Sand/Silt in my water, is that effecting my Aprilaire steam humidifier?

Thursday, February 14, 2013 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:
 
I had installed about 4-5 months ago. I get a build up a yellow/brown sand / silt in the bottom which seems to clog the drain and causes the canister to leak from the top. I live in the Denver area (Lone Tree). I saw a post on another web site with a similar issue. Do you have a recommendation to fix? Maybe a sand/silt trap/filter upline?
 
 
Aprilaires' response:
 
Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 800 Residential Steam Humidifier. What you're finding is the sediments in the water that are left behind as the water boils away. The exact nature of these sediments can vary by region. We don't have any specific recommendations for filters, but if you do choose to have on installed, do not use one that de-ionizes or de-mineralizes the water, such as Reverse Osmosis. Some amount of dissolved minerals are required for our unit to produce steam. The 800 uses the minerals in the water to pass current between two electrodes, and the fewer minerals in the water, the longer it will take to reach boiling. We would recommend that you consult your installer for recommendations on filters for sand, though.

Remodeling Your Home? Have You Considered Indoor Air Quality?

Thursday, October 18, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Remodeling Your Home? Have You Considered Indoor Air Quality?

Ventilation for Homes

In general, you should address the following issues when remodeling your home.

Radon

Lead

Moisture Control

Ventilation

Asbestos

Combustion Appliances

Air Ducts

Energy Efficient Improvements

Pest Control

Painting

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Likewise, one approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in.

Outdoor air enters and leaves a house by: infiltration, natural ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors (air may also move out of the house in this manner — this is called exfiltration). In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by wind. Finally, there are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from exhaust (vented outdoors) fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and the kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can increase.

Unless they are built with means of mechanical ventilation, homes that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can "leak" into and out of the home may have higher pollutant levels than other homes. However, because some weather conditions can drastically reduce the amount of outdoor air that enters a home, pollutants can build up even in homes that are normally considered "leaky."

Most home heating and cooling systems, including forced air heating systems, do not mechanically bring fresh air into the house. Opening windows and doors, operating window or attic fans, when the weather permits, or running a window air-conditioner with the vent control open increases the ventilation rate. Local bathroom or kitchen fans that exhaust outdoors remove contaminants, including moisture, directly from the room where the fan is located and also increase the outdoor air ventilation rate.

Ideally, new homes will be built to minimize leakage to control energy loss, improve comfort, and minimize the transport of moisture and pollutants through the building shell. These homes should then also have mechanical ventilation to remove pollutants generated in the home and provide outdoor air in a controlled manner. Whether a mechanical ventilation system makes sense in your existing homes depends on the house, your existing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and the changes you have planned. You should discuss this with your HVAC contractor. A local Weatherization office, or building performance contractor, might also be able to help you with this decision or point you to local experts.

How much ventilation do I need?

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering, or ASHRAE at www.ashrae.org provides procedures for determining whole-house ventilation rates in its Standard 62.2, "Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings". The standard also provides requirements for exhaust ventilation for kitchens, bathrooms, and other point sources, such as clothes dryers and venting for fuel-burning appliances.

Our Aprilaire 760 humidifier has been installed for 14 years. But I have a question.

Thursday, July 5, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:
 
Our 760 has been installed for 14 years. The insulation material on either side of the fan had to be removed. Should I replace it with new pink fiberglass insulation? It appears that is where the unit pulls in air.
 
 
Aprilaire's response:

Thank you for you using Aprilaire in your home comfort system.

I am somewhat perplexed that your system had been operating for 14 years with insulation restricting the air flow. Normal installation does not necessitate the blockage of air into the humidifier. This may have been done to prevent water leaking from the humidifier in high static pressure within the duct system. I would recommend having an HVAC contractor look at the system to determine the reason for the use of insulation; it was not for filtering the air.

If you have additional questions, please contact us.

What merv rating was/is the older 2200 and 2400 aprilaire media's?

Tuesday, May 29, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Consumer question:

What merv rating was/is the older 2200 and 2400 aprilaire media's?

