# Aprilaire 700A on Goodman Furnace?



## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

Really neat/clean installation.

Do you have a drain for humidifier?


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## Hixheat1 (Dec 6, 2010)

diyorpay said:


> Really neat/clean installation.
> 
> Do you have a drain for humidifier?


Your humidifier has it's own transformer, if you use your furnace trans former to make circuit you will blow it's transformer or other bad things. Do you have the instructions if so I can help clarify what you don't under stand. And yes seal around the mounting bracket. This unit drains a lot of water if you live in area that freezes could create a ice rink.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

diyorpay said:


> Really neat/clean installation.
> 
> Do you have a drain for humidifier?


I was simply going to put a T on the existing HVAC drain, which is shown in the first photo with the P trap, but that could be a problem since that line simply drains outside. The only other option I have is to tie into the house waste drain by going through the wall and under the crawlspace. 

Did I mention that I hate crawlspaces?

Any other drain ideas?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Hixheat1 said:


> Your humidifier has it's own transformer, if you use your furnace trans former to make circuit you will blow it's transformer or other bad things. Do you have the instructions if so I can help clarify what you don't under stand. And yes seal around the mounting bracket. This unit drains a lot of water if you live in area that freezes could create a ice rink.


I found this wiring diagram off of the Internet. The preferred Goodman wiring is shown at the lower right:









I also found this off of the Alpine site: http://www.alpinehomeair.com/related/Aprilaire Humidifier Wiring Diagrams.pdf

Which wiring method is best?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

I'm getting a little nervous about soldering a T on the 3/4" copper tubing coming out of the hot water heater shown to the left. Perhaps a better solution is to tap into the laundry room through the steel door pictured here. Look closely and you can see a small white hose coming out of a whole in the wall to the left of the door.









That hose goes to an RO filtration system in the laundry room. On the opposite side of it is a 30 gallon trashcan out in the garage where I store water for my aquarium:









What do you think?


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## Hixheat1 (Dec 6, 2010)

kcrossley2 said:


> I'm getting a little nervous about soldering a T on the 3/4" copper tubing coming out of the hot water heater shown to the left. Perhaps a better solution is to tap into the laundry room through the steel door pictured here. Look closely and you can see a small white hose coming out of a whole in the wall to the left of the door.
> 
> That hose goes to an RO filtration system in the laundry room. On the opposite side of it is a 30 gallon trashcan out in the garage where I store water for my aquarium:
> 
> What do you think?


Go to lowes and buy a 3/4x3/4x1/2 shark bite " T" 1/2 cpvc pipe and a 1/2 to 1/4 valve ice maker valve and cpvc glue no soldering required.


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## Hixheat1 (Dec 6, 2010)

Hixheat1 said:


> Go to lowes and buy a 3/4x3/4x1/2 shark bite " T" 1/2 cpvc pipe and a 1/2 to 1/4 valve ice maker valve and cpvc glue no soldering required.


I would use diagram one if your system is not dual fuel


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Hixheat1 said:


> Go to lowes and buy a 3/4x3/4x1/2 shark bite " T" 1/2 cpvc pipe and a 1/2 to 1/4 valve ice maker valve and cpvc glue no soldering required.


And tie into the copper pipe above the hot water heater?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

kcrossley2 said:


> And tie into the copper pipe above the hot water heater?


Which diagram, the colored one above or the linked Alpine air PDF?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Is this what you're talking about? http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 AND http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Wow, those Sharkbites are cool. http://www.cashacme.com/prod_sharkbite.php BTW, I think Lowes sells another brand.

Do you think they'd hold up to the pressure created by the main hot water line? Also, do I need to completely drain my hot water heater before I install the Shark Bite fitting?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Hixheat1 said:


> Your humidifier has it's own transformer, if you use your furnace trans former to make circuit you will blow it's transformer or other bad things. Do you have the instructions if so I can help clarify what you don't under stand. And yes seal around the mounting bracket. This unit drains a lot of water if you live in area that freezes could create a ice rink.


Here's a link to the Aprilaire 700 installation guide: http://www.alpinehomeair.com/related/700M-700A Series Installation Instructions 04.10.pdf

Thanks for your help Hixheat1.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Any more suggestions before I begin the install.


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## Hixheat1 (Dec 6, 2010)

kcrossley2 said:


> Any more suggestions before I begin the install.


Sounds like your ready good luck


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

I just thought of a few more questions. 

