Aprilaire works with any furnace brand
Aprilaire is a brand of Research Products Corporation, based in Madison, Wisconsin, and the company says it has made residential humidifiers since 1954. Aprilaire doesn't make furnaces or air conditioners. It makes the equipment that hangs on them: humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air cleaners, fresh air controls and thermostats. That means an Aprilaire humidifier on a Lennox, a Goodman or a 25-year-old furnace with no name left on it is normal.
We service Aprilaire equipment as part of our indoor air quality work, and we install it where it makes sense for the house. Installed indoor air quality equipment runs $350–$2,800 depending on what you're adding and how much duct and plumbing work it takes.
Why does a Minnesota house need a humidifier in winter?
A Minnesota house in January is dry. Heating cold outdoor air drops its relative humidity, and static shocks, dry skin and cracked woodwork follow. An Aprilaire humidifier on the furnace adds that moisture back.
The catch is windows. Warm, moist air condenses on cold glass, so the right indoor humidity falls as the outdoor temperature drops, to roughly 25–35% in cold weather and lower in deep cold. Aprilaire's automatic control reads the outdoor temperature and lowers the target on its own, and it's the setup we recommend over a manual dial.
Most Aprilaire humidifier calls we get come down to maintenance:
- The water panel fills with minerals and should be replaced every heating season.
- The solenoid valve can stick open and leak, or fail closed so no water reaches the panel.
- The bypass damper on a bypass model should be open in winter and closed in summer; we check it during a tune-up.
- The drain line can clog and back water up into the unit.
Our guide to whole-home humidifiers in Minnesota compares bypass, fan-powered and steam models.
Why would a house with central air need an Aprilaire dehumidifier?
July is the opposite problem. Basements in the Twin Cities often run damp and musty, and a central air conditioner that's sized right doesn't always pull enough moisture out on mild, sticky days. Aprilaire's whole-home dehumidifiers range from a compact 50-pint model to 130-pint units and can be ducted into the HVAC system or run on their own in the basement. They need a drain and a filter change, and the drain is what we find clogged most often. Our post on whole-house dehumidifiers covers sizing and placement.
Air cleaners and fresh air
Aprilaire's media air cleaners are cabinets that hold a deep pleated filter in the return duct. They have no moving parts or wiring, and one filter usually lasts a year. The electronic Model 5000 uses ionizer wires to charge particles so its filter catches more, but it takes more upkeep. We compare them in Aprilaire 5000 vs 2000. With any high-MERV filter, we check the return duct size and static pressure first, because a filter the blower can't breathe through costs you airflow and comfort.
Aprilaire's fresh air systems tie into the ductwork and use a control to decide when to bring outdoor air in. Whether that's enough, or a tight newer house needs a heat or energy recovery ventilator, depends on the house. Our post on ERVs vs HRVs explains the difference.
Booking Aprilaire service
Call 612-429-3465 from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week, or use the request form. A service call is a $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair, and the repair price is written before we start. If you're booking a furnace or AC tune-up anyway, mention your Aprilaire so we bring the right water panel or filter.
A furnace or AC tune-up is $129, or $219 for both, and it's the easiest time to look after the Aprilaire equipment on the same system. On a fall visit we swap the humidifier water panel, make sure the solenoid opens and the drain runs clear, set the bypass damper for winter, and check that the outdoor sensor on an automatic control reads a sensible temperature. The media filter gets changed if it's due. If you'd rather not keep track of it yourself, ask us about a maintenance plan.
Aprilaire questions
What humidity should my Aprilaire be set to in a Minnesota winter?
Lower than most people expect. In cold weather, around 25–35% relative humidity is typical, and lower in deep cold, because warm, moist air condenses on cold windows. Aprilaire's automatic control lowers the target as the outdoor temperature drops, which is the easiest way to avoid frosty windows. If yours is a manual dial, turn it down during cold snaps.
How often does the Aprilaire water panel need changing?
Once a heating season on bypass and fan-powered humidifiers, and sooner with hard water. Minerals build up in the panel until water can't flow through it evenly, and the humidifier puts out less moisture. A steam humidifier uses a canister instead, which also fills with minerals and gets replaced on its own schedule. We change panels during a furnace tune-up.
Can you add an Aprilaire humidifier to my furnace?
Usually. A bypass or fan-powered unit mounts on the supply or return plenum and needs a water line, a drain and a control. A steam unit needs a dedicated electrical circuit. Boiler and mini-split homes without ductwork can't use a furnace-mounted humidifier. We look at the plenum space, the water supply and the drain before recommending a model.
Is the Aprilaire 5000 better than a media filter cabinet?
For most homes we'd put in a 2000-series media cabinet with a MERV 13 filter. It has no electrical parts and needs one filter change a year, and Aprilaire's filter claims put it close to the 5000. The electronic 5000 makes sense mainly if you already own one and keep up with its extra upkeep.
Sources
- Aprilaire official site aprilaire.com