 
Aprilaires' response:
 
Thank you for contacting us regarding our 2200 and 2400 air cleaners. The filters that the 2200 and 2400 air cleaners use has a MERV rating of 10. These are the 201 and 401 filters. We now offer upgrade kits for both air cleaners that upgrade the air cleaners to use MERV 13 filters. Please follow the link below for more information on our upgrade kits:

http://estore.aprilaire.com/catalog/air-cleaners/upgrade-kits

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.

 

Can I set my Aprilaire model 5000 to come on anytime my furnace or air conditioning is running?

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Consumer question:

Can I set my air cleaner to a mode in which it will only be active when the furnace (or air condition) is running? And what is the difference between the Constant Cleaning mode and the Allergies mode - is it that the Allergies mode shuts the air cleaner after 24 hours and then what?

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for your email regarding your model 5000 Aprilaire Electronic air cleaner.
You can set your model 5000 to be active only when the furnace is running if it is wired correctly. Press the button on your event control that has the arrow on the screen pointing to the event that it is set for. This will turn that arrow off rendering all events inactive.

The difference between Constant and Allergy; Constant Cleaning will run for 24 hrs, 7 days a week until turned off in the same manner discussed earlier. Allergy will run for 24 hrs then shut off the event on it's own. Then it will be set in the mode discussed earlier running only when the furnace runs.

 

What is the minimum water temperature to supply an Aprilaire 350 humidifier?

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:
 
What's the minimum water temperature needed to supply this Aprilaire model 350 humidifier unit? We want to reduce the water temp for the summer so it doesn't heat the house while it runs. Here in Denver we still need the moisture all year around.

By the way, do you make a in-the wall ultrasonic unit with a humidistat, that can run from filtered water that removes minerals and chlorine?
 
 
Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for your email regarding your model 350 Aprilaire humidifier. The minimum water temperature for our self contained humidifiers is 140F. This is required in order for the evaporation process to take place. When the hot water flows over the water panel, the water evaporates off the water panel and into the room temperature air moving through the water panel. Lowering the water temperature will reduce the amount of humidification produced. The water to the humidifier can be hard or softened but should not be from a reverse osmosis system. We do not manufacture ultrasonic humidifiers.

 

What is the replacement for the 2120/2140?

Monday, May 7, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

We had our A/C system replaced last year. We had an Aprilaire filter system installed at the recommendation of the contractor. He said that the filters were Aprilaire 2120/2140 and a Humidifier Panel 400. What is your current replacement for these. I do not see them on any site selling your product.

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding replacement media for your Aprilaire products. The models 2120 and 2140 are two different air cleaners and would take different filter media. Please follow the links below for more information on the filter media for the two air cleaners:

http://estore.aprilaire.com/catalog/air-cleaners/model-2120-parts
and
http://estore.aprilaire.com/catalog/air-cleaners/model-2140-parts

Furthermore, please follow the link or navigate through the estore for information on the replacement water panels for the model 400 humidifier:

http://estore.aprilaire.com/catalog/humidifiers/model-400-series-parts/254

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 10 Year Clean Coil Commitment

Friday, April 20, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Aprilaire Air Cleaners are so effective at removing particles and contaminants that are harmful to your family and your HVAC equipment, we offer this guarantee.  Should your new indoor air conditioning coil require professional cleaning in the next 10 years while properly using an Aprilaire Air Cleaner, we will pay $100 toward the cost of having the indoor coil cleaned by a licensed contractor.

This commitment applies to new HVAC equipment with a new indoor air conditioner coil (less than six months old) installed with an Aprilaire Air Cleaner.  The Aprilaire Air Cleaner must be installed by a licensed HVAC contractor.  The Aprilaire Air Cleaner must be properly maintained as per directions in the owner's manual including use of only Aprilaire brand media replacement.   Click to view Aprilaire's Clean Coil Commitment.

