Consumer question:

We have two separate Lennox Heat Pump units in our home -- one with a 2200 & the other with a 2400 Aprilaire Air Cleaner.  I have been considering upgrading these with the 1213 & 1413 kits to use the new 213 & 413 media.  However, one unit is installed with the Air Cleaner in a vertical position.  Your video and the various sites I have researched only show the replacement in a horizontal air cleaner.

Can either of these new media (213 & 413) be used in either a vertical or horizontal position?  The Upgrade kit seems straightforward enough, but will the media drop or sag when installed in the vertical position?

I like the idea of upgrading to more efficient media, but if it won't work in the vertical setup we have, I'll just have to stock up on the old 201's or 401's.


Aprilaires' response:

Yes, you may use the upgrade kit in the vertical or horizontal positions.  It will work fine either way.  Even if in the horizontal position where gravity may be pulling the filter downward, there are support pieces for hold the frame in place that will not allow the filter to hang down sideways.

Consumer question:

When I'm running the AC, the cool indicator next to the temperature setting is constantly blinking. Is that indicating some type of problem?


Aprilaires' response:

When the "Cool" is blinking, the thermostat is indicating that there is a call of cooling. This is normal operation. The same will happen during a heating call. You should see "Heat" blinking while your furnace is running the heat.

Question submitted from the consumer blog:
 
We have a small Whirlpool dehumidifier that is run by compressor generally it's designed for one room or a certain amount of square feet. Are we using more electricity by using this in the summer...as it blows out hot air..basically it's in my opinion a small window air conditioner reversed as a heat pump would be, question is can't tell much difference with it on or off except in the room it is in..but since there is a 10 volt compressor at work and our forced air system is running a huge 240 volt compressor does this make this little unit effcent enough to use it, since we are re cooling the hot air it blows out, it is Green star energy rated..and in a day will remove about 3 gallons of water......could this make our electric bill way higher than usual, and should we think of a whole house instead of buying other dehumidifies for the rest of the house. Any info would be of great help.


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to your dehumidifier. Certainly, you are using energy to condition the space it's in. Generally, the way a dehumidifier saves you energy is by making the home more comfortable so that you can raise the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees. By running your A/C less, your energy bill goes down. Whole-home dehumidifiers can remove 8 to 17 gallons of water per day, depending on unit size and capacity. Compared to portables, they will use 1/2 to 1/3 of the energy to do the same work. You can find our product brochure at http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=Download&fn=RP_835_.pdf&u_fn=Dehumidifiers_brochure.

Consumer question:

I am inquiring about pricing and also units. Is there a whole house humidifier/dehumidifier/air filter all in one? Or is is necessary to purchase the units separately? My home is 2 years old (new construction) and is energy efficient. I have approximately 1800sq ft. What is the approximate cost to have humidifier/dehumidfier/air filter?


Aprilaires' response:

Consumer question:

AC is not coming on is it a problem when the COOL is flashing?


Aprilaires' response:


Thank you for your email regarding your model 8363 Aprilaire thermostat. Whenever your 8363 makes a call for cooling the word cool will flash on the 8363 screen. This means the cooling relay inside the thermostat has closed. If your Air Conditioning is not operating there appears to be a problem with the Air conditioning system. We ask you contact your HVAC installer to have them review your installation.

Consumer question:

I just moved into a home with a electronic thermostat model # 8363. The owner didn't give me the owners manual and I don't know how to change it from celsius to farenheit. Also wanted to know if I can get a copy of the instruction manual. Can you please help?


Aprilaires' response:

Thanks for contacting us about your thermostat. Here is a copy of the 8300 series manual for your future questions or issues that come up.

To change C to F:

1. Place the mode button in "OFF"
2.Push and hold both of the temperature "ADJUST" buttons simultaneously (up & down)  until "ROOM" and "OFF" are no longer displayed.
3.Display will show only the room temp and scale. use the "Up" or "down"  to toggle between "F" and "C"
4.Press the light button repeatedly until the "Done" light is displayed

Consumer question:

I'm looking for a thermostat that will connect to my home's wireless network
which I can control from a computer preferably via web browser. Do you have
such a product?


Aprilaires' response:

Yes, Aprilaire does offer that type of thermostat.  It is our model 8870.  Also thank you interest in our Aprilaire HVAC automaton system. Please review this information on our system for your review. To obtain our product we ask that you contact your HVAC installer

Consumer question:

I have the model 600 Humidifier and right now it is reading 66% humidity on my digital control...

