Furnace Updates & Changes

[eblend]

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What thermostat are you using? I just have a crappy normal one right now but running new wire won't be an issue as long as the thermostat isn't like $2-300.

That model is also a bit cheaper.

Mine is an OLD Honeywell Prestige HD, but been working fine for last 11 years so no problems there. Think most can control humidity, not sure.

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I had this one and the solenoid clogged up after a couple of years (after we bought the house).

This is true. Had this happen just this year, but it took a good 7 years for it to go. I do run the manual valve that feeds the humidifier just tiny bit open, and it's softened water. Bought a new solenoid on amazon, $50, 2 min to replace. With softened water I haven't ever had to replace my pad, still looks like new, just a bit rusty.

[The_Rural_Juror]

I was all gung ho about the drum until Darnell spoke. Should my humidifier have been connected to the softened water?

[eblend]

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I was all gung ho about the drum until Darnell spoke. Should my humidifier have been connected to the softened water?

I don't know why not, if you have a water softener already. Every one I have seen that wasn't on softened water had so much buildup it looks like shit sooner or later, so might as well.

[sabad66]

If you want to run new thermostat wire use this:
Southwire 64170422 18/7 Solid Copper Class 2 Power-Limited Thermostat Wire, 50 feet https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0069F4HEU/...ing=UTF8&psc=1

I ran it my rental and also my current place and it’s great stuff. 7 conductors is plenty to handle heat, a/c, humidity control. If you don’t want to get a smart thermostat right away you can just mount the humidistat right next to your existing thermostat. Much better to have it easily accessible vs having to go into your utility room any time you want to adjust humidity

[firebane]

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If you want to run new thermostat wire use this:
Southwire 64170422 18/7 Solid Copper Class 2 Power-Limited Thermostat Wire, 50 feet https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0069F4HEU/...ing=UTF8&psc=1

I ran it my rental and also my current place and it’s great stuff. 7 conductors is plenty to handle heat, a/c, humidity control. If you don’t want to get a smart thermostat right away you can just mount the humidistat right next to your existing thermostat. Much better to have it easily accessible vs having to go into your utility room any time you want to adjust humidity

While it would be nice to have the ability to not go into the mechanical room when I want to change humidity levels, those types of thermostats are out of my budget for this.

[sabad66]

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While it would be nice to have the ability to not go into the mechanical room when I want to change humidity levels, those types of thermostats are out of my budget for this.

Sorry maybe my rambling wasn’t clear. If you run the new 7-conductor wire (or if you already have two extra unused conductors in your existing wire), you can set up the ‘dumb’ humidistat right next to your ‘dumb’ thermostat. If you don’t want to run new wire all the way to your thermostat then yeah you’ll likely set up the humidistat in the mechanical room close to the humidifier

[firebane]

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Sorry maybe my rambling wasn’t clear. If you run the wire (or if you already have extra unused conductors in your existing wire), you can set up the ‘dumb’ humidistat right next to your ‘dumb’ thermostat. If you don’t want to run new wire all the way to your thermostat then yeah you’ll likely set up the humidistat in the mechanical room close to the humidifier

Well the humidistat I am looking at ties into the duct work on the return side to monitor humidity levels and has a manual or auto mode based on outdoor temps.

[eblend]

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Well the humidistat I am looking at ties into the duct work on the return side to monitor humidity levels and has a manual or auto mode based on outdoor temps.

Think you are overthinking this a little bit. You are looking at spending extra to get what sounds like a fancy humidistat, when you can get all that and more in a smart thermostat. Mine has been around forever for example, and it has a remote outdoor wireless sensor that actually sits outside, and monitors real outdoor temp, and adjust humidity to prevent window frost based on outside and inside temp. Maybe it's just me but an integrated device just sounds like it can do a better job since it has all the parameters built in.

[killramos]

Figure i would post here rather than start a new thread, but as a WWBD:

So i have an extra conductor run from my furnace to my thermostat ( i think I might have a second, but may have counted wrong before I shoved back into the wall ) and I am wondering where beyond would place priority. It looks like I have a 2 stage furnace, but its currently wired in one stage mode with the furnaces control board handling a pseudo 1 stage / 2 stage logic based on how long it has run each hour or something. In my head, it seems to make sense to rewire it to let my ecobee control the stages but I am wondering whether it really makes much of a difference - interested to hear peoples takes on this as to whether i should leave it be or bother with the rewiring and settings change.

Second, i have a humidifier ( just the cheapo standard generalaire installed on the cold air side of the furnace - nothing special but hey its there so might as well use it ) so it would seemingly make sense to wire it into the ecobee. My question on this one is once i get to the point of wiring and if I only have 1 conductor remaining would people wire the humidifer or would using the conductor for the second furnace stage make more of a difference?

Third is kindof a wild card, but I do have AC and I am wondering how that plays into the whole one stage two stage thing - this i have no clue over. Does my two stage furnace mean I have 2 stage AC? Is there more to it than that? How does 2 stage AC compare in with the choices in what conductors to use?

Kindof a wild card in this is my ecobee came with a PEK so i dunno if that helps me at all if I run out of conductors for the above stuff.

TIA guys, figure you will have some helpful opinions.

[prae]

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Figure i would post here rather than start a new thread, but as a WWBD:

So i have an extra conductor run from my furnace to my thermostat ( i think I might have a second, but may have counted wrong before I shoved back into the wall ) and I am wondering where beyond would place priority. It looks like I have a 2 stage furnace, but its currently wired in one stage mode with the furnaces control board handling a pseudo 1 stage / 2 stage logic based on how long it has run each hour or something. In my head, it seems to make sense to rewire it to let my ecobee control the stages but I am wondering whether it really makes much of a difference - interested to hear peoples takes on this as to whether i should leave it be or bother with the rewiring and settings change.

