Consumer question:
I just bought a model 600 Aprilaire humidifier and wanted to know which install is better.
Putting the humidifier on the supply or return side and why??
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us regarding the model 600 humidifier. A bypass humidifier gets its air movement through the Water Panel® by the differential pressure between the supply (hot air) plenum and the return (cold air) duct. The supply plenum is under positive pressure and the return duct is under negative pressure.
One of the advantages of a bypass humidifier is that it can be installed either on the supply plenum or on the return duct with equal effectiveness. No matter which duct the unit is mounted on, the airflow always goes from the supply to the return through the humidifier.
A bypass humidifier will also have no adverse effect on any component in the furnace, air cleaner or filter. Aprilaire® Humidifiers put water vapor into the air, not raw water. This is nature's way of getting relative humidity into 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.
Kind regards,
Zach Handyside
Customer Service Specialist
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
zdh@aprilaire.com
1-800-334-6011 ext 6180
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Call center hours are M-F 7am-5pm CST
>>> Paolo
Consumer question:
I am not sure my humidifier is working correctly anymore. When the furnace is running, I can force water over the panel by using the Test setting, however, even at the highest setting (7), The humidifier will not 'click' on and start running water. The humidity level in my house is 41% according to a separate Thermometer/hydrometer. The outside temp has been anywhere from 10 up to 40. Last year, I could easily get (Too much) condensation on windows, if I turned up the setting to a high level. Now we are receiving static shocks in our house, and dry nose/skin issues. Any ideas?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us. The humidity controller does have a maximum setting of 45% (+/- 2%) so it is conceivable that the humidity level could still be too high for it to come on outside of test mode consistently, even though a lot of your observational information would indicate a lack of humidity. If your humidify gauge is continually registering low reading (30-35%) and the humidifer is still not coming on, with the furnace running, there may be a control issue.
Consumer question:
The filter on my Aprilaire model 600 humidifier doesn't seem to be filling with water. Nothing has changed since the last season and the setting is at 5.
Aprilaires' response:If it is set at 5 that is equivalent to about 35% humidity. So if the current humidity level is higher than that it would not be running. An easy way to tell is to turn the unit to test reset (turn it past 7 and the humidifier on light should begin to blink with our 58-60 control) This should turn the humidifer on and it will run for approximately one minute. If this happens the unit is functioning normally and then when you turn it back to 5 it should come on , if the HVAC is running and the humidity falls below 35%.
Consumer question:
I have been told that Whole house humidifiers can cause a build up of mold in ducts. I have been trying to get an answer before I turn my humidifier back on. I turn my unit off in the summer. Please let me know if these rumors are true.
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us regarding our whole home humidifiers. Our humidifiers are evaporative units, meaning we use moving air to absorb evaporating water. By doing this, our humidifiers add humidity to the air as a fully absorbed gas. Because we don't spray any mist or use any standing water in our units, there is no concern of mold growth when installed properly by a licensed HVAC contractor.
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.
Consumer questions:
I am interested in purchasing one of your products for my home. The footage of my home is 2060 sqft, and what model would you recommend for whole humidifying that best suits my requirement? Thank you.
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Humidifiers. Based only on your square footage, it would be difficult to recommend any specific unit. All of our units can humidify 2060 sq ft. Other considerations would be the availability of space on a forced-air system, access to hot water, access to a drain line and relative tightness of your home. Older homes tend to leak more and require more capacity to maintain humidity. We recommend that you have a licensed contractor visit your home to make an assessment of your home to recommend the best Aprilaire humidifier for you. Please visit us online at www.aprilaire.com and enter your ZIP code into our dealer locator on the top-right corner of every page. You should get information on several nearby companies.
We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.
Consumer question:
Two Questions:
1> The contractor installed it in the return plenum with cold water supply. I have a 4500 sq ft home. Will it keep the RH >40%?
2> I have noticed that the blower fan does not come on. Should it come on whenever the humidifier is on?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
In order to create humidity we need three things.....
1. Water
2. Air flow
3. Heat to evaporate the water.
If you put the 700 on the cold air return with cold water, you are missing a source of heat to evaporate the water. Mounting the unit here is ok... just run hot water to it or you will not get the humidity you are expecting.
You mention that a fan does not come on when creating humidity... which fan are you referring to?