Aprilaire Recommended Annual Air Cleaner Maintenance

Thursday, April 19, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Aprilaire 2000 Series

 

Aprilaire 3000 Series

 

Aprilaire 4000 Series

 

Aprilaire Model 5000

 

Aprilaire One-Touch Control

What Everybody Ought to Know About Whole Home Air Cleaners - they are Proven to Protect and Even Improve Health

Monday, April 2, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

The air in American homes is increasingly contaminated and polluted, and now studies have linked poor indoor air quality to the dramatic rise in not only allergy and asthma symptoms, but also a variety of other health issues, including heart disease, stroke and blood clots.

Studies are emerging that prove poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to a variety of symptoms and medical issues.  While individuals with pre-existing medical problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergies are at most risk from poor indoor quality, the medical literature demonstrates that even those in a good state of health are negatively affected.

The latest study conducted by scientists from Denmark and Sweden, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, reveals that poor indoor air adversely affects the performance of blood vessels in humans leading to cardiovascular disease.  The study also found that indoor air filtration greatly reduced the amount of ultrafine, fine and coarse air particles in the homes tested, which was associated with an actual improvement in the microvascular function of the study participants.

In an effort to protect public health and combat airborne invaders, Aprilaire, a leading manufacturer of indoor air quality products, is urging consumers nationwide to consider whole-home air cleaners as part of a modern and integrated approach to managing their indoor environments. Homeowners can be sure that a whole-home air cleaner works to permanently trap the airborne contaminants that most affect health and aggravate allergy and asthma symptoms, moving clean and comfortable air throughout every room of the home, all while operating silently and out of sight.

While the medical community acknowledges the benefits of clean air in the home, consumers often find themselves disappointed with the options available at local home improvement centers where portable, do-it-yourself air cleaning units are sold.

“We know through research that most people buy portable air cleaners to help alleviate some sort of respiratory issue, this cannot be accomplished with one portable air cleaner for an entire home,” said Mike Rimrodt, marketing director for Aprilaire. “In fact, most homes require four or five portable units or more too clean the air throughout the entire home and still don’t do as good a job,” notes Rimrodt. “When comparing performance, installation and maintenance factors, and overall cost, a whole-home air cleaning solution is ideal for families who want to ensure healthy, clean air in every room and get the best value for their dollar.”

Whole-home air cleaners 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. A simple-to-program thermostat features Event-Based ™ Air Cleaning:

  • 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

Event-Based Air Cleaning also provides other conveniences such as indicators that air cleaning is taking place as well maintenance reminders.

For more information on whole-home air cleaners and Event-Based Air Cleaning, visit www.aprilaire.com.

Unseasonable weather brings on an early explosion of Allergies!

Monday, April 2, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Kerchoo!!!!!!!!!  Achooo!!

Everyone is talking or sneezing about it, the early onset of allergies this year due to the mild winter.  Make sure to use an Aprilaire Air Cleaner in your house to help make your indoor air quality as good as it can be!

Air Cleaning - Sure its allergy season, but there's more to it!

Monday, April 2, 2012 by Tom Ruse

Ok, the straight scoop. Whole-home high efficiency air cleaners - the kind installed in your heating and cooling system - have the ability to trap airborn allergens like no portable air purifier can. Its just a fact. A portable air purifier can only work in one room and only in a small area of that room!

Sure, if the allergens and other crap in your home are not airborne, the installed air cleaner can't trap it. You have to vacuum and dust.

But here's the key. The whole-home air cleaner only works when your HVAC system blower operates. When the blower operates it delivers conditioned air throughout your home and the air that's already there has to go somewhere. That's where your return air ducts come in. The old air,  and the crap in it, are returned to the HVAC system thru the return ducts and the air cleaner traps the crap before it goes thru the system again to be heated or cooled.

BUT, you can clean the air more often than when you are heating or cooling. Just run your blower fan more often (put it in the "on" position) and it'll recirculate that air even when you're not heating or cooling - so your CLEANING the air more often.

Installed, whole house air cleaners also help protect your expensive HVAC system and can reduce the amount of dusting and vaccuming you have to do. So, while some portables may take a few contaminants out of a small room, they don't do ANYTHING to protect you HVAC system. Nor will you see an appreciably difference in having to clean the place!

