Digital Programmable Thermostat

You know you need a humidifier.  You understand all the benefits that come with properly humidified air: health, comfort, protection of assets, and energy savings.  Now comes the tricky part; which humidifier do you buy?

Answer these three questions before you purchase
There are three simple questions you need to ask yourself to determine which humidifier is best for you:

1) Is noise important?
2) Do you have children?
3) How much humidification do you require?

In my last blog we explored question number one.  Today, let's look at number two.  Why do we ask that?  The answer is easy; safety.  Warm mist humidifiers use a heating element to heat the water and can have very hot surfaces.  These portable humidifiers sit out in the open in your home where your children can touch them.  OUCH!

Aprilaire has your safety solution.  A whole-house humidifier from Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system, out of sight and out of reach of your curious little ones.  And, unlike portable humidifiers that add moisture to only one room at a time, Aprilaire distributes soothing moisture throughout your entire home, protecting your family members from dry air no matter what room they're in.

Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - protecting your family for over 50 years!
 

Comment from Denise
It's time for me to replace the filters on my Aprilaire humidifiers.  Please contact me with information on how to do that.  Thank you.

Hi Denise,
The filters you refer to are called water panel evaporators and they are the heart of an Aprilaire humidifier.  This is where the moisture is picked up by the air in your heating system, and from there is distributed throughout your home.  To maintain optimum humidifier performance, it is recommended that you change this item on an annual basis.

The best way to have your humidifier properly serviced is by your local Aprilaire dealer.  Your local dealer will have the expertise to not only change out the water panel evaporator, but also to check other critical aspects of the humidifier to ensure it performs properly this upcoming heating season. 

If you feel you can do it yourself, you can still purchase the water panel evaporator over
the counter from your local Aprilaire dealer.  If you don't have a dealer, you can purchase from the Aprilaire e-store.  All orders ship out same day for your convenience.

Thank you for your inquiry, Denise.  And thank you for supporting Aprilaire.

 

Do you lower your thermostat to the point where you are uncomfortably cold just so you can remove excess humidity from your home?  Are you tired of feeling cold and clammy, tired of wearing a sweater in your home in the summertime?  Did you know there is a whole-house solution that not only removes moisture from your home, but allows you to raise your thermostat setting so you can once again call your home a comfortable place to live?

Aprilaire has your moisture removal solution
A whole-house dehumidifier from Aprilaire works in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to remove excess humidity from your home.  And, unlike an air conditioner that controls to temperature, an Aprilaire dehumidifier is controlled by a dehumidistat that constantly measures the relative humidity (RH) in your home and controls the moisture level to the setpoint that you determine.

What does that mean to you?  First of all, your home and other valuable assets are protected from the damage of mold and other moisture-related problems.  Second, you can tuck away your sweater and live in comfort once again because your home will be a more comfortable place to live.  However, be prepared to host more parties, because once your friends and neighbors have experienced your most comfortable environment, you'll have the most popular house on the block.

Aprilaire - making homes more comfortable for over 50 years.
 

Did you know...proper levels of humidity can reduce influenza survival, transmission, and seasonality.  Studies done at Oregon State University indicate the key to reducing airborne tranmission of the flu is maintaining the proper levels of humidity as measured by absolute humidity.  Absolute humidity is the measure of the actual water vapor content of the air irrespective of temperature. 

Adding moisture is the key
In cold winter months when your furnace is heating and drying the air, you cannot sustain proper levels of humidification without adding moisture.  In other words, you need a humidifier.  The addition of a humidifier to your home will make you more comfortable, protect your belongings from the ill-effects of dry air, and, as this study shows, protect your health from the devastating effects of the flu.

Your local Aprilaire dealer has your best solution for proper humidity.  Aprilaire humidifiers work in conjunction with your home's HVAC system to add moisture to every room of your home, ensuring your health and comfort regardless of which room you are in.  Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule the installation of your whole-house humidifier today.  This is one of the most important calls you can make in protecting the health of your family this upcoming flu season.  Maintaining healthy humidity levels is an important part of a comprehensive strategy you can use to reduce the spread of viruses.  Keeping surfaces clean and avoiding contact with others infected are also essential.

Aprilaire - protecting your family’s health for over 50 years.
 