1. If I wire the Aprilaire 700 correctly, what happens when we use the circulate feature of my Honeywell programable thermostat, which we often do?
2. About how much water does this thing use?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Another question. Can I tie in the humidifier drain on the Aprilaire 700 to the HVAC condensate line that runs outside or will it freeze? Also how much excess water does the humidifier generate?


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

I'm told that this unit gives off significant waste water and venting with condensate is not good. It could freeze and backup.

The 700 feeds twice as much water as the 600, for larger homes.
http://www.alpinehomeair.com/related/Aprilaire%20Humidifiers%20Spec%20Sheets.09.pdf

You will need a pump.
Mine's attached.

Condensate and waste humidifier water drip into pump. Pump float determines when to pump thru plastic tubing to an indoors drain.

From your original pics, I'd take pump tubing thru wall next to garage door and over to sink drain. Where you have a nice tee connection with the gauge right above it, I'd swap out the tee with a plactic tee for kitchen sink that accommodates a dishwasher. It's a tee with a y branch. I'd push the tubing feed from pump onto that. 

Edit: Instead of tee, it's the fitting just below tee. Straight piece but one for adding a dishwasher discharge.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

How big is your house that you need a 700?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> how big is your house that you need a 700?


3800 sf


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

diyorpay said:


> I'm told that this unit gives off significant waste water and venting with condensate is not good. It could freeze and backup.
> 
> The 700 feeds twice as much water as the 600, for larger homes.
> http://www.alpinehomeair.com/related/Aprilaire%20Humidifiers%20Spec%20Sheets.09.pdf
> ...


The instructions say nothing about a pump. About how much water does this thing use? Water in our county is pretty expensive.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

About 6 gallons per hour of its run time.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> About 6 gallons per hour of its run time.


If that's the case, I clearly have to tap into the household drain. 

I was also considering the purchase of a TrueSteam humidifier, but the additional cost of electricity would probably negate any water savings.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

The tighter you seal your home. The less the humidifier has to run.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> The tighter you seal your home. The less the humidifier has to run.


It's a new home so it SHOULD be pretty tight, but with this builder, who knows?


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

Instructions don't mention a pump because they assume a basement drain is available. When no drain is available, it has to be pumped to the nearest waste pipe. In my case, it was the drain for washer. The washer is used often so any acidic discharge from the furnace condensate doesn't have a chance to eat pipes. It's the acidity of Coke and it eats pipes. Hmmm.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

kcrossley2 said:


> It's a new home so it SHOULD be pretty tight, but with this builder, who knows?


Lots of new homes aren't tight.

If your home is truely tight. Then you need a fresh air intake/ERV/HRV for your home.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Okay, I just finished wiring everything up. The furnace is working and so is the outlet and transformer. The only problem is my transformer is suppose to have an output of 24V AC, but according to my multimeter it's reading 28.4V AC. Is that normal?

Thanks!


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Yep. it is.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Here are photos of the new outlet I added to my furnace. This will provide 120V power to the Aprilaire 700 fan. The device mounted on top of the metal outlet box is the 24V transformer that powers the humidifier. Aprilaire started including these because I think a lot of people who were trying to pull power from their furnace computer board were blowing it. 

Today, I'm tapping into the hot water heater with the Shark Bites that Hixheat1 recommended.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Think i would have put the recep on the outside of the furnace.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> Think i would have put the recep on the outside of the furnace.


I would have, but the line going into the furnace is too short and the furnace is up against a wall. Plus, I would have needed to find another location for the transformer and wires going in and out of the furnace. 

Is there a problem with having it on the inside of the furnace? That's where the original power hookup was, only in a different type of case.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

As long as that recep can take the heat.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> As long as that recep can take the heat.


How hot does it get in there? That's where the furnace was wired to begin with. I gotta believe that the outlet plastic is a whole lot more durable than electrical wiring. 

I'm more worried about the load.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Depends on if everything is working right or not.

If everything is working right, then not too hot.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> As long as that recep can take the heat.


I just checked the outlet temperature with the cabinet door closed using an infrared thermometer and the metal outlet housing was 104 degrees. That's without the humidifier fan plugged in. Is that too hot? 

