I am looking for a recommendation. I am replacing Rheem 95% efficiency furnace and central air in a Townhouse, approxiamte area is 1600 sqft. Which model would you recommend for the town house. My daughter has only pollen allergy


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us regarding our Whole Home Air Cleaners.  All of the Aprilaire Air Cleaners can handle 1.5 ton system up to a 5 ton system (600-2000 CFM's).  Please review the consumer literature piece regarding the different models and their efficiency.  We recommend speaking to your installing contractor as to which unit will best suit your daughter's needs as well as your application.  Please contact our Customer Service Department if we may be of further assistance.

I just moved into a house with a 2 year old central air unit. I don't know much about central air as I have never had it. The air was working fine up until today. It just didn't go on. When I went downstairs I noticed the Aprilaire premium digital control wouldn't go on. Any suggestions what i can do???


Aprilaires' response:

The wiring for the humidistat appears that is might be set to run on just the heat calls and would not turn on any other time. If you furnace was on, the humidistat should turn on if the humidity is below 45% and there is a call for humidity. You can still test to see if the humidifier is working but turning the heat up to make a heat call for the furnace and then turning the humidistat all the way clock wise until you hear a click. The humidity call for our humidistat's is when the humidity falls below 45%, and this time of year unless you live in the dry arid areas in Arizona and Colorado, most of America is well above 45% during the summer months. The best time of year to test your humidifier is in the fall, but you should still get the solenoid to click on during the test I suggested. If you do not hear a click of solenoid turning on during the test I suggest contacting a local HVAC dealer to service your humidifier.You can find a dealer by entering your zip code in the upper right hand corner of our website: http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php

If you have any other questions please contact us at 1-800-334-6011.

I recently had a contractor install a furnace/AC in my home.    He included
a Aprilaire humidifier with the package.  It's a Aprilaire Model 600 Series Humidifier.

I have a few questions:

1.  The humidifier control baffles me.   I went through the owners manual
and it's not clear.  Refer to the attached pic.   You'll see that the Manual
Mode handle (resistor case) is pulled out from the humidifier control box.
Does tha3.  t mean it's in Automatic mode ????   The owner's manual and
installation instructions don't even tell you.  There is an Automatic Mode
(Figure A) pic in the owners manual, but it's not my humidifier control box
nor does it have this Manual Mode handle.   But on the Manual Mode pic in
the owners manual (Figure B), it shows this manual mode handle, but it
appears to be pushed in toward the humidifier control box.   The owners
manual never says anything about pushing this lever in, or pulling it out,
or anything like that.  My question is how do I know this humidifier control
is on Automatic ??     Or can it never be on Automatic with this Manual Mode
handle installed ??

2.  Are you supposed to put the bypass damper handle on "Summer" during
every summertime ?

3.  Is 35% a normal setting for the humidifier control?    I think that's
what the contractor said to keep it on.


I want the humidifier control to be on Automatic.   I don't want it to be in
a Manual mode.

Can I register my humidifier (for warranty) even though it was purchased and
installed by a HVAC contractor ?


Aprilaires' response:

The model 600 humidifier can be installed to operate either manually or automatically. How the control is installed and wired will identify the current operation of the humidifier. Based upon the information provided in your email it appears that you application is currently wired to operate manually. The blue manual mode resistor that is currently seen at the humidistat identifies that the product is currently setup for manual operation. This basically would require that changes be made to the setting at the control anytime there is a noticeable change to the outdoor temperature. The other operating option that is available for the model 600 is automatic operation at the humidistat. When the humidistat is in automatic mode an outdoor temperature sensor would need to be installed and wired in place of the blue manual mode resistor. When the outdoor temperature sensor is being utilized this will allow complete automatic control of the humidifier. The outdoor temperature sensor will take approximately 400,000 temperature reading daily and adjust the setting throughout the day based upon the outdoor temperature.  We do not recommend utilizing the blue manual mode resistor and the outdoor temperature sensor at the same time as this will cause operating issues with the product.