As we move into the fall humidifier season, one question that gets asked a lot has to do with our advice on water temperature. When given the choice, why choose hot water over cold water to run to your Aprilaire humidifier
?

There are three main reasons. The first is performance. Our furnace-mounted humidifiers (except the drainless models) can get a performance boost by supplying hot water. We would recommend up to 140°F water to see up to 30% increased evaporation. For example, a model 600M humidifier on a furnace with 120°F air and 55°F water should evaporate 0.7 gal/hr for each hour it runs. By increasing the water temperature to 140°F, it boosts that 0.7 by 30% (.21 additional) for .91 gal/hr. Over the course of a heating season, estimating total usage at 600 hours, this translates to an additional 126 gallons of water put into the air.
 

The second reason is comfort. The more quickly the humidifier adds water to the air, the more quickly the air feels comfortable. This eliminates common complaints about too-dry air, itchy skin, dry, sore throats and static shocks.
 

The third is cost. This is often a sticking point. Does it cost more to heat the water with your water heater or to use the additional furnace and humidifier run time to increase humidity? Well, at 0.7 gal/hr, it takes the humidifier an additional 180 hours of furnace run time to create 126 gallons of evaporation. The water still needs to be heated so that it will evaporate. Is it more efficient to heat it with your HVAC system's hot air or with a water heater? Most likely it’s your water heater. Over the course of the humidifying season, the humidifier is evaporating the same amount of water, but by using hot water, it’s actually using less water to reach the same amount of soothing evaporative vapor.

Did you know.....You can save money on your air conditioning bill by adding a whole-house dehumidifier to your HVAC system.  Studies show that you can save up to 18% on your electric bill and be more comfortable at a higher temperature.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity
Humidity control is key when it comes to comfort.  When you lower your relative humidity (RH) to a range of 40% to 60%, you can actually raise the setting on your thermostat and be more comfortable.  Why is that?  Lowering the RH allows your body’s natural cooling system, perspiration, to operate more efficiently, eliminating the need to lower the temperature and make your air conditioning system work harder than it has to.  Studies show that by raising your thermostat setting 3 degrees, you can achieve up to 18% savings!

Aprilaire has an entire family of whole-house dehumidifiers that work in conjunction with your home’s HVAC system to properly dehumidify your entire house.  And, unlike noisy, portable dehumidifiers that take up space in your living room, Aprilaire works quietly in your equipment room.  Out of sight and out of mind, just the way it's supposed to be.

Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule your installation today.  You'll be glad you did.

Aprilaire - Keeping you comfortable and saving you money for over 50 years.
 

What is a MERV Rating?

MERV, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a rating that was developed by ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) used to assess the filtering power of a furnace filter/air cleaner.

The MERV scale consists of ratings from 1 to 16, with filter performance being greater as the number increases. On the MERV scale, dirt particles are graded from 0.3 microns to 10 microns. A micron is 1 millionth of a millimeter, and to give you an idea of just how small that is, you can look at the size of a single human hair. The average strand of human hair is about 100 microns thick, so imagine just how small 0.3 microns of dirt is!

Why is MERV Rating Important?

When you’re purchasing an air conditioner or furnace filter for your home, you want to be sure that you are buying a filter that will keep the air in your home clean. While all Aprilaire air cleaners will provide you with the filtering efficiency needed to improve the air quality of your home, depending on the particular needs of your family, you may require a filter that has a higher MERV rating, like the Aprilaire Model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner.

Cases in which this is likely are those when you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, respiratory problems, or other similar incidences. Then again, you may just want to get the best filter for your family so that the indoor air quality around your home is the best it can be.

With Aprilaire AIr Cleaners, it's Garbage in, NO Garbage out!

Here is a picture of two cooling coils from furnaces that were installed for over 15 years. Air is blown over these coils and into your house year around to heat or cool it. The coil on the right had a poor furnace filter on it that didn’t stop the dust from coming through and collecting on the coil. The coil on the left was protected by an Aprilaire media air cleaner which does a great job protecting your investment. For only a few hundred dollars more, Aprilaire media air cleaners can prolong the life of your equipment and make it run more efficiently.

What would you do?