Am I better off moving that whole wiring setup to the fan compartment below?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Here is what will be on that 15 amp circuit:

1. GMV90905DXA Furnace
2. Aprilair 700 fan
3. 24V transformer (Model #GP-LT240V420T (.42A / 10W)

I couldn't find amperage information on the top two devices. Does anyone know what they're rated?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Crap. I just found out the operating temperature for the 24V transformer is 14 to 104 degrees fahrenheit. It looks like I'll have to to the cabinet below, which I take it is cooler. I also found out that the humidifier fan cannot be wired to the furnace power. No worries. I'll just remove the outlet and run it to an existing outlet further away.

Folks, this is why it's better to hire professionals. I bet all you HVAC techs are loving this thread.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

The humidifier transformer can be wired to the furnace power, as long as it is not wired to the fan power that the capacitor can effect it. Since your blower doesn't have a cap, there is no real problem.

In the old days ( :laughing: which old days ) it was discovered, that if the transformer was wired off the blower motor. That the spike from starting the motor would back feed enough voltage to the humidifier's transformer, that it would burn out.

However. At 104 without any load on the transformer. You'll want to move it, so you get a better life span out of it.

Don't worry, we like bustin on new guys in the trade when they do things like this too.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Well last week my HVAC tech installed my Aprilaire 700. Here are a few photos of the install. As you can see I moved the power and Aprilaire 700 transformer to the lower part of the furnace cabinet, which is much cooler. Plus my HVAC tech decided to put an outlet on the outside of the cabinet so we could easily plug in the 700's fan. I believe that was suggested earlier. BTW, the Shark Bites Hixheat1 suggested worked great! What a cool item.

The Aprilaire 700 seems to be working fine. The only problem we're having is getting the humidity levels up. It's currently 32 degrees outside with an R/H of 64%, but inside our home the best that we can achieve is about 30% R/H, and that's after several days. The Aprilaire is currently set to 5 in manual mode. Is that normal?


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Is it connected to the hot water line? And is it set up that it can run the fan to humidify without a call for heat?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> Is it connected to the hot water line? And is it set up that it can run the fan to humidify without a call for heat?


Yes to both questions.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Okay guys, I have a new problem. This morning I noticed that the digital hygrometer in my office was measuring 24% RH. I just checked the Aprilaire 700 and the water panel is completely dry. I set the Digital Controller to test mode with the furnace fan on and the solenoid didn't click and I didn't hear water running. Clearly water is not getting to the humidifier but I don't know why. Any suggestions?


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Do you have power to the control?


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

beenthere said:


> Do you have power to the control?


Yes. I think it's working now. Not sure why it was off before.


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## xnaron (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi,

Did you get a template for cutting the hole in the duct for the 700? The documentation makes reference to a template. Is this something they provided in the box or do I need to make it myself?

thanks,
Brendin


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

xnaron said:


> Hi,
> 
> Did you get a template for cutting the hole in the duct for the 700? The documentation makes reference to a template. Is this something they provided in the box or do I need to make it myself?
> 
> ...


The large install sheet IS the template.


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## Zrelaxed (Feb 7, 2012)

Kcrossley2 - Which way did you end up wiring your 700? Did you use the Goodman-preferred method or method 1 from the posted diagram shared on page 1?

Just purchased the same model and am preparing for a similar install on a Goodman furnace. Thanks in advance for your help.


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## kcrossley2 (Dec 17, 2006)

Zrelaxed said:


> Kcrossley2 - Which way did you end up wiring your 700? Did you use the Goodman-preferred method or method 1 from the posted diagram shared on page 1?
> 
> Just purchased the same model and am preparing for a similar install on a Goodman furnace. Thanks in advance for your help.


Actually, I ended up having it professionally installed—for two reasons.

1. Furnace electronics are expensive and I didn't want to damage anything.
2. Installing it yourself voids the 5-year warranty.

If you go the same route as I did get a price upfront and make sure it's from a respectable HVAC company. Also, make sure the tech explains exactly what he's going to do BEFORE he does it. Remember, there is some cutting involved and once he makes a big hole that's it. I also told my tech that neatness counts so he knew my expectations were pretty high. I couldn't be happier with that decision even though it cost me about $400 for the install. And finally, make sure you register your unit with Aprilaire for warranty purposes. Good luck!


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## Zrelaxed (Feb 7, 2012)

All good advice - much appreciated. I'll continue to research the 'best' way to wire my humidifier


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## scourtney (Feb 18, 2012)

I was wondering how big of a house the Aprilaire 700 can handle?


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## hvac5646 (May 1, 2011)

if it's not in this thread u can google it.


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