I have the Aprilaire 700 model (several years now) & we noticed our RH was very low. While the solenoid activates & water is running, I found the fan never activates now. I even tried the "test" mode & it would activate. I am thinking since the water solenoid is working the control panel should be OK and I have a fan failure. Is there some way I can verify this. And I didn't notice replacement fans here on your site. Please confirm for me.
Aprilaires' Response:
By what you are stating, when you put the controller into test mode, the fan will come on with the water flow. But, for normal operation only the water flows?
Since the fan does come on in test mode, but the level of RH is low in your home, anyone would question the fan at this point. Why wouldn't it come on for normal operation. Or, is the fan ok, and the solenoid is open too much?
As you are aware, proper operation calls for both to be working at the same time. The fan running when the solenoid is open.
We do not sell these type of parts online. You would need to get these from an HVAC technician. Also, they would best be able to determine which is the problem and would need to be replaced.
I have a two story house with a model 500 on the second floor and one also on the first floor. second floor is 2,000 feet and first is 3,000 feet. My humidity level on the first floor is 31%...what is wrong...I have it set at 45%.
Aprilaires' response:
Your Aprilaire Model 500 humidifier is designed to operate any time your HVAC furnace is operating. If your furnace is not operating your humidifier can not operate. As a result even though you have your control set to 45% the humidifier can not run unless the furnace is producing heat. We also design all our humidifiers to maintain an indoor relative humidity of 35% whenever the outdoor temperature is 20F or above. Some homes may be able to maintain more than 35% but not every home will be able to.
In addition if you did not have a humidifier prior to January 2010, it will take some time for the humidity level to increase in your home. Prior to the humidity staying in the air, all the wood and furnishings will soak up the humidity.
Can the inlet and outlet of the 2210 be reversed? Because of the pitch of my roof I can only install the unit in one direction.
Aprilaires' response:
The 2210 can be installed with the inlet and outlet side reversed. The important point is that the filter media needs to be installed with the airflow arrow in the proper orientation of the air flow of your HVAC system.
We just noticed (after realizing that our skin is itchy and we can't breathe) that our Aprilaire is working fanwise, but there is no water going through the tubing. It is completely dry. Any ideas?
Aprilaires' Response:
The first question we have for this situation.... do you have the water line open? Where the 1/4 inch line goes from the solenoid back to the main water line, is that valve open?
Otherwise, you could check for blockage in the water line. One place would be at the inline strainer. That is located on the inlet side of the solenoid valve. Simply remove the copper line and use a pin or Philips screw driver to put into the opening the copper line just came out of... use a scraping motion and pull out the inline strainer. It is about an inch long and shaped like a pen cap. It has many tiny holes in it. That may be clogged, blocking water.
The other location to look is at the outlet side of the solenoid valve. Remove the feed tube that comes out of the valve and goes into the humidifier to deposit the water there. If you try to look into the tube, at the end that just came out of the solenoid valve, you can not see into it. This is because that is where the orifice is. Make sure the orifice has a small hole in the middle of it that is clear.
These are the things we check before we are then left to buy new parts. If these things don't get the water flowing for you, you may need a new solenoid valve. It would be part number 4040.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Will this unit work with a tankless water heater? It seems that its flow would not be enough to turn on the heater. Thanks
Aprilaire's Response:
Unfortunately we do not recommend using tankless water heaters with our humidifiers. The flow rate of the water coming from the water heater would not be sufficient enough to turn on the heat mechanism. Some contractors are installing a smaller 6-10 gallon water heater solely for the humidifier itself. Please contact our Customer Service Department if we may be of further assistance.
I am installing this unit (500A) on a heat pump system, can I install the unit on the return duct, with the 6" pipe running from the supply to the unit?
Aprilaires' Response:
This unit is reversible and can be installed on the supply or return and configured for right- or left-side bypass. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
What are the main differences between the #56 and #58 humidistat? If I want to use a 6504 zone controller with a #58 humidistat how would I wire it since there is no + & - terminals? Will the 6504 only work with the #56 humidistat? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Aprilaires' Response:
The Model 56 and 58 humidistats both work the same way. They are both automatic humidistats that use an outdoor sensor to automatically adjust the indoor humidity level as the outdoor temperature changes. A couple of years ago we added the digital display, a "call dealer for service light", and a "humidifier on" light. These three things are the main differences between the two humidistats.
If you have a 6504 zone controller you would need to use the Model 56. The 6504 firmware hasn't been upgraded to recognize the Model 58.
I hope this answers your questions. Please let us know if you need anything else.
We are a contractor operating in Toronto, Ontario Canada. We recently installed an Aprilaire 700 Humidifier for a customer. Our customer prefers the model model 700A. Can his 700M !!! be upgraded to 700A, without having to replace the whole unit?
Aprilaires' Repsonse:
The 700M may be converted to the 700A by replacing the manual humidistat (part #4655) with our automatic digital humidifier control (part #58). The only difference between the 700M and 700A is the control. Since they are one in the same it will also use the same Aprilaire water panel number 35, also refered to as a replacement humidifier filter.