In regards to the bypass damper of the model 600 does require that the arm be positioned into the summer mode during that season. This will allow any airflow during the cooling season to be directed away from the bypass arm of the application. If the damper is not placed into the summer position it will not cause any harm but rather allow a small amount of air to bypass through the arm.

We would be happy to assist you in getting your newly installed model 600 humidifier registered for warranty. There are currently two options available for registration of the product. The product can be registered online at the following link http://The model 600 humidifier can be installed to operate either manually or automatically. How the control is installed and wired will identify the current operation of the humidifier. Based upon the information provided in your email it appears that you application is currently wired to operate manually. The blue manual mode resistor that is currently seen at the humidistat identifies that the product is currently setup for manual operation. This basically would require that changes be made to the setting at the control anytime there is a noticeable change to the outdoor temperature. The other operating option that is available for the model 600 is automatic operation at the humidistat. When the humidistat is in automatic mode an outdoor temperature sensor would need to be installed and wired in place of the blue manual mode resistor. When the outdoor temperature sensor is being utilized this will allow complete automatic control of the humidifier. The outdoor temperature sensor will take approximately 400,000 temperature reading daily and adjust the setting throughout the day based upon the outdoor temperature.  We do not recommend utilizing the blue manual mode resistor and the outdoor temperature sensor at the same time as this will cause operating issues with the product.

In regards to the bypass damper of the model 600 does require that the arm be positioned into the summer mode during that season. This will allow any airflow during the cooling season to be directed away from the bypass arm of the application. If the damper is not placed into the summer position it will not cause any harm but rather allow a small amount of air to bypass through the arm.

We would be happy to assist you in getting your newly installed model 600 humidifier registered for warranty. There are currently two options available for registration of the product. The product can be registered online at the following link http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=Warranty or by contacting our customer service line at 800-334-6011. We would be happy to further assist you in registering your newly installed product. If there are any further questions regarding the operation or installation of the product please of the product please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

We have a new home almost 10,000 sq ft of living space. The house is too well insulated, the AC hardly runs and it's about 60% humidity in the house. Which unit would you recommend and how much electricity do they use? Will we need a dedicated electric line?

Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Model 1770A Dehumidifier. Based on the size of your home, you will likely need more than one unit. The 1770A requires a dedicated 20-amp circuit at 120v. It's capable of handling up to 7400 sq ft assuming a standard 8' ceiling height. Taller rooms will need to be recalculated to determine an equivalent square footage. Please review this document for more information.

Consumer question:
 
What is the other advantage of having an outdoor temp sensor? the sensor broke out of the housing and the shipping costs are more than the sensor.

Aprilaires' response:

The outdoor temperature sensor when utilized with our Automatic Digital Humidistat allows the humidistat to automatically adjust the humidity setting based upon the outside temperature. This allows you to have hands free control of the amount of humidity that will be added to the home through out a 24 hour period. Our temperature sensor will take approximately 400,000 readings daily and will adjust the humidity setting automatically through out the day based upon the outside temperature.

Our products generally do come with a warranty that covers the parts. The length of the warranty will depends on the date of installation of the actual product. If the product is within the stated warranty period the part could be obtained and replaced through your installing heating and cooling contractor. In the event that the product is not covered under warranty you would be required to purchase the replacement part through your installing contractor or on our E-Store at www.aprilaire.com. We would like to further assist you in determining if your product is currently covered under warranty. If you could please provide us with your date of installation we can than determine if this particular component still falls within the warranty period.

We look forward to working with you in the future regarding our products. If there are any further questions or concerns please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

The dehumidifier is leaking water from the bottom of the unit. There is no blockage on the drain line.  What could the cause be?


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for your email regarding your model 1700 Aprilaire Deumidifier. That model had a copper drain. The drain requires some type of drain trap to carry away the water the unit removes. Typical the trap is made out of PVC. The trap needs to be primed as the 1700 is under negative pressure. If not primed, water will not be properly carried away from the unit.

To best assist you we need to learn more about your application. Please contact out technical support department at 1-800 334-6011 7:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m  central time Monday - Friday.