Second, i have a humidifier ( just the cheapo standard generalaire installed on the cold air side of the furnace - nothing special but hey its there so might as well use it ) so it would seemingly make sense to wire it into the ecobee. My question on this one is once i get to the point of wiring and if I only have 1 conductor remaining would people wire the humidifer or would using the conductor for the second furnace stage make more of a difference?

Third is kindof a wild card, but I do have AC and I am wondering how that plays into the whole one stage two stage thing - this i have no clue over. Does my two stage furnace mean I have 2 stage AC? Is there more to it than that? How does 2 stage AC compare in with the choices in what conductors to use?

Kindof a wild card in this is my ecobee came with a PEK so i dunno if that helps me at all if I run out of conductors for the above stuff.

TIA guys, figure you will have some helpful opinions.

I converted my humidifier control from the furnace-company installed humidistat that was just slapped onto a return duct, to instead have the nest control it, and I must say I think it's been very worthwhile. The humidity year round is far more consistent and I like being able to adjust it from my phone.

I too have a two stage furnace but I've not tried actually wiring up w2 for two stage heat. I too am curious what other folks have to say.

[Darell_n]

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I converted my humidifier control from the furnace-company installed humidistat that was just slapped onto a return duct, to instead have the nest control it, and I must say I think it's been very worthwhile. The humidity year round is far more consistent and I like being able to adjust it from my phone.

I too have a two stage furnace but I've not tried actually wiring up w2 for two stage heat. I too am curious what other folks have to say.

Using the 2nd stage input on the furnace will just provide a slightly tighter control on the house temperature. (Also more flexibility to start the 2nd stage at whatever temperature / schedule you decide). Also, in replying to earlier comments about the a/c, residential setups are one stage only. As for humidity, the limitation in winter homes is how high a dew point the windows can handle. Good humidistats vary the set point in relation to outdoor temperature. Colder outside = lower humidity target inside the house.

The return air duct is a good place for the humidistat as long as it is opposite from the furnace’s outside air supply in the return air duct. The outdoor air does not mix well inside the short span of duct and will make the humidistat read way too low an RH%

[firebane]

Ok so spending some time on my furnace this weekend getting the humidifier installed good lord the manufacturer and anything else out there is horrible confusing when trying to figure this out. It seems that there is like 8 ways to do it and nobody really explains it.

I picked up a Aprilaire 600 for a stupid cheap price and this is the main instructions you are given: https://www.alpinehomeair.com/relate...ns%2001.08.pdf
These are the instructions for the humidistat: https://www.behler-young.com/UserFil...RINST00076.pdf
Furnace Board: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5EIAA...Kc/s-l1600.jpg
Furnace Manual: http://www.graycoolingman.com/upload...rier_58pav.pdf (page 10)

Now I have the model 600 with the model 60 humidistat and I just want to make sure that I am thinking this properly before hooking up everything.

Solenoid on the humidifier needs 24v which can be fed from the C and HUM (confirmed 24v) terminal and the rest is just running wires back and forth.

Humidifier to come on with heat only.

Diagram of my thinking.

[Darell_n]

Humidifier Valve should take 24v power from the 120-24 transformer supplied with the humidifier and switched through the H-H terminals on humidistat only. I would also personally delete all the G wires on your diagram and run Furnace H to Humidistat W+G. The furnace should be the boss and the humidistat the bitch, not the other way around. I run my humidifier with Fan or Heat otherwise the heat does not run long enough to bring the humidity up. Choke off the water supply valve and the waste water will be very minimal with the heat off.

[firebane]

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Humidifier Valve should take 24v power from the 120-24 transformer supplied with the humidifier and switched through the H-H terminals on humidistat only. I would also personally delete all the G wires on your diagram and run Furnace H to Humidistat W+G. The furnace should be the boss and the humidistat the bitch, not the other way around. I run my humidifier with Fan or Heat otherwise the heat does not run long enough to bring the humidity up. Choke off the water supply valve and the waste water will be very minimal with the heat off.

So you're thinking something like this?

I would assume I still need green from thermostat to furnace. Just not the green on the furnace to humidistat side?

[Darell_n]

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So you're thinking something like this?

I would assume I still need green from thermostat to furnace. Just not the green on the furnace to humidistat side?

Run the R-C to the Humidistat also and you should be good. Also don't forget the outdoor temperature sensor. I used one of the two abandoned low voltage cables from my water meter when they use to read the meter from the transmitter on the outside of the house. (stuck my sensor in the old housing, spliced onto the old wiring)

[firebane]

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Run the R-C to the Humidistat also and you should be good. Also don't forget the outdoor temperature sensor. I used one of the two abandoned low voltage cables from my water meter when they use to read the meter from the transmitter on the outside of the house. (stuck my sensor in the old housing, spliced onto the old wiring)

Whoops forgot those! Yeah they were meant to be on there. I have the outdoor sensor and I will put it in just gonna wait till it not ball freezing outside to do it.

Appreciate the help too.

[firebane]

Well I guess this explains the constant barrage of static around the house


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[firebane]

So now that the humidifier is in my next job is this piece of crap.

Yes the ducting was simply "shoved" into that hole Yes I'm going to fix it properly.

Duct hole

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Ducting

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Intake pipe (missing half the damper as was mentioned previously)

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[killramos]

I really applaud your chosen timing to make furnace tweaks hahaha

Brave MF

[firebane]

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I really applaud your chosen timing to make furnace tweaks hahaha

Brave MF

Yeah well with how dry the house is and how much cold air comes in through that fresh air intake it needs to be done.