The setting on the dial is 4(Normal).

The damper is switched to Summer.

I noticed that the humidifier has not been going on...

Is there anything wrong or am I doing something wrong?


Aprilaires' response:

No, you are not doing anything wrong with the humidifier.  This is simply summer time in the USA.

You are right, your humidifier is not even running.  This humidity is coming from outside.

The humidifier (and humidistat) works a lot like the furnace and thermostat.  Say, if your thermostat is set for 70 degrees, and it is actually 75 degrees in your home.  Well, the furnace would not come on because it is already above the set point, it wouldn't need to come on and heat the home.  Much the same is the humidifier and humidistat.  You have it set at "4" which is 30% RH.  Since the reading shows your home has 66%, that is higher than your set point, so the humidifier will not be coming on.

If you would like to lower the RH% in your home, you would need to get a dehumidifier.  Running the central air to cool your home will help bring down some of the humidity, but to bring it down to a reasonable level would require a dehumidifier.

Consumer question:

How do I set the mode to "auto" in the Aprilaire model 8466?  I only see "off", "heat", and "cool" for modes.

Aprilaires' response:

The Auto mode needs to be enabled in the system settings before it can be selected in the mode menu.
Set the thermostat to the Off mode. Press and hold the Up Arrow and Mode buttons for about three seconds. The display should change to the System Settings. The first displayed setting will be either 00 or 01. Press the Mode button several times until the large number shows 04. The small number will show 00. Press the Up Arrow button so that the 00 changes to 01. Once this is done, don't press any buttons for 10 seconds. The screen should return to the main display. Auto mode will now be an option.

Consumer question:

I would like to know how much is costs for a new filter for an Aprilaire 700M all home humidifier? During installation last October I was told that all I need to do is replace the filter yearly.  Is that correct?


Aprilaires' response:

In order to get the greatest humidification from our humidifier for your home you would need to replace the filter yearly. Our filters are coated with non-toxic particles that slows the water flow through the filter, thus allowing the water to be added as humidity to the air flowing through the humidifier. The particles do eventually get flushed down the drain and thus with less resistence the water flow increases through the filter causing less humidification through the filter.

You can purchase the replacement part #35 through a local dealer or directly from Aprilaire, and you can find that pricing on the website that I provided:
https://estore.aprilaire.com/catalog/humidifiers/model-700-series-parts/253

Consumer question:

My doctor has recommended bringing the humidity level up to 40%.  It looks
like your 700a unit fits the bill.  Does it work in both winter and summer.
I live in northern Utah and the humidity level in winter can be as low as 5
- 10 %.  But in the summer we can have fairly low humidity levels as well.
Can I hook the water input to a hot water line and have it function along
with the A/C? 


Aprilaires' response:

I recommend contacting a local dealer when considering which humidifier would be best for your house. The 700A is a great humidifier, but so are the other humidifiers that we offer. The dealer is going to be able to access the whole situation and determine which humidifier would work best for your house. One way of finding a local dealer is by going to our website and entering your zip code in the upper right hand corner: www.aprilaire.com/
The humidifier would work whenever the humidity level drops below 45 % throughout the year, but is usually just on during the winter time for most of America and Canada. There are dry parts of the country like Arizona and Colorado where the humidifier would be on year round.

We recommend hooking up hot water to the humidifier to ensure a heat source for humidifying the house even during times when the heat is not on. The humidifier would counteract what the A/C is trying to do. A humidifier is trying to add humidity/heat to the house, while the A/C is trying to remove heat and intern humidity from the house. Normally in most situations you would not have both running at the same time. You could raise the thermostat in the house and enjoy a dry heat in the house, which would also raise the humidity level in the house a little. I hope I was able to answer your questions. If you have any further questions you can contact us at 800-334-6011.

Consumer question:

We are looking at Automating our HVAC system using the 8870 Tstats and would like to use your zoning system. Will they work together?


Aprilaire's response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Communicating Thermostats. Our 8870 thermostats will work with almost all of our zoning panels. The 6504 panel will not because it's designed exclusively for use with our 8570 thermostats.

Consumer question:

I am looking for a thermostat for one of our houses that we rent out.
It is occupied by tennants, who are putting the heating bills over the
roof!  We would like to be able to control the temperature from here,
and be able to lock them out from changing it.  Do you sell these?