Consumer question submitted to Aprilaire:

When the unit was installed I was told that I needed a filter at the cold air return now I was told I should not put filters in the cold air returns, should I?


Aprilaires' response:

The air cleaners that we offer are designed to be installed only in the return duct of most heating and cooling applications. The filters that are utilized in our products will take the place of the existing filters that were originally used in a typical heating and cooling application. We generally do not recommend using a second filter in the return duct of the application when an Aprilaire air cleaner is present. Therefore, the general use of our air cleaner and filter is recommend without the use of an additional filters.  When an Aprilaire air cleaner is installed in the return duct of the HVAC equipment this allows the filter to filter the air prior to it entering the heating and cooling equipment. This filter removes the particles that are in the air stream of the return duct at that time and provides protection to the HVAC equipment. We would be happy to further assist you with any questions relating to the performance and installed of your Aprilaire air cleaner. If there are any further questions regarding the product please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I bought a home that has a Model 550 installed. The previous owner/s did not have a manual. Do you have any info on this? Is it a humidifier, de-humidifier, or both?


Aprilaires' response:

The model 550 is a humidifier.  Here is the owners manual for that unit.

The most important thing to remember for taking care of this humidifier is to make sure and change the water panel every year.  This humidifier takes a #10 water panel.  This can be purchased by calling us and ordering over the phone, or you may go to  estore.aprilaire.com to purchase, or at aprilaire.com you may enter your zipcode in the upper right hand area that will show you what dealer is in your area.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I have a 2200 installed in my home. I am trying to decide which replacement filter to purchase and was wondering if you could provide me with some technical data for the following filters:
201, 210, 213

I am looking for filtering area and cfm / pressure drop readings for these filter. Can you provide with a technical data sheet for each of these filters?


Aprilaires' response:

The 2200 air cleaner uses the #201 filter.  This filter is rated at a MERV 10.  That is an industry rating for minimum efficiency.  This filter fits into the 'drawer' type looking inner housing.  It also uses 'pleat spacers' to assist in holding its shape.  These pleat spacers look like giant clown combs, and there are five used in this application.

The 210, and 213 filters can be used in a 2200 air cleaner once you have installed the upgrade kit.  When you would install the upgrade kit, you would get rid of the drawer type looking inner housing that the 201 rested in, and you would also get rid of the pleat spacers.  You would then install the framework necessary to support the new filters.  Once that is installed into your air cleaner, it stays forever.  The 210 and 213 are then expanded out and slide right into the framework of the upgrade kit.

The 210 is rated at a MERV 10, and the 213 is rated at a MERV 13.

If you go to aprilaire.com and click on the shopping cart, then on the next screen click on the picture of the man kneeling in front of the air cleaner, you will see a two minute video on the upgrade kit.  It will show what is delivered to you, how to assemble it, and why we feel it is an improvement to the air cleaner.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

How many square feet does an Aprilaire 5000 clean? I have 3 ac units in my home-the Aprilaire is installed in the upstairs unit.  My home is approximately 3000 square feet with 1 ac unit for the upstairs and 2 for the downstairs.


Aprilaires' response:

The model 5000 air cleaner is sized based upon the number of heating and cooling systems and also the amount of air that is being passed through each of those units. The model 5000 is designed to operate on systems that are rated for 600 to 2000 cubic feet per minute. We do recommend one air cleaner per heating and cooling system. Therefore, based upon the information provided regarding your application we would recommend utilizing three air cleaners one per system. Please review our product literature on our entire air cleaner line that will provide you with further details regarding specifications of our different models.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

Why does the RH level never change on the display panel installed on the return duct?  It is alway at 62% even though the RH in the house is 50%


Aprilaires' response:

The display of this product updates only when the heating system is operating and producing heat. The 62% that is currently displaying on the humidistat is the last reading that was taken when unit was initially installed. We would recommend making a brief call for heat to see a temporary change in the actual reading on the display of the humidistat. If the reading on the display does not change once the heating system is operating and producing heat, we would recommend contacting your installing contractor for further evaluation of the wiring of the product.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

Which of your dehumidifiers is the quietest?  We need to dehumidify our finished 1,400 sq. ft. basement and do not want to hear noise from the fan or any other element in the dehumidifier.  Also, are there ways to eliminate such sounds? 