The other day I was doing laundry and happened to notice the Aprilaire humidifier control installed on my HVAC system was indicating the relative humidity was 60%. This seemed odd to me since I have never noticed the humidifier operating during the summer. Then I talked to my HAVC installer and found my humidifier control is wired to only operate the humidifier during a heat call. Even though the humidifier control will only control humidity up to 45% relative humidity, it will measure relative and display humidity up 99%. Since my heat is never on during the summer, the reading on the control is the relative humidity the last time the heat ran.    

Whether updating a home to be healthier, more energy efficient and  sustainable or building a new home and trying to achieve green certification, Aprilaire, a leader in the indoor air quality industry, offers homeowners a complete indoor environmental quality package that features the most innovative products on the market. Over the past several years, research and experience have improved the understanding of what is involved in maintaining good indoor air quality. Four key indoor air quality components that help ensure the sustainability and health of the home and its occupants are moisture load control, ventilation, air filtration, and energy efficiency.

Moisture Control

• According to LEED for Homes, “Control indoor moisture levels to provide comfort, reduce the risk of mold & allergens, and increase the durability of the home. In hot and humid climates, dehumidification can reduce the energy demands associated with air-conditioning.”

Aprilaire addresses high indoor humidity problems and/or concerns in the home with an innovative, effective and affordable whole-home solution – the Model 1750 Central Dehumidifier. The Aprilaire central dehumidifier provides 24-7 moisture control in two critical ways: first, it works independently from the central air conditioner to control excess moisture on days that do not require cooling. Second, it works in conjunction with the central air conditioner to provide the most efficient complete humidity control solution while maintaining an optimum home temperature. An Aprilaire Dehumidifier provides the ability to automatically control moisture levels through the whole home in order to ensure the sustainability of the home, as well as a more healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

The 90-pint/day Aprilaire dehumidifier is a whole-house unit that can be installed in attics, closets, crawlspaces, garages, basements, and in new construction or existing homes. Built-in intelligence provides automatic control for not only whole-home dehumidification, but also for fresh air ventilation, air cycling, and air filtration. Automatic air cycling allows for improved humidity and temperature balance throughout the house. The built-in automatic fresh air ventilation provides not only the control of fresh air, but also the dehumidification, if needed, of that fresh air upon entering the home. The fresh air ventilation control will meet ASHRAE 62.2 standards where and when required.

Just as important as removing excess moisture is adding the right about during the winter months is cold climates. The National Association of Home Builders’ Model GREEN Home Building Guidelines recognizes that controlled humidity is an important health element for those living in regions where furnaces are used during the winter season. As the innovator of controlled whole-home humidifiers, Aprilaire offers a full line of automatic whole-home humidifiers that provide just the right amount of humidity based on outdoor temperature and indoor relative humidity. By utilizing an automatic whole-home humidifier, homeowners are protecting their health, preserving their home and saving energy. 

Ventilation

• According to the EPA’s Energy Star program, “Without mechanical ventilation to provide fresh air, moisture, odors, and other pollutants can build up inside a home. Mechanical ventilation systems circulate fresh air using ducts and fans, rather than relying on airflow through small holes or cracks in a home’s walls, roof, or windows. Homeowners can breathe easier knowing their home has good ventilation.”

Aprilaire’s innovative Ventilation Control System offers an affordable and effective means for not only mechanically ventilating homes, but to ventilate them to ASHRAE 62.2 when required. The system consists of a six-inch damper, controller and transformer. The system provides time‑based control with outdoor temperature and indoor relative humidity operating limits. The control opens a damper with a fan or equipment call to meet a desired ventilation requirement that is set by the installer with the ventilation knob (0 – 60 minutes) and cycle time setting (1, 2, 3, or 4 hours). Once the ventilation requirement is met, the controller will close the damper. If the fan and equipment run times do not meet the ventilation requirement, the controller will turn the fan on and open the damper until the desired ventilation is met. 

Air Filtration

• According to the Sustainable Living Sourcebook “ Of concern from a health standpoint are small, invisible respirable-size particulate matter, having a high probability of penetrating deep into the lungs, where they may stay a long time and cause acute or chronic effects. Large particulate matter such as some molds, pollen, animal dander, and house dust allergens, do not penetrate as deeply, but may cause an allergic response. Health effects can range from irritation of the eyes and/or respiratory tissues to more serious effects, such as cancer and decreased lung function. Biological particles, such as animal and insect allergens, viruses, bacteria, and molds, can cause allergic reactions, infectious diseases, and/or can produce toxic products that may be released into the air.”