In order for the humidifier to operate correctly, the furnace blower needs to be on. Also, the fan inside the furnace should be going as the water starts to flow through the humidifier. So, yes, the blower should be on.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Consumer question:
I installed the 500A on our furnace this weekend without any trouble. We cannot get access for the outdoor temp sensor, due to the 100 year old brick walls, so we are running the Model 60 Controller in manual. Because there was no return duct available the Model 60 has been mounted on an interior hallway wall. As per the instructions, the foam gasket was removed. The Model 60 hygrometer seems to be reading 10% high. We happen to have two digital hygrometers here and they both read about 36% while the Model 60 is showing 45% causing humidifier not it turn on. Can the model 60 be calibrated or can I get a replacement?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for your email regarding your model 500A Aprilaire humidifier. The model 60 is not designed to be installed in the living space. This is because the humidity sensor on the back of the control needs airflow past it to receive an accurate reading of the humidity. When mounted to a wall the airflow is blocked. The model 60 can not be calibrated. It has an accuracy of +/- 3%. As a result if it is measuring 45%, the humidity is between 42% - 48%.
Your email indicated there was no cold air return duct, however the return is necessary to install the humidifier. Our recommendation would be to re-locate the model 60 up stream of the humidifier on the cold air return. If this is not possible you will need to obtain our manul humidistat model 4655. The 4655 can be mounted in the living space. We ask for you to please contact the place of purchase to purchase the 4655.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be of service.
Consumer question:
I have a model 600 Aprilaire Humidifier. When we get sick, I would like to be able to turn up the humidity. Currently, when the humidifier was turned up to 8, it would not go on. The humidistat on the Aprilaire read 52-54%. It has been in the 40s at night, 50s during the day (Minnesota). However, I would like more moisture in the air. Today I tried forcing the humidifer on by turning all the way to the right (green light is blinking). But humidity level reads only 56%. Will the computer prevent this humidifier from going over this? Or, is it possible that I am not getting good water flow through?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for your inquiry about you Aprilaire model 600 humidifier and control. We appreciate your input.
The Aprilaire line of humidity control are programed for limiting the humidity to 45%. This was intended to prevent the "sweating" of the windows in the colder conditions. In the instance that you turned the control all the way to the right, you place the humidifier in the test mode; which is a one time test for one minute. Please turn the control knob at or below the number 7 setting. If you require a humidity level higher than 45% there are controls that can obtain higher humidity settings. Just beware that when you see moisture on the windows or door jams that you turn the setting down.
I hope that this has given you enough information. if you have additional questions feel free to call or write.
Sincerely
Roy Holloway
Technical Support
Aprilaire - Division of Research Products Corporation
1-800-334-6011
Visit www.aprilaire.com
Hours Monday - Friday
7:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. CST
>>> John Albright
Consumer question:
I am looking to purchase a standalone high capacity dehumidifier for our basement 30 x60 non ducted.
What of your units do you suggest?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Dehumidifiers. Based on your criteria, we would recommend the model 1710A. It has the moisture removal capacity for spaces up to 5000 sq ft and does not require any ducting. It is rated for 90 pints/day. Please see the attached brochure for more information.
We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.
Consumer question:
I have a 2400 sq ft home 10 ft ceilings with 1700 sq ft developed in basement. Will the 800 steam unit provide adequate protection with hardwood floors throughout.
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
Yes, the 800 steam humidifier should be able to properly humidify your home. Actually the 800 is capable of humidifying larger areas, but that would be good anyway since the needs for humidity in your home are greater than an average home. We say this because of the extra woodwork having hard wood floors throughout the home. This will grab alot of the moisture.
There will be no 'over kill' because once you reach the RH level you are looking for, the humidifier will turn off.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Consumer question:
Considering purchasing a 600. It humidifies to a max of 45%, but only at certain temps. Why only 45% at no colder than 10degrees, when the chart on your site shows 50% as the optimal for health?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to our Aprilaire Humidifiers. As humans, we want the conditions to stay fairly constant year round, and 50% humidity would feel very comfortable across a wide range of indoor temperatures. When outdoor conditions drop to 10°F or lower, maintaining high humidity indoors can stat to cause problems. Humidity can start to condense on windows, sills, walls, and ceilings. The colder it is outside, the easier it is for windows to pull humidity out of the air. To compensate, our automatic controls will recalculate their internal set point to hold a lower humidity level when conditions are too cold to maintain the normal set point. In general, for every 10° drop in temperature, the control should drop 5% RH from its set point. By setting the control to a higher number, it can delay the temperature at which it begins to lower the set point. At a setting of 6, it waits until the temperature drops 10° more before starting to lower set point. At 7 it waits 20° before the initial drop. This is to try to maintain higher humidity for the longest possible time before starting to drop.