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Dehumidifiers. Currently, our model 1750A rates around 48 db when it's ducted into your central system and around 54 db unducted. The units are well-insulated for temperature and noise, but the do make sounds. You will not be able to eliminate the noise any more than you could for a washer or dryer. It's a mechanical device with an internal fan and compressor. Our recommendation is that you speak to a contractor about having one installed. They can visit your home and work with you to minimize its impact on the noise level in your finished basement.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

The unit has a display readout which showed relative humidity all winter long.  It now seems to be stuck on 49 during the humid summer.  Does the unit not function when the furnace is not being used?  Do I need to reset something?


Aprilaires' response:

The humidistat for your humidifier reads the final reading that humidifier read after the last time it was on, and will not display another reading until the humidifier. The furnace just energizes the humidistat to allow it to turn on if humidity is needed in the house. You will want to note the setting on the humidistat, so you know what setting you will need in the fall when the humidifier can be turned back on. You can then turn the nob for the humidistat counter clockwise for the remainder of the summer, to ensure it doesn't turn on. Turning the black nob from winter to summer is another step in the spring/summer that needs to be done to prevent air flow through the by pass humidifier.
I've included a link to the owner manual that will walk you through the steps for the summer season when the call for humidity is not usually necessary unless you lived in the dry climates like Arizona or Colorado.
http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=OwnersManual

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I have a Townhouse approximately 2000 sq ft. heating area is about 1300
sq. ft. I am replacing new Carrier Infinity furnace and 2.5 t
Performance condensing unit. Which model do you recommend? 700? What is
the difference between 600 and 700 and how much does it cost?

Aprilaires' response:

Thanks for contacting us about your interest in a humidifier. With about 1500 sq feet of space to humidify you would be able to use any of our units. (400,500,600,700). The 400 is recommended in applications where there is not a floor drain present as all other units will need an area to drain water. The difference between the 500 600 bypass models are related to the size of the application. The 500 can cover a area of 3,000 square feet and the 600 can cover 4,000 square feet.

The 700 and 600 are similar in size however the 700 uses a fan to draw air into it and the 600 uses the bypass method.

At this point it is hard to tell you which model to go with because of unforseen factors in the home that we can not see. This is better left to the dealer to determine. A dealer will also have pricing as we do not offer sales direct to the customer or set our pricing for each dealer.

Consumer feedback submitted to Aprilaire:

Just wanted to let you know the kit installation went fine even though it was replacing a filter installed in 1978.  I pop riveted the frame in place with no problems encountered. Replacing the filter was alot easier than dealing with the pleated filter. The weather station is a very nice instrument..thank you. 

Aprilaires' response:

Thanks for contacting us about your upgrade kit. I'm glad to hear everything is working out for you. It's always great to hear positive feedback from our customer regarding our product. We would like to know if you would post your wonderful comments on our website to help show others how nice of a product this upgrade is.

Please go to:

http://estore.aprilaire.com/customer/new-review/302

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I have changed the water panel and light won't go out. I disconnected the electric thinking that would reset it. That did not work. Is there something I am not doing correctly. I installed the panel according to the directions. It seemed to go in Okay. Any suggestions?


Aprilaires' response:

The change water panel indicator will need to be reset in order to for the light to stop appearing. We have listed below the proper steps for disengaging the change water panel light.

You will want to first turn the control knob to the “Test/Reset” position until the “Humidifier On” light blinks to reset its timer.  The Blower must be operating and HVAC calling for heat for this process to work appropriately. Once positioning it in the test mode for approximately one minute turn the control knob back to it’s original setting.  This process should allow the change water panel light to reset and normal operation should occur.

If for any reason the above process does not resolve the current issue please contact us at your earliest convenience. We would be happy to take your through this process over the phone with are customer service team. You can contact our Customer Service/Technical Support team at 800-334-6011 between the hours of 7AM and 5PM. We would be happy to further assist you with any question relating to the product.