Aprilaires' response:

Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Thermostats. If the home has internet access, you can use our 8825 System Controller in conjunction with an 8870 Communicating Thermostat. This will grant you remote access to that thermostat through a web browser.  If the internet connection does not include a static IP address, a dial-up adapter can be used, model 8835. This would require a dedicated phone line for access to the system controller. Please review the literature and specification sheet documents for more information.

Consumer question:

I have a Trane XL1400 heat pump which has aux. heat. I believe this is referred to as two stage and single stage cool.
What programmable thermostat would you recommend?


Aprilaires' response:


Our Aprilaire model 8570 will work for your application. We ask that you contact your HVAC installer to obtain the model 8570. To learn more about our model 8570 please visit us at www.aprilaire.com.

Consumer question:

Has anyone used a filter to clean air coming through a window?  I live in a very smokey area and would like to remove most of it to enjoy the cool outside air rather than air condition.


Aprilaires' response:

We do not offer such a device that would allow you to use your window A/C directly. We do offer a portable unit that can be placed in our home that may help with your needs.  Here is a brochure that will allow you to learn a little more about this unit and it benefits. If you are interested, we recommend calling a dealer in your local area for price and availability.

In the summer it's often times more about the humidity then it is the heat.  A common theme of summer is people unknowingly overcool there homes because even though the thermostat may read 72 degrees it's uncomfortable in the home because the humidity is 60% RH or higher.  An air conditioner will dehumidify, but it is first and foremost made to cool the air.  Once your air conditioner reaches its temperature set point it will shut off regardless if the humidity is uncomfortably (and unhealthily) high or not.  Some of the higher end air conditioners will allow you to over shoot the set point by a couple degrees.  This allows extended AC run time which removes more moisture from the air, but I've heard people complain that when the air conditioner overcools the house then feels cold and clammy.  The best way to make your home as healthy and comfortable as possible is to utilize a whole home dehumidifier.  What's that you say?  You've never heard of a whole home dehumidifier?  Don't worry most people haven't, a whole home dehumidifier is basically like central air but instead it is central dehumidification that runs independent of your central air to provide a constant and comfortable humidity level.  Imagine this it's a cloudy but humid day so your air conditioner never comes on or runs very little the humidity in you house is going to get very high, but with an Aprilaire Central Dehumidifier the humidity is kept under control because you don't need the air conditioner to run.  Further you can see energy savings because you can be comfortable at a set point of 78, 80 or sometimes even higher because the humidity level is low enough.  Learn more about a whole home dehumidifier here...call your local Aprilaire dealer to find out even more.

Consumer question:

I was wondering if you can help me? My thermostat doesn't not seem to be holding the proper temperature.  I live in a new construction home(1 yr old) and it appears it can be a degree or two off when cooling the house (ex. If I leave it on 75 degrees it does not hold it on the temperature it kicks on the ac when it gets to 77 degrees) I have had my ac unit serviced and it is working properly so it appears to be the thermostat.  I have reset it and it didn't help the situation.  Please advise.  Any help would be much appreciated.


Aprilaires' response:

The model 8363 has an option for the adjustment of the differential. It appears your model 8363 has a differential setting of 2 degrees. This means the room temperature will increase by 2 degrees before the thermostat will make a call for cooling. If you want to adjust this to 1 degree please following the directions in the manual.

Consumer question: 

Does zoned comfort control by Aprilaire require a replacement of airconditioner or furnace?


Aprilaires' response:

Our Aprilaire zoned comfort control system will work with most HVAC systems. Unless your HVAC system requires a special thermostat our 6504 will work with it.

Consumer question:

We recently purchased a house that has a model 760 installed to the heating/cooling system.  Do we have to turn this unit off in the summer?  If so, how do we do this?


Aprilaires' response:

The humidistat controller for the humidifier will monitor the level of RH in your home.  Since summer time will bring its own high level of humidity, the humidistat will recognize the level and not let the humidifier come on.

This is much like a furnace..... if the thermostat is set at 70, but the current temp in the house is 75... you know the furnace will not come on.... because it does not need to.  It is the same with the humidifier.

So, you could just leave it... it will not run.  Most people feel more comfortable turning it off.  To do that, just go to the humidistat and turn the dial either to the off position or the lowest setting on the dial.  Your humidifier then will not run till you turn it back to a higher setting.

I need the replacemnt media no. 413. How do I get one?

Aprilaires' response: