Need Guidance for installing my new Aprilaire 600 Automatic

Hello all,

I just purchased an Aprilaire 600 Automatic humidifer because I have a baby due soon. I wanted to avoid having to fill/refill a unit each day to keep the baby's room at optimal humidity levels.

Below is a picture of my Furnace, and I am looking for some advice on where I should mount the device. My whole furnace system is the styro-board type material, so I would probably need to get a metal backing plate to make the installation more sturdy.

So my questions are:

1. Which side would be best to mount the humidifer?
2. Where would the duct that is coming out of the humidifer go to?
3. Would I need to purchase the relay for wiring the humidifer directly to the furnace?

Here are 3 pictures of my furnace, including a snap of the model # and all other items:

 

This is not a furnace, it's an air handler.

Do you have a heat pump, or just electric heat only?

 

It is a heat pump setup i think and its completely electric. I dont have any baseboard heat its all central air. It also has the unit outside for air conditioning.

 

I'd mount the humidifier on the return side.


The bypass duct would go into the supply side of the system.

No, a relay is not needed. Will wire to the air handler.


You'll have to make a frame to help brace/support the humidifier around the ductboard.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8045[/ATTACH]

 

Thank you for the great info Jay!

I have included an illustration I drew up in paint, can you just verify this would be correct?

I will probably mount the Aprilaire on the LEFT SIDE of the Return duct, as it is a much thicker mounting surface.

Also when I spoke to a HVAC person locally, they recommended cutting through the fiber board and putting a thin piece of metal behind that and mount the unit using self tapping screws through the fiber board and the metal backing plates, would you recommend this?

 

Seems like that would work too..

I've been around this stuff since that type fo duct is not used here. so the local guy would be better person to ask.

 

OK Status Update!

Thanks a ton Jay, I actually found metal brackets matching the specifications you had provided with your little cheat sheet! I got 2" self tapping screws and have the unit 100% securely mounted.

I have some rather DUMB questions in regards to:

1. The Wiring Diagram.
2. The 24v Transformer.

1. For the Wiring Diagram, It lists two sets of wires to connect (Furnace and Thermostat). When I pulled off the cover to my Heat pump, I only see 1 set of posts to run wires to/from. Is this where I run my 18/5 wire from to the corresponding terminals on my automatic control Humidistat?

2. For the 24v Transformer, it lists to run the yellow wire from the water line to one of the lines for the 24v transformer, but it doesnt say if I need to follow any type of polarity... (Example: Run the bottom yellow wire from water supply to white wire of 24v Transformer)

Is there any Polarity for this or no? The instructions are not specific at all.

Also, did I properly mount the 24 Transformer as shown in my pic? I assume I did it properly as I need to run 1 yellow wire from the water supply into the 24v transformer, and then the exit wire from the 24v transformer to the Humidistat.

ALSO: On my Heat pump it doesnt simply list a Terminal for "W" like the Aprilaire instructions say to wire W on the humidistat to the W on my heat pump. Does it matter if i wire that particular terminal to W1 or W2?

Thanks a ton for all of your help, I am nearing completion on this project, the wiring part is the hardest for me to understand.. I think I have a good understanding, but the instructions are not very specific!

 

Yes.


No, don't matter what side you put this on.

Yes, and what are you going to do for the line voltage side? going to put a box on it to protect it?

HP is not wired up the same as a regular system, so we need to change it a little. I'd wire the W from the humidistat to G at the air handler.

don't wire the Gt and Gf up at the humidistat.

 

Is the voltage side the side that has the two wires sticking out, or the side that has the bottom inside of the heat pump box, because that has a cover that cover's all the wiring.

I want to do this right, but I wasn't sure what to buy at Lowes to enclose this particular unit. Is there a name for something that I can look for? I was going to solder into the two wires and then heatshrink the connections, but I want to make sure its done right obviously.

 

I am also confused by one other thing in the Diagram.

For the 24v Transformer, are there only two wires going into that? The yellow wire from the Water supply on the Humidifier to the 24v Transformer, then from the other wire on the transformer back to the Humidistat?

Is there any wires that actually connect from the furnace to the transformer to supply it power?

This diagram is some spots doesnt make any sense at all to me, Im sorry.

 

Do you have an outlet near by the air handler? Most of the time, the transformer is mounted to that.

 

I don't have an outlet near by heat pump. There was a pop out tab for the screw on connector for the transformer. Tonight I bought a box. Was this what you meant?

 

Or did you mean I need a box to protect the bottom part of the transformer? Also are there any wires I should have running from the bottom of the transformer to the heat pump?

 

Yep, doing that box on top will protect the wire.. Are you going to run the wire bare into that box or what?