Question submitted to Aprilaire:

I manage an office bldg which has 15 of your Model 8366 thermostats.  I have been tasked with changing the batteries as required.  Can you estimate the expected life span of Alkaline AA batteries in your product so I can set up a schedule?


Aprilaires' response:

Regards to your model 8366 Thermostat, batteries should last 1-2 years. The Lo Bat (Low Battery) warning will be displayed when the thermostats have 1-3 months of usable life left in the batteries. Actual life span of the batteries will depend on the quality of the battery as well as the frequency of equipment usage. Thermostats that we use for demo purposes, that have no equipment attached, have run continuously for over five years. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

For a home to be green and healthy not only does it have to be energy efficient, but it also NEEDS to address indoor air quality.  The LEED certification, the leading green certification program in the U.S., has come under attack by industry experts who claim that getting a LEED certification doesn't ensure a healthy environment.   Read the article where LEED buildings are dubbed "killing machines" due to there inadequate air quality control.  Most newer houses need to have air quality products installed to insure a healthy environment; check out Aprilaire.com for more information.

Consumer question submitted to Aprilaire:

We have a new house with the Bryant Evolution 2 stage air source heat pump
with a staged electric plenum heat assist (no gas furance), 4 level zone
control, and evolution control termostats. My wife and I are fine with temps
around 78 degrees so the AC does not run much if any. Even the
dehumidification mode of the AC will not come on unless the temp is at least
77 degrees if the stat is set to cool at 78 degrees.
The house is very tight because all exterior walls are ICF. It is very
efficient so it stays cool but the humidity gets higher than I like. I am
looking at adding the 1750 dehumidifier. My question is that when the
dehumidifier is hooked up to the HVAC/Thermostat, will it open up the 4
dampers for all of the 4 zones/levels so it will dehumidify the entire
house?
Also, would it be better to use the on-unit dehumidistat or the remote
Aprilaire dehumidistat mounted in the upper level/bedroom level of the home?


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Dehumidifiers. Typically, the dehumidifier is wired into the thermostat inputs of your HVAC system so that the fan can be turned on when dehumidification is needed. This provides better distribution of the dry air throughout the home. The issue of the dampers being closed will be a problem. Depending on how your zone control system operates, the dehumidifier may not be able to send a signal to open all of your dampers. One solution would be to bypass one of the dampers with the dehumidifier, supplying dry air to a large, central area of the home. Another might be to bypass your central air system entirely and add the dry air directly into a large area of the home. A contractor would be better able to look at the home and make installation suggestions.
With regards to the onboard sensor or wall-mounted sensor, the dehumidifier will operate at the same rate. The difference will be where it's measuring the humidity. With the wall control, it will only be measuring in that area. With the onboard sensor, it will be measuring the level of humidity of all air passing through the dehumidifier.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Consumer question submitted to Aprilaire:

Recently purchased this townhome and I can see that the central humidifier has been checked.  My question is how do I turn it off during the summer?  There is no off switch.  Top part of circle with numbers with 45 being on left.  On left side of knob is a beige line and on right side a red line.  How do I know if it is turned off or down so it doesn't run?  If I just had a picture of the thermostat in a low position where it is not working that would help greatly.

Aprilaires' response:

You were asking how to turn the humidifier off for the summer, and the first step would be to turn the air bypass damper off in the bypass pipe. Note the setting on the humidistat before you do anything more so you can remember what the setting needs to be in the fall. The humidistat nob would have to be turned counter clockwise as far as it will go in order to turn it off for the system. The good thing is that our humidistats do not work when the humidity is over 45 %, which the humidity is over 45% for most of America in the summer, except of course in areas similar to the dry Arizona weather.

I have supplied the website where you could go to find an owners manual for your 220 humidifier. Page 7 will explain the operating instructions for the humidifier. Annual maintenance for the humidifier starts at the bottom of page 8. Page 11 gives the step by step yearly maintenance for the humidifier.
http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=OwnersManual

If you have any further questions please contact us at 1-800-334-6011.