I am looking at replacing my model #760 Aprilaire Humidifier with a model #700 Aprlaire Humidifier. Are the cutout openings the same size? I would like to remove and replace with out any plenium modification.
Aprilaires' response:
The 700 Aprilaire Humidifier and the 760 Aprilaire Humidifier are very similar and can be swapped with minimal modification to the plenum. Here are the differences:
760-14 7/8"W x 14 3/16"H 700-14 3/4"W x 14 5/16"H
Don't worry if you have left over humidifier filters (water panels) as both humidifiers use the model 35 water panel.
A green light is lit. The green light is next to it is the text change filter. I checked online for the manual, there were only references for 600m and 600a. Please advise if this green light means I need to change the filter.
Aprilaire's response:
The green light simply means the humidifier is on and running. The "Change Water Panel" light is amber in color. The "Call Dealer" light is red. Similar to a stop light.
Please feel free to ask about any other issues or observations you see. We would be happy to help.
I am looking to replace my broken 110 model with something that will fit in the same size cut out in my furnace. Can you reccommend something for a house less than 2000 square feet. I really do not want to have to mess with sheet metal.
Apriliare's reponse:
Great question, the model 110 was obsoleted 15 years ago. The replacement humidifier is the model 700. This unit can effectively humidify a home up to 4200 square feet. The plenum opening for the model 700 is slightly different than your model 110.The opening is 14 3/4" W x 14 5/16" H. Your model 110 plenum opening was 13 5/8" W x 11 5/16" H. Therefore, you should be able to modify the current opening.
I have an 8346 that runs the heat pump in my home. It works well, but I desire to have control over the temperature offset when the backup (electric) heat comes on. Ideally, I'd like the electric backup to come on only if the actual temperature was more than 3 degrees off of the set temperature. I don't mind the temperature swing and I'd rather save the money.
After talking with someone from Home Depot, this weekend I purchased an 8366 to replace the 8346 and have control the secondary stage offset. However, when I got home, it appears the terminal board for the 8366 is not the same as the 8346. Can you tell me what wires go to which? Or is the 8366 not able to control a heat pump?
Aprilaires' response:
The Model 8366 is not a heat pump thermostat so you will not be able to use it.
The Model 8346 is a heat pump thermostat and you can adjust the differential from 1, 2, and 3 degrees. If you set the differential to 2 degrees the heat would need to fall 2 degrees below the set point before the heat pump would come on. Then it would have to drop another 2 degrees before the electric heat would come on.
The directions for changing the differential are in the operating instruction. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
The humidifier is installed such that when the humidistat calls for humidity, it turns on the furnace blower, even though the furnace is not calling for heat. As a result, during dry weather, the furnace blower runs almost continuously in response to the humidifier. This results in cool air coming from the vents, except when the furnace is on. Since we keep the temperature low, this is most of the time. Is this the correct setup, or should the humidifier only run when the furnace is calling for heat? Hope this explanation is clear....thanks
Aprilaires' Response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Model 600 Humidifier. The behavior you describe indicates that your unit was installed using a Blower Activation Relay. This relay allows the humidifier to activate the furnace fan whenever humidity is low. For this to work properly, the humidifier should also be fed by hot water, up to 140°F. All of this is not to say that your installation was correct or incorrect, but this is one set-up option to provide you with the most humidifier run time. If you would prefer that it run only with your heat, you can speak to your contractor about that option as well. Keep in mind that this may mean that with less humidifier run time, the humidity will not rise as quickly in your home. Once your home reaches the set point on your humidistat, the humidifier should turn off. It would only turn on as much as is needed to maintain that level.
Last season, the humidifier worked great, no problems. This season, the water just runs through the water panel without distributing out and wicking throughout the whole panel. I've replaced the panel, replaced the distribution tray and still the same thing. Is there something else that can be done? Please advise.
Aprilaires' Response:
The way the humidifier works is; when the furnace comes on, the humidistat calls for humidity and the humidifier turns on. The water solenoid valve opens, water comes up the plastic feed tube and falls into the water distribution tray. Then if the humidifier is level the water will fill up in the distribution tray and will go down the six holes in the tray equally. Then water goes down through the center of the water panel and any water that wasn't evaporated goes down the drain.
The water panels are made out of multiple sheets of slit and expand aluminum. The slits in the aluminum are angled to funnel the water to the center of the water panel. So the water panel should be wet in the center and almost dry on the outside layers.
If you have lack of humidity you may need to increase the humidifiers runtime. The most common reason for lack of humidity is lack of run time. If the humidifier runs every time the furnace comes on, runs whole time the furnace is on, and gets forced to turn off when the furnace goes off, it is added as much humidity as the furnace is allowing it to. If the humidifier could run longer it would. So if the humidifier is wired to run with the furnace fan, and if the humidifier is connected to hot water (140 Max) it can add up to 18 gallons of water to the air per day. You can turn your furnace fan on at the thermostat, let run your furnace fan continually and let the humidifier run as many hours a day as it needs to.