Aprilaire central air cleaners are attached to the heating and cooling system and permanently trap the airborne contaminants that can aggravate health and allergy and asthma symptoms. In a recent standard industry test, the Aprilaire 5000 achieved 99 percent efficiency against airborne particles. The unit captures and kills virtually all contaminants including those that most affect personal health—viruses, bacteria, spores and allergens 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Aprilaire also offers homeowners a one-of-a-kind air cleaner control that allows them to actively clean the air in their entire home based on personal preference and event triggers:

• Constant Cleaning: air cleaner is active for 24 hours a day seven days a week
• Automatic: air cleaner will run a minimum of 30 minutes per hour
• Event Clean: air cleaners will run for three hours continuously and then turn off
• Allergies: air cleaner will run continuously for 24 hours and then turn off

Installed next to the thermostat or on the air cleaning unit, the new control also provides validation the air cleaner is working by indicating through a sequence of bars that rise when the blower on the heating and cooling system is energized. It also indicates when the filter needs to be replaced based on blower run time.

Energy Efficiency

• According to the EPA, “Maximizing household energy use through serviced heating and cooling systems, leak-less ducts, and thermostats that are programmed to save energy at night or when residents are away, would prevent 169 billion lbs of greenhouse gas emissions per year.”

Heating and cooling costs are the #1 expense in most American homes. Energy Star states that the average home spends about $1,500 annually on energy bills. All of Aprilaire Programmable Thermostats are Energy Star Rated — and according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a programmable thermostat can save you up to 30% on your energy costs.

Do you long for the benefits of whole-house dehumidification, but never thought it was possible because your home or condominium is too small to accommodate the physical size of the unit?  Thanks to Apirilaire and the new Model 1730A dehumidifier, you too can enjoy the comfort and protection that proper levels of humidity have to offer.

Compact size is the key
With cabinet dimensions of 12.5" x 14.5" x 22", the Aprilaire 1730A can fit in most small equipment closets and attic scuttles.  This enables your Aprilaire dealer to easily install this Energy Star rated dehumidifier in most applications.  And, because it's Energy Star rated, you can be assured your Aprilaire dehumidifier is not only dependable, but energy efficient as well.

Protect your home or condominium from mold and mildew and enjoy increased comfort by installing an Aprilaire dehumidifier.  Call your Aprilaire dealer and schedule your installation today!

Aprilaire - protecting your home and increasing your comfort for over 50 years.

 

It seems no matter what I tried my home always felt damp. I would lower the temperature on my thermostat to 70F, but all that did was make my home cold and damp. My solution was a whole house dehumidifier from Aprilaire. The dehumidifier gets rid of the dampness by removing water from the air. It also let’s me save energy since I can turn my thermostat up to 78F and it’s comfortable. Now the air is dry and I’m not wasting money by overcooling my home.

Studies show that a typical 2,000 square foot house will have an average of 50,000 gallons of water run over it in a year. This is why it is so important to prevent water from entering the home and removing the excess moisture that does.

Tips for Reducing Excess Moisture in the Home:

• Clean and repair roof gutters regularly – use covers to keep leaves and sticks from building up in the gutters. (show gutter guards on gutter)
• Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers and stoves to the outside where possible.
• Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water does not enter or collect around the foundation.
• Use down spout extenders that carry water at least six feet away from the foundation. (show gutter extender)
• Seal unwanted air leaks, such as around holes for plumbing and wiring, this is where humid outside air sneaks into the home. (leak sealer spray)
• Use a dehumidifier in the home to remove moisture that infiltrates into home. (Aprilaire whole-home dehumidifier)

To control the conditions that lead to moisture damage and mold growth, keep indoor relative humidity below 50 percent by installing a whole-home dehumidifier. The Aprilaire Model 1700 whole-home dehumidifier works in tandem with the heating and cooling system remove up to 90 pints of moisture from the home’s environment each day.