 

Well. The wires coming from the box for the unit aprilaire says to route one from the selenoid to the 24v transformer and one from the transformer back into the
humidistat.

Is there not supposed to be any power to the 24v transformer?

I turned everything on and it's runnin but the selenoid is not letting any water thru

 

Is there any wires that should run into the bottom of the 24v transformer? It seems odd that there are two screws on the bottom and no wires that I am told to run to it

 

You need to run power to the transformer.

Yes, one wire from transformer to H on Humidistat. Then other wire from H to selenoid valve. other wire from valve back to transformer.

 

Ahh I did just that. But even though my blower is on, I dont have any fluid coming out of the tube that drops into the tray. Any idea what I could have done wrong? I wired the Wire from Humidistat labled "W" to the one labeled "G" on my heater just like you said.

 

What all wire do you have wired up on the humidistat?

Example..

Air handler-----Humidistat..

R-------------------R
C-------------------C

ect..

 

Also, another silly question..

I wired the "W" From the Humidistat to the "G" on my heat pump?. I did not see a "GT" on the humidistat, only A GF and G.

Should I still run the "G" From the Humidistat to the "G" on my heat pump?

Here was your previous response:

 

Here is how I have it wired:

Humidistat:

R -> "R" Terminal on Heat Pump

C -> "C" Terminal on Heat Pump

A -> NONE

B -> NONE

G -> NONE (SHOULD THIS GOTO "G" ON HEAT PUMP??)

ODT -> Outdoor Temp Sensor

W -> "G" Terminal on Heat Pump

H (1) -> TransformerTransformer -> Solenoid -> H (2)

Gf -> None

Hope that helps!

 

Ugh! I feel like such a novice lol!

I was basing all of my installation on the sheet that came with the unit. I opened the little booklet labled "Automatic Humidifer Control Model 60 and 62" and it has a completely different set of instructions!

1. For Temperature sensor it said it must be installed facing N, E, or W of house.. I just checked mine and it is Southwest. Does this really matter?

2. My Humidifer is mounted on the Left Ductwork. I believe this is called the "Return Duct". I am not sure though. I ran the Humidifer itself on that duct, and then my 6" duct to the other duct which I believe is the Supply. If you see my picture previously you will see the left and right ducts.

3. In the "new" instructions I found in the booklet, it mentions to Wire the 24Vac Transformer to a constant power source other than the heating ventilating etc equipment. Does this mean use the two screws at the bottom of the transformer for power? I thought that I only needed to run the two wires from the top of the transformer to/from the solenoid and the automatic temperature sensor.

Does this mean I need to find a power source to wire into the bottom leads on the 24v Transformer?

4. It says to "Remove Thermostat G Wire" from the furnace terminal strip, and wire it to "G" on the model 60 control. Do I have to do this? It wasnt in the other instructions..

5. It says to then wire the "GF" on Model 60 to "G" on terminal furnace strip.

I havent done Steps 4 and 5 because it was recommended that I wire "W" from the Automatic Humidistat to the "G" on my heat pump strip.

Should I just Wire "W" From the humidistat to W1 or W2 on my furnace strip?

 

I have an outlet about 10 foot from my Heat Pump. Should I run a line of 12/2 from that outlet into the bottom part of the transformer? I am not sure where else I could pull power for it, and I am pretty sure that the two screws on the bottom need a constant 110v source.

Thats the only thing I can think of that is not letting the solenoid open up

 

You got it wired up right, so no changes needed..

You just need to get power to the transformer itself, so that's why it's not working since you don't have it powered up.. so if you need to run power from that outlet to the transformer, then run the power to it. Yes, the 12-2 is fine for that.

 

Well I wired up the transformer to the outlet nearby. Turned on breaker and heard a pop and it started smoking.

did I just ruin the transformer? On the bottom there was no indication of where the hot leg and neutral leg went so I assumed it didn't matter.


Pic below

 

Uh oh.. You wired the power to the wrong side of the transformer... That is the low voltage side, that's why you don't see hot/neutral on that side.. Your linevoltage wire goes on the black/white wire that is on top of the air handler.

 

D'oh!

Do you think I fried the transformer? If so I am heading to home depot again tomorrow

So I should have wired my Hot leg that I jumped from the outlet (black) to the black wire on the transformer, and then the neutral leg from the outlet to the neutral (white) wire on transformer?

Then from there on the other side I run my wires to the humidistat and the solenoid?

 

Yep, it's toast.

Yes, white to white, black to black.. and the screw side for the humidistat/solenoid.

 

 

Looks like it's working!

Leave the blower activacation switch to off..