Aprilaire Model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner

Aprilaire Model 5000 EAC Air Cleaner is humming?

Thursday, March 29, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Consumer question:

Why I started to hear humming noise when I turn on the Aprilaire Air Cleaner model 5000? The technician from Sears helped me to replace the filter in December 2011, but shortly after that, I start to hear this annoying noise and worry about the possible health risk it prsents to my family.

Does this electric humming/hissing really matter to human health? If so, whom should I contact?

 

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for your email regarding your model Aprilaire Electronic air cleaner.
Under normal operation there is electricity passing through the door of the model 5000 into the cabinet just like a plug into an outlet. This can sometimes be audible but it does not pose any health risks.

If you are feeling that the noise is coming from the HVAC equipment call your HVAC specialist and have them give us a call when they are looking over the equipment.

 

UV lights? Okay with my Aprilaire?

Friday, March 2, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:
 
Will the aprilaire media's standup to UV lights? I know the honeywell's at one time would get holes in them within a few months. And if the aprilaire's are compatable how far away does the light need to be?

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding our Aprilaire air cleaner filters. We do not recommend any exposure from UV light onto our filter media. Our filters are made of acrylic and polypropylene fibers that break down when exposed to UV light. This break down could lead to shortened filter life and lowered efficiency.

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.

will the aprilaire media's standup to UV lights? I know the honeywell's at one time would get holes in them within a few months. And if the aprilaire's are compatable how far away does the light need to be?

 
 

 

Could my solenoid value be bad?

Monday, February 13, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

I just installed this unit and realized there is no water flowing to the filter. The valve has power on both wires (24VAC using the step down unit provided). The water has also been checked and is going into the valve however, not coming out. Do you have a suggestion of what the issue could be or is it most likely a faulty valve?

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 600A Humidifier. When power is applied to the solenoid valve, there should be an audible "click." If your valve does not click, verify the voltage supplied to it by measuring between the two yellow wires at the valve for A/C power. It should be around 24v, +/- 4v. Additionally, the amps available are also important. This valve needs .4 amps to open. If the amperage available is less than .1, it may not click at all. Between 1. and .3 it may just make a humming noise. If you verify all power is good and it still doesn't open, the diagnosis would be a bad valve. We would recommend that you contact your supplier for any replacement needed.

I like humming but I don't like my humidifier humming, please help!

Friday, February 10, 2012 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

We have an Aprilaire model 550 Humidifier attached to our Central Air/Heat House system (also attached is a Aprilaire 2400 Air Cleaner). Both have worked smoothly until a couple of days ago. Water used to drain periodically into a corner sink like it was supposed to but now no water is draining whatsoever, and the humidifier makes a noise every once in a while like a little brief hum as if it is trying to run but cannot. I know the Water panel needs to be replaced, and I was wondering if this could be the cause of the problem or if it is something more serious. I would appreciate any insight you can give me. (if it matters, the humidifier is set to 35%, as is recommended for the current temperature.) Also, I tried to find the test/reset switch to test the humidifier, but could not find it on the unit. Any idea where it is typically located on this model?

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your model 550 humidifier. If there is no water coming from the unit when the furnace is on and the control is making a call for humidity, then the solenoid valve is not opening. Since you are hearing an occasional hum from the humidifier, it sounds like the solenoid is trying to open but cannot. The condition of the water panel would have no bearing on the solenoid's ability to open. In this case we would recommend contacting your contractor to schedule a service call for your humidifier.

Additionally, to better understand why your unit is not operating, you have the option to call our technical support department at 1-800-334-6011 to troubleshoot the unit with one of our technicians over the phone. The technician may be able to diagnose what the problem is and point you in the right direction regarding service.

Our tech support department is available Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm CST.

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.

My solenoid is open with no voltage, what's up with that?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 by Aprilaire Team

Consumer question:

I have a 560 humidifier with a model 883321B controller. The past 6 years we owned the house we never used the humidifier but now we are trying to use it. We recently had a evaporator coil and new thermostat installed and the installer ran new wiring for it. When I tried to run the humidifier, water continually runs weather the furnace is on or off and no matter what the humidistat is set to. There was no voltage at the solenoid valve when I checked.

