Aprilaire 400... Did i buy the wrong humidifer????
Ok, so I just bought and installed the 400 in my house. It is a small new split level home. I am heating roughly 1000 feet. I just got it installed this Sat and its been cold and the furnace has run, but I can't seem to get my house above 30-35% humidity. I had it setup in automatic mode with the outdoor thermometer so I disconnected it and set it in manual mode and cranked it up but that didn't help much either. I then read on this forum to connect the unit to the EAC port on my furnace so it runs when the blower does, so I just now did that and have the blower on right now to see if that helps. However I'm not exactly happy with that fix. I guess I didn't research enough and think maybe now that I should have bought the 600 as I have very easy access to a floor drain and ample room in my plenum. I have the unit installed in the return and it is using cold water. Would changing it to hot water help?? Thanks for any info!!! Kory Yes hot water will help a little bit. But all we try and put in is the 700 it has its own fan and does put out the humidity. You say you have it so it runs with the blower . they all should . Anytime the blower is on the hum. should run You might turn the blower on 24/7 and see if that dont kick up the humidity in the home. They are like the AC it takes say 4 to 5 days after its turned on to start to get the humidity up I just ordered this unit, but I haven't used it yet, although I have been doing some reading about it, so maybe that will help. Based on aprilaire's FAQ, connecting it to hot water probably won't help the 400: http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=FAQs#10044 Also, in looking at the manual: http://www.aprilaire.com/themes/aa/en/manuals/400.pdf pg 5, pdf pg 7 depending on how cold it is outside, the humidity won't go above 30 - 35% even on the highest setting....that is intentional If you read recommendations on humidity levels: http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/moisture/relative_humidity_0402.pdf linked from the EPAs indoor air quality page: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia_faqs.html Consensus is that humidity should not be lower than 25% and never higher than 60% with people generally recommending between 30% - 50% So if your humidity is in the 30 - 35% range then everything is fine. If you are really interested in getting it as high as possible, switch it to manual mode, turn the knob all the way to the max, and set the furnace blower to run constantly and you should max out at 45% I've hard mix reviews on the 400 of people are not happy with this unit. The 450 and 600 would of been better off. EAC side of will provide power all time when the blower runs. and HUM in only heat mode. Not knowing where you are from. but if you are in a cold state, I'd suggest the outdoor sensor so it can keep you from over humidfying the home. If you want a humidifier that works and puts out the humidity go for the Aprilaire -700 any humidifier that wicks water into the ducts is unhealthy in my opinion. the aprilaire 700, honeywell he365 are the best ive dealt with. be sure if you go with a powered humidifier you dont wire your 115 to EAC since most in most circuit boards those terminals are designed for 1 amp max. instead tie your 115 in the incoming power and use a sail switch or current sensing relay for the low voltage. Our HVAC company recommended the AprilAire 400 for our 10 year old house when we moved in last fall in Atlanta, where temps below freezing are sporadic. We had had a 600 in our previous house which worked great. The 400 doesn't seem to be adding any moisture to the air, as we've experienced static and my family's skin has been dry. The technician reported that it was not functioning (and made a comment about the sales guys selling 400's because of a promotion and them not being very good units), so they replaced a control under warranty, rewired it to put out moisture with the blower, and advised us to run the fan fall, winter and spring. They've also offered to replace it with a 600, but we'd have to pay the plumbing costs (estimated at $300). Is the advice about running the fan year-round BS as I think it is? Would a 600 behave differently in our scenario, or would we have the same problem? SlackJacket Is the advice about running the fan year-round BS as I think it is? Would a 600 behave differently in our scenario, or would we have the same problem? You dont want to run the blower 24/7 on heat, Id go for the 700 and be done with it . I dont see $300 cost to plumb a 700 or the 600 over a 400 whenever you purchase a new humidifier make sure it is wired to run only when the fan is on, not wired to run when the heat is on. that way if you just want some humidity in the air and dont need the heat you can turn your fan on and the humidifier will come on an off as it needs to. The $300 plumbing?? What are they doing to do? I agree with Nomore, I run our fan 24/7 and it helps keep the temp even in the whole house. The 600 is much better than then 400.
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