replace a Freshmist 90 with an Aprilaire?

[Paul Miller]

I have a furnace with an ancient Freshmist 90 attached - it's so caked with hard water deposits it doesn't work (it was like this when we moved into the house).

It seems the Aprilaire is the way to go, and I'm wondering how straightfoward it would be for me to replace the 90 with an appropriate Aprilaire (for a 3800 sq ft house). Is this something I could do myself?

Many thanks for advice!

[Paul Miller]

My local Home Depot stocks the Honeywell 260A and 360A as well, so theoritically I could pick one up this weekend and get it installed. Same question applies to that brand.

[B]

When I installed an AprilAire with a water line, it was really pretty tricky because it requires a little plumbing, a little electrical, a little sheet metal cutting, a little crawling in unpleasant places, etc., but when I heard what the "pro" wanted for the job, I did it myself happily. Just don't expect it to be done this weekend.

-B

[Paul Miller]

That's something good about my situation - most of the work is already done. The Freshmist 90 has pretty much the same "stuff" that comes with these other bypass types - all of the ports have already been opened, there is existing plumbing and electrical, etc. If the openings are all roughly the same size, it could be an hour project.

Seems like something I could do, considering I'm technically just replacing existing parts with newer parts. My local Menards has the Freshmist 90 in stock for under $100, so technically I could replace the main unit with the exact same parts. But I'd like something a little more modern.

[Joseph Meehan]

I did my Aprilaire. It was not too bad, but even though I have done some of this stuff before, I did have to back track a few times.

The web page for the company I got mine from had a good set of instructions. Take a look, see if it all makes sense to you. It does not cover everything, but if you just don't understand even one step, I would not recommend it. It should give you a good idea of what to do and what to expect. I took me a couple of hours and surprise, I did not need to the hardware store once!

Good Luck

[CBHvac]

Jesus Christ...they sell them for what we install them for...parts and labor....

[Stormin Mormonn]

Well, I've never met you. Do you have red and yellow and green sheet metal shears? Ruler? Level? Experience in plumbing? Experience in sheet metal work? How about low voltage wiring within the furnace? Bunch of sheet metal screws, and a good drill with nut setter tip? Couple of 6 inch elbows, and a couple lengths of 6 inch round? 6 inch take off, if needed?

If you have all this, plus the several things I've neglected to mention, you oughta be able to install it in four or five hours.

[Charles H. Stevens]

It seems the Aprilaire is the way to go, and I'm wondering how straightfoward it would be for me to replace the 90 with an appropriate Aprilaire (for a 3800 sq ft house). Is this something I could do myself?

Many thanks for advice!

[Paul Miller]

This group must be full of installers.

[Stormin Mormonn]

I figure the HO install procedure goes like this:

1. Purchase A/A at Home Depot.
2. Get home, and open box. Read parts list.
3. Another Trip to HD to buy an elbow and one length of 6 inch round.
4. Home to take old humidifier off furnace.
5. Can't find mounting screws on old hum.
6. Find mounting screws. Don't have a 1/4 nut driver. Back to HD to buy one. Can't just buy one. But the set of five.
7. Back home to pull the cap head screws out.
8. Go to pull wires off old hum. Can't get them off, snip with toenail shears from wife's medicine chest.
9. Can't find out how to get water line disconnected. Leave old unit hanging by water line. Kinks line over top of beam.
10. New unit has a different size hole th an old unit.
11. Slice finger while trying to bend sheet metal back to make hole bigger.
12. Trip to hospital.
13. Tetanus shot. Bandages. Blue Cross deductible 0 for hospital visits.
14. Back to try to mount new A/A. Find that hole still not big enough.
15. Back to HD to ask how to resize hole. Buy red, green, yellow, and bulldog shears.
16. Cut hole larger. Use wrong template, and make hole too large.
17. Back to HD to ask what to do. Purchase two sheets of single wide panning.
18. Home. Try to attach panning to side of furnace. Not magnetic. Get big roll of duct tape out. Tape single wide panning to side of return duct.
19. Get template out again.
20. Magic marker location of A/A on new singlewide panning.
21. Cut duct tape to get panning off
22. Using red, green, and yellow shears, cut hole in singlewide panning.
23. Cut fingers on other hand on sharp panning edges.
24. Use new first aid kit from safety aisle at HD.
25. Get A/A cut into single wide panning, and tape panning to side of furnace. Duct tape A/A to panning, too.
29. .
30. Duct tape works loose and A/A falls on cellar floor at 3 AM, causing wife to call 911. Police with flashlights and guns drawn look in cellar, and emerge wet up to their knees. No suspect found. But water line sheared and cellar is flooded.

1. Wife leaves with installer she called the next morning, and is in Hawaii.

Did I leave anything out?

[Stormin Mormonn]

I *AM* an installer.

[HeatMan]

Of what? Certainly not HVAC stuff.

[HeatMan]

The voice of experience. Imagine all the miles he put on his rusty station wagon with the PVC ladder rack on top.....

[CBHvac]

B U L L S H I T

You , Chris boy....are not even to hack level...but the competent readers in both groups know that already...

Tell me...when was the last time the state of NY issued you a permit with your licence number on it?

:)\

Cant answer that one can you?

[Stormin Mormonn]

I realize that you have an internal need to criticize others. I've progressed past that point, and have no need to engage in criticism.

[C.J.]

Hello, Chris.

I'm new to the home repair group, but not to moderated newsgroups. It seems alt.home.repair has it fair share of "trolls", as demonstrated by the comments of cbhavc and others. I've been flamed a time or two by someone who offers no advice, but just seeks conflict. My advice regarding trolls is to never feed them. They will go away in search of sustenance.

[HeatMan]

CJ. Chris is a hack. Plain and simple. CB and a lot of the others in the alt.hvac group have 15 or more years experience. Chris has 3. Experience talks. Hacks need to walk.

[Liam McConn]

Stormin Mormonn has exhibited himself to be a moron for the most part and merely desires to be part of a chat group. Sooo, next time you you want to impress the usenet world with your 'bravado', think twice before you step on your dick in public.

And stop with the whining about the big bad trolls. My advice regarding trolls is to never feed them. They will go away in search of sustenance.

[Java Man (Espressopithecus)]

You haven't yet.

Rick

[Liam McConn]

Of course not. I relish stepping on cockroaches like you, with all your useless articles that help noone.