Experts warn against setting the thermostat temperature lower and using the air conditioner to remove excess humidity, as it does two things that are counter to the goal of reducing the moisture content in the home. It actually increases the indoor relative humidity and more importantly it decreases the temperature of the materials in the walls, floors, and ceilings of your home, thereby significantly increasing the potential for moisture condensation on these elements of the home.

It's hard to believe, but with this wacky summer weather, people are actually running their furnaces in July.  This is a gentle reminder that the fall and winter heating season is just around the corner... and with the heating season comes dry air.  You remember dry air; it gave you itchy skin and static shocks.  It may have made your hair stand on end (literally) or even made your nose bleed.  What a pain.

Humidification is the key
Aprilaire has the solution to dry air with a full line of whole-house humidifiers.  Unlike portable humidifiers that only add moisture to the room they sit in, Aprilaire provides relief-giving humidification throughout your entire home.  Proper levels of humidification provide a wide array of benefits: health, comfort, protection, and energy savings. 

Get ahead of the curve.  Call your local Aprilaire dealer and ask how you can improve your health and comfort this winter.  Install an Aprilaire humidifier today.

Aprilaire, humidifying your world for over 50 years!
 

Running the A/C may seem like the obvious choice to feel more comfortable during the hot summer months. But for many homes, cool comes with an unwanted side-effect. The air feels heavy, skin feels clammy, and too much humidity is left in the air. As air conditioners become more efficient, they do their one job better: they drop the air temperature quickly. Their secondary benefit of dehumidification is lessened and this leaves a significant amount of moisture trapped in the air.

Air at any given temperature has a maximum amount of water it can hold before it becomes saturated and starts to condense. I call this the soda-can effect. If you take a cold can of soda and set it on a countertop, it usually doesn’t take too long to start showing beads of water on the outside. This is because the air temperature at the surface of the can has dropped to the saturation level, water condenses and forms droplets. The opposite is true with heat. When you raise the temperature of air, its capacity to hold water significantly increases, and you can turn that liquid water on the soda can back into humidity. Think of how a hair-dryer works. Warm air passes over liquid water and the water evaporates, drying your hair.

The maximum amount of water that air at any given temperature can hold can be determined and compared to the amount of water that it currently holds. This is called Relative Humidity, read as a percentage, because it’s the current humidity relative to the maximum amount it can hold. As air temperature goes up, relative humidity goes down, and vice-versa.

When we look at what’s inside a home, most things, including people, need a relative humidity somewhere between 30% and 60%. Somewhere in the middle, around 45% to 50%, we can maintain conditions that won’t lead to common conditions like mold, mildew and even dust mites. But also won’t lead to the ill-effects of air that’s too dry, itchy skin, shrinking, splitting woodwork, etc..

Dehumidifiers, such as our Aprilaire 1700-series, work to maintain conditions in your home, relative to the temperature that you keep your house. So, the warmer the air temperature, the easier it is to maintain a lower relative humidity. The benefit of this is the energy savings of running your A/C less, as you don’t have to keep your home as cool. You’ll feel comfortable even at higher temperatures. By keeping your summertime temperature 3° higher, you can save an estimated 20% on your energy bill. Lower costs, more comfort? What’s not to like?

Wisconsin weather sure is whacky.  Today is June 30, 2009.  At the time I am blogging this, it is 61 degrees outside with a relative humidity (RH) of 72%.  Last week at this time, we had temps in the high eighties and low nineties with high humidity to boot.  Air conditioners and dehumidifiers were working as hard as they could to remove heat and moisture, giving homeowners ultimate comfort and protection.

No air conditioning required
72% RH is a perfect breeding ground for things like mold and dust mites.  Some people would say their air conditioning will take care of excess humidity.  However, at 61 degrees, your air conditioning is not going to come on.  At this point, you have a decision to make; you can either suffer the consequences of high humidity, or you can install an Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier to protect your health and home. 

Aprilaire is the perfect solution.  It installs with your home’s HVAC system, out of sight and out of mind, quietly removing moisture from your entire home.  And, unlike portable dehumidifiers that only remove moisture from the room they are in, there are no tanks to empty and clean on a daily basis.

Call your Aprilaire dealer today and request an Aprilaire whole-house dehumidifier.  You'll be glad you did.