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Aprilaire 560

Moved into home few months back. It was getting dry in the house so I started up the humidifier. Prev owner had it turned off. I changed the pad before I stated it up. Few concerns, 1st it drips water out the cover, it appears that water is dripping down off the inside part of the top (the black thing with 6 holes) also there is a steady stream of water coming down the tube into the sump basin. Is this normal for this type of unit? Prev owner did not leave me owners manual for the humidifier so kinda in the dark here.

Reply to
TigerPaw40
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I've got an aprilaire model something or other. If I don't install the pad just right, as well as the water tube - it will leak outside the cover. Mine also drains quite a bit of water into the floor drain; which I take as normal seeing as how the thing (regardless of how many transistors and sensors they cram into it) is basically a hose dripping water over a pad. Mine is on the intake side of the furnace, but regardless of that.... I can't see any way that all the water pumped in could possibly be "sucked in". In fact, if it were, water would be coming out of my vents.

I'd say other than the water leaking from your cover everything is operating normally.

Reply to
Matt

Make sure the pad and parts are all where they belong. If one is not in the right grove or set just right, it can drip. I have not found this to be a real problem. You may need to clean off some scale build up.

It is not only normal it is a feature. That is part of the system that keeps the pad reasonable clean for a long trouble free efficient life.

Go to

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to download an owner's manual.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

The painted dot (whatever color) on the edge of the replacement pad needs to be at the top. Water running through and out the drain stub is normal. Do NOT try to control the water flow with the water saddle valve or whatever type of water shut-off you have. It needs to be all the way open. Also, the water is metered through the humidifier solenoid by a plastic metering device. If it is missing or has been "reamed out" too big, you will run excess water through the system and have all kind of leak problems.

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"Read man, Read!" Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

OR upside-down

but do NOTclean off the crusty/sandy stuff on the top distributor panel (the black thing on top of the evap panel)

It flushes away the mineral deposits.

Long trouble free life? I hope by that you mean 1 year because that is how often Aprilaire recommends you change the pad. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

Very true. It is part of the design.

For pad life that is good, but it also help with the overall life of the unit.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

"Mine is on the intake side of the furnace, but regardless of that.... I can't see any way that all the water pumped in could possibly be "sucked in".

Out of curiousity, why is it on the return plenum? I would think a lot more water would be coming out the drain on that install, because they are designed for the hot air plenum, where a lot more of the water is going to evaporate instead of trickling down into the drain.

Reply to
trader4

I dunno.... when I had the new system installed, they put it on the supply side. On the old furnace, it was on the output side.... but as the salesman pointed out..... it was only servicing the output duct it was put on - in other words, only a 15' run in the basement, nothing feeding the duct that serves the upsatirs.

Now that I think about it, there is no one place on the furnace that would allow you to install the thing on the output side.

But, they did run a duct from the output side of the furnace to the input of the humidifier, which has a gate I open and close each winter/spring, so I think that solves all the problems.

Reply to
Matt

Think of it this way. If your humidifier is installed on the return side and it leaks (OH MY, yes they all leak at sometime) what damage does it do? It streaks the ductwork and hopefully runs on the basement floor and into the floor drain. Now, picture this: If it is installed on the supply side and it leaks, what does it do? If it makes it to any electronic component, you run the risk of it shorting out the main circuit board, gas valve, thermostat, igniter, etc, etc, etc. Big BIG difference in my mind. Either way, a bypass humidifier still runs the hot supply air through the evaporator water panel. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

Sweet! Then the installers actually did 1 thing right.

I read the link to the owners manual, thanks Bubba. I'm glad that I was unable to remove what I thought was buildup on the distributor..... tried everything to get rid of it - lime away, clr, jackhammer... never could get it clean. Now I'm glad about that.

- DOH! -

Also read that there are a couple models that are supposed to be hooked to hot water... dunno if I have that model, will check tonight.

Reply to
Matt

Usually, the units mounted to heat pumps get connected to the hot water line. This helps make up for the lower air temperature in heat pumps as opposed to a gas or oil furnace. Personally, Ive found more clogging problems using the hot water than connecting to the cold. Maybe its just my area but hot water here leaves all kinds of white calcium deposits everywhere. Bubba

Reply to
Bubba

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