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your model 560 humidifier. When the unit is wired properly, the solenoid valve should only open when the furnace and HVAC blower is running. If there is no voltage at the solenoid and it is open, then the valve may be stuck open due to a build up of particles or sediment.

In order to send you to correct wiring diagram, we would need to know if you have a manual or automatic humidistat. Additionally, to better understand why your unit is not operating properly, you have the option to call our technical support department at 1-800-334-6011 to troubleshoot the unit with one of our technicians over the phone. The technician may be able to diagnose what the problem is and point you in the right direction regarding service or installation manuals.

Our tech support department is available Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm CST.

Power, power am I getting power?

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

We are quite happy with our unit, but we have a question. When the cover is lifted off to change the filter, the plug is disconnected so the fan, of course is not moving.
But,how can we make sure the unit is getting power? We have never seen the fan blades turn even when we plug the unit in while the cover is off. Shouldn't we be able to hear the fan turning or feel air coming out of the top of the humidifier? (It's a model 760.)

I just plugged a fan into the out-let and the fan will not run. The outlet may not be wired correctly. But, please tell us if we should be able to feel air coming out of the unit or hear the fan moter?


Aprilaires' response:


Thank you for contacting us regarding your model 760 humidifier. The model 760 has its own 24 volt transformer built into the unit therefore it has all of its own power. If you would like to see if the fan is working while the cover is on, simply touch the brown leads together while the unit is plugged into a powered outlet. This would complete the 24 volt connection to the relay, turning the fan on and opening the solenoid. This is a low voltage connection so there is no risk of injury. You can perform this test while the furnace is off, this way the sound of the furnace running will not interfere while you are listening for the fan on the 760.

If the fan and solenoid operate the unit is ok. If not, we recommend contacting your installing contractor to come to your home and troubleshoot the unit. However, you have the option to contact our tech support department at 1-800-334-6011 and troubleshoot with one of our technicians. Our tech support department is open Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm CST.

We are allergic to Cat, will the Aprilaire Model 5000 EAC help?

Monday, December 19, 2011 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

I recently had the 5000 unit installed. My husband is allergic to our cat which was our reason for getting it. We keep it on the 24 hour continuous cycle because I am under the impression that that is the best cycle for pet allergies. However, the air is very dry and we are both having sinus and dry eye issues since we had it installed last week. Is this common? Is there something we can do or a cycle that would best deal with this issue that would still be affective for his allergies. His allergies have still been acting up even after the 5000 unit was installed so I don't want to turn it down or off too much.


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 5000 Electronic Air Cleaner. This unit can certainly remove particles and allergens that are floating around in the air, but you describe a separate issue, as well. Dry sinuses and eyes could be the result of low humidity in the home, common in colder seasons. Most homes will need humidity around 30-45% RH while people may want 30-60% RH. You can use a hygrometer to check the level of humidity in your home. If your symptoms seem to disappear when you steam up the bathroom after a hot shower or in your kitchen when you're boiling water on your stove, this can verify your need for additional humidity throughout your home. Please see our attached brochure for more information.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

My Aprilaire Humidifier fails to feed water when the furnace is running..

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Aprilaire Team
Consumer question:

Unit was installed in February 2011. fails to feed water when the furnace is running.....even on the highest #7 setting. Worked fine last heating season

When the dial is moved to the "Test" setting, the water will flow and the 'reset light' will blink like it's supposed to....but when moved back regular run mode - even on # 5, #6 or #7 - it will not put water into the filter pan.


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your 600A humidifier. Our controls have a built in design condition that allows the control to make a maximum of 45% relative humidity. If the digital screen has a value of 45% or above, the control will not turn on the humidifier outside of test. Also, the control has a accuracy differential of +/- 5%. So even if the screen reads 40%, due to this differential it may not turn the humidifier on.

Once the air in your home drops below 40-45% relative humidity your humidifier will turn on to add moisture to the air.

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.