If your home starts to show signs of condensation, fogging or frost on your windows, the set point on the humidifier should be lowered by 1 number to let the house dry out a little more. If the humidity reaches the new level and the condensation disappears, the control is now set to the right level for your home. If there is still condensation at the new, lower level, the control should be lowered by 1 more number to let the house dry out further. This process should be repeated until the windows no longer show condensation at any outdoor temperature.
We appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.
Consumer question:
I am considering having our local distributor install the Aprilair 700. My understanding is that the 700A is now obsolete. Does the 700 come with the outside sensor that the 700A had. This is a feature I\'m interested in and have received conflicting information on.
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
Good News!! The current 700 is IDENTICAL to the 700A. The reason we dropped the "A" from the model number is because people were becoming confused. Everyone thought that the "A" meant automatic... which it does. But, the controller also could operate like a manual. So, since it is capable of operating both automatically and manually, we dropped the A.
This is the same humidifier, same features, but does have an updated controller. This controller now will allow you to create humidity even when the furnace is not creating heat. It will hold the blower running longer after the furnace is done creating heat. It will do this if the humidifier needs more run time.
Consumer question:
I just purchased a model 600 with the automatic humidity control. I do not have a return duct. I was planning on running a 6\" duct from the unit to the inside of the filter box to make the unit work. I noticed the model 60 controller says it needs to be mounted on the return duct. Why can this not be mounted on the wall near my thermostat. I would think if I used stand-offs to allow air to get to the sensor this would work the same. Does the sensor need active air flow to work or would it still register the humidity if mounted on the wall? I would rather use the automatic function rather than the manual mode for obvious reasons.
Aprilaires' Response:
Thank you for your email regarding your model 600A Aprilaire humidifier. The model 60 humidifier control requires air movement to ensure the humidity sensor on the back of the humidifier control gets an accurate reading of the humidity. When mounted to a wall it is difficult for air to get behind the humidistat. Our recommendation would be to install the manual humidistat our model 4655.
Consumer question:
Today I set the humidity control just to make sure the unit was ready for winter and once the furnace turned off the fan on the humidifier continued to run, as well as water. When I took the cover off this fall to replace the panel I didn\'t notice anything unusual, but now it just continuously runs unless I turn the humidity control knob below the house ambient humidity.
Aprilaires' response:
If the unit is shutting off when you set the humidity level below the current level of humidity that is consistent with normal operation. With running constantly there could be a couple of issues. The unit could be undersized for the desired humidity level, It could be a wiring issue with the control. Or there could be an issue with the relative humidity sensor. I would recommend turning it up to the minium setting where the unit comes on and then see if the unit shuts off after running for a time. If it does it should be functioning correctly, if it does not. I would call for service.
Consumer question:
Looking for an Aprilaire humidifier to help with the dryness in my house, but i'm not sure which one is right for me? Please help!
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
To determine which humidifier would be best for your home, we recommend speaking with an HVAC contractor. To get some general idea of which would be good for you, please review the consumer literature. On the brochure it describe the units based on:
1. Age of home
2. Square footage of home ( with 8-9 foot ceilings)
3. Age of windows in home.
These all determine if the home is new, and tight, or aging, or older home that can be drafty.
On the brochure you will be able to see the guide, you may also call us for assistance and discuss what your home humidification needs are. Please call us Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm central time.
Consumer question:
I need to know what the difference is between the 1770A and the 1750A?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for your interest in the Aprilaire line of dehumidifiers.
The physical dimensions of the two units are the same, the 1750A weighs 93 pounds, the 1770A weighs 100 pounds, The 1750A will remove up to 90 pints per day whereas the 1770A removes up to 135 pints per day.
Consumer question:
Of the aprilaire 400 500 or 600,700, etc... which one do you think is right for me?
I have a home that is 2000 sf finished with an additional 1100 sf of basement which is unfinished now but will be in the future.
How do you account for basement in sf of humidification?
Which Aprilaire should I go with?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting Aprilaire.
Based on the information that you have given us, it looks like the 600 would probably be the best choice. Now, with that said, do you have a lot of wood in your home? Like, wood floors, a lot of wood trim, instruments like a fine guitar or piano? This all would need much moisture in the air to keep them nice. That will make a difference in which unit would be best.
As for the basement.... you may not have it 'finished' yet, but the air is exchanging from main floor to basement much that it would through an open window. So, yes, that space will need to be included in configuring your humidifier.
