dehumidifier. Our carpet feels drier and I do not have night sweats anymore. In fact we have been able to be comfortable in our home with the thermostat set in the high seventies during the summer. Our home does not smell anymore either.”
Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Do you feel cold and clammy, even though the temperature seems to be at the right level? Do you have musty odors or smells in any areas of your home? It could be that your home’s relative humidity (RH) is high.
Excess RH can cause all of the above and more. The old saying "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" rings true in many ways. Excess RH can cause discomfort, trigger health issues such as allergies and asthma, and cause severe damage to your home. Experts in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) agree that maintaining your RH between 30% and 60% is optimal to control or eliminate problems associated with excess moisture in the home. The question is, how can you do this? The answer is, with a whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire.
Aprilaire is your whole-house solution
Unlike portable dehumidifiers that only remove moisture from the room they're in, Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to efficiently remove moisture from every room of your home. Maintenance is also a breeze with Aprilaire, as only periodic cleaning of the air filter is required. No messy, heavy tanks to empty and clean on a daily basis, which is what you have to do with the portables.
Call your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house dehumidifier today. Your dealer can help you choose the model that is right for your home and make it possible for you to sleep better tonight.
Aprilaire - Protecting you and your home for over 50 years!
Do you have high levels of moisture in your condominium or town-home, but don't like the fact that portable dehumidifiers are noisy and an eyesore? Not to mention the pain-in-the- back hassle of emptying the tank every day. If so, Aprilaire has the whole-house solution for you.
Compact size makes dehumidification easy
The Aprilaire Model 1730A dehumidifier is the solution to whole-house dehumidification in smaller homes and condominiums. Its compact size allows for easy installation in smaller equipment closets where standard-sized units won't fit. It works in conjunction with your HVAC system, quietly removing damaging moisture from every room in your home. Maintenance is a breeze; all you have to do is clean or replace the air filter on an annual basis. There are no messy tanks to empty and clean, no stress on your back, and no hassles.
Contact your local Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your Aprilaire whole- house dehumidifier today. You'll be glad you did.
Aprilaire - fresh ideas for indoor air.
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