I hope this helps, please let us know if you or your HVAC contractor need any other assistance.
Outside temperature sensor was not installed because the required wiring was not installed. Will 600A unit still operate correctly? What do I need to do because the sensor is not installed?
For normal operation in Winter? For shut off in Summer?
Response from Aprilaire:
Your 600 should be operating in manual mode. To know this there should be a blue "Manual Mode" clip hanging below the humidistat. When in manual mode, the unit will operate to the setting it is set at until changed. There is a reference guide to show what humidity should be present at a certain temp.. (you will want to look at pages 6-7)
Please review the guide as it will be helpful. When you use the manual mode, all adjustments will be done by you. If you ever decide to change it to automatic mode, the sensor adjusts the indoor humidity in accordance to the outside temperature.
In the summer, simply turn the damper to the "summer" position on the unit to close off air flow.
Aprilaire believes that ERV's are a better choice than HRV's.
HRV's only transfer heat energy so in the winter the moisture in the air that is exiting your house will all go outside. This can dry out your house too much. In the summer the moisture in the air that is entering your house can over humidify house. Too much humidity can cause mold and other problems.
ERV's transfer heat energy and moisture. In the winter 77% of the heat energy and 50% of the moisture from the air that is exiting the house will be transferred back into the house. In the summer 77% of the heat energy and 50% of the moisture from the air that is entering the house will be transferred back outside. This allows the ERV to run year around with out drying it out or over humidifying.
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.
Question: For some reason, the humidifier does not increase the RH above 20% even on the highest setting (7). Our home is 4 years old and under 3,000 sq ft. It was installed for automatic operation with the outside air sensor. Any idea about what the problem could be?
Answer:
We would suggest that you contact the HVAC contractor who installed the humidifier and have them verify if it is working properly. If you want to trouble shoot it yourself you can call our technical support department at 1-800-334-6011 Monday - Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM central time) and we would be glad to help you determine if it is working properly.
Once we can determine wether or not the humidifier is evaporating .75 gallons per hour, we can take the next step. If it's evaporating less than .75 we should be able to find out why and fix it. If it is evaporating properly but you still don't have enough humidity in your home, we need to make the humidifier run longer to add more humidity.
The most common reason for lack of humidity is lack of run time. If the humidifier runs every time the furnace comes on, runs whole time the furnace is on, and gets forced to turn off when the furnace goes off, it is added as much humidity as the furnace is allowing it to. If the humidifier could run longer it would. So if the humidifier is wired to run with the furnace fan, if you run your furnace fan continually, and if the humidifier is connected to hot water (140 Max) the humidifier can add up to 18 gallons of water to the air per day.
I hope this helps, please let us know if you or your HVAC contractor need any other assistance.
Question: I noticed at times during the humdidify cycle (which runs all the time the HVAC system is running, during the winter) that water comes from the bottom edge, seam, of the housing. I see water also running down the drain tube(as it should). It sounds as if the fan is picking up water and hitting the fans blades. The panel as replaced at the begining of the heating season. Any ideas as to what might be causing this situation?
Answer: Typically water leaking at the seam of the humidifier is from the drain line backing up. When minerals are flushed down the drain they will adhere to the drain tubing. This is why we recommend replacing the drain tube every year or two. The drain spud which the drain line attaches to, could have a crack in it. You may also check the water feed tube to see that it is secure at the top of the base of the humidifier above the water distribution tray. In addition to verifying the feed tube is secure you will want to inspect the feed tube for any cracks.
Question: I have a LOUD knock when the Solenoid valve closes sometimes. It is happening more often now. I have had Arrow Heating who installed the unit out but they were unable to stop the noise. They turned down the water flow but we still have the problem. The valve closes OK sometimes but other times it makes a loud knock when it closes which can be heard in the whole house. I understand there will be a small knock when it closes. Is there something I can do?
Answer: A humidifier may cause a "click" or "bang" sound for one of two reasons. 1) Water, as it moves through the solenoid of the humidifier, can build up pressure and create noise. Usually water hammer is a repeated bang. To see if water pressure is the issue, turn off the water to the solenoid. If the noise stops install a "pipe silencer" or extra coiled water supply line to the humidifier to reduce the noise generated by the pressure. 2) The solenoid itself will create an audible "click" as the humidifier turns on and off. This "click" may be magnified to sound like a "bang", by the ductwork or the proximity of the humidifier to the living space. Usually a solenoid will create only one "bang" when the solenoid opens and one "bang" when the solenoid closes. Isolating the solenoid from the ductwork with foam insulation or remote mounting the solenoid will be necessary. Please note; If the solenoid does produce a repeated "bang" when it opens or when it closes, the wiring should also be looked at to eliminate the repeated opening and closing of the solenoid.
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