If you do not have the extra wood floors, trim, or instruments, you would be fine with a 600. If you have the extras, you may want to consider going with a steam unit #800. That will guarantee coverage for the wood and comfort of your family.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Consumer question:
We have just had our basement waterproofed and we are going to have a dehumidifier installed that will benefit the whole house. At the same time we have this humidifer on our furnace that we turn on in the winter when the heat is on. Will there be a conflict if the dehumidifier is taking moisture out of the house and the humidifier is putting moisture into the house. How do these to items work together?
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us with regards to your model 560 Humidifier. Our humidifiers and dehumidifiers each have a control that tries to keep the humidity above or below a certain value. When operating both types of unit in the same home, we recommend that the two controls be set so that their set points do not overlap. For example, a humidifier can be set up to 45% RH, so the dehumidifier should not be set to go below 50%. This way a buffer exists between the two units and they should not fight against each other. Conversely, you could simply turn off one unit during its off-season. Dehumidifiers don't need to run during the winter or humidifiers during the summer.
Taming Your Pet Allergies
Studies indicate that more than 70% of U.S. households currently own one or more domestic animals, with an estimated 10 million owners who are allergic to them. About a third of the population that is allergic to cats, live with at least one cat in their home anyways. Whether it’s a cat, dog, hamster or other household animal, simple steps can be taken to make your pet allergies more tolerable.
Don’t Blame the Fur
Allergic reactions are caused by exposure to proteins that are normally present in secretions from the glands in the skin as well as in the animal’s saliva or urine. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t matter whether your pet has short or long hair – it’s the pet’s dander (skin scales) that con cause some of the worst allergic reactions. Although a pet’s fur doesn’t in itself cause allergic reactions – a pet’s hair is a good carrier of pet dander and saliva as well as dust, mold spores and other allergens.
Prevention is the Best Treatment
Allergists agree that the best treatment for pet allergies, as for all types of allergies, is avoidance of the things that cause allergic reactions. But avoidance doesn’t necessarily mean living without pets, especially when a family member’s allergies are moderate in nature.
Dr. Robert A. Wood, Director of the Pediatric Allergy Clinic at Johns Hopkins, offers a simple avoidance strategy for those who have moderate animal allergies but don’t want to give up their pets including:
Avoiding Allergen Exposure – Reduce the overall allergen burden in your home by home by restricting your pet no-carpeted areas. Keeping pets out of the bedroom is a sensible strategy since you spend roughly 1/3 of your time there. If possible, remove carpeting and upholstered furniture, once allergens get into them, they may remain there as long as 6 months.
Removing Allergens from the Air – Good ventilation and a high efficiency, whole-house air cleaner can help remove allergens already in the home.
Grooming Your Pet Regularly – You can help make your pets less of an allergy source by keeping them groomed and clean. Dr. Llona Rodan, a veterinarian, cat owner and a mother of a child with allergies, recommends having non-allergic person comb the pet everyday either outside or away from the allergic person’s sleeping area.
Consumer question:
I just had my model 800 installed today. The technician went over everything regarding adjusting the level based on outside temperature. However, currently we are still using are air conditioner. Reading your manual doesn\'t clearly address this situation. Should I actually turn the humidifier off during the months that the air conditioner is running. If not, what is the best setting for the humidifier?? The tech left it at about a setting of 5-6. Thanks
Aprilaires' response:
Thank you for contacting us regarding your model 800 humidifier. Typically when the air conditioning is running, the humidifier will not be used because the natural humidity level is higher than that which the humidifier will produce. If you choose to use your humidifier year round because you live in a drier climate, you can but some of the moisture put into the air would be removed by your air conditioning system. If it is not necessary to add humidity during the months your air conditioning is running, simply turn the control knob on the humidistat to the lowest setting. It is not necessary to turn the unit off.
If the control is left in the normal range of 5 or 6 and there is not a call for humidity for 72 hours, the 800 will automatically go into a drain cycle to drain the water from the canister. However the unit will still be on and if the humidity drops below the setpoint you're asking it to maintain, the humidifier will fill the canister and begin making steam. In other words, the only time you ever need to turn the 800 off is when you change the canister. Other than that, the operation of the unit can be controlled by the humidistat.
The manual doesn't address that mainly because the humidifier will not operated during the summer months in most parts of the country. In your case, living in Utah, it is perfectly fine to leave the humidistat on the setting of 5 or 6 and allow the 800 to add humidity, if needed, year round. If you prefer not to have the unit running with the air conditioning, turn the control knob to the lowest setting.
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.
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