Aprilaire humidifier with model 60 digital control question

[jrudyjr]

I offered to give a buddy a hand and put in a new humidifier. His furnace had been changed out in 2005 and they left in an old rusted humidifier. I ordered him an Aprilaire 500 wth the digital model 60 control.The furnace is a Rheem Classic Quiet 80 gas fired unit Model #RGPN-10EBRJR. The control for the humidifier shows a connection to the R and C teminals on the furnace and the control for 24 vac. and a connection to the W and the G terminal on the furnace. It shows lifting the G wire from the furnace strip and tieing it to the wire from the Gf terminal on the board. The only other connections are two wires to the outdoor temp sensor and the lines from the water valve/transformer. I get an error and a red light every time I power this unit up. Is there something that I am not seeing or something different about the wiring on a Rheem unit? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jim

[jumptrout51]

R and C connections are made to a low voltage add on transformer supplied with the humidifier.
http://www.filtersamerica.com/aprilaire-humidifier/install_500A.pdf

[jrudyjr]

Not on the model 60 control. The furnace 24 volt r&c terminals are used.

[jrudyjr]

The link you posted is completely different than the wiring diagram supplied with the Model 60 digital control. The 60 has five wires that actually connect to the furnace itself.

[ApplianceGuru]

I haven't played with too many humidifiers yet, but here's what I know.

Humidifiers are fairly simple in general.  You want them to run when the heat is going.  They are usually turned on by a 24VAC signal to the humidifier water valve solenoid, which is powered by the furnace when it turns on.  The digital humidifiers will take this 24VAC "furnace-on" signal as an input, and then feed the voltage to valve separately.

You need to get the install instructions to your furnace, install instructions to your furnace control board, and the install instructions to the humidifier, and figure out how to make that happen.  Some control boards have a dedicated humidifier output, but make sure it is the proper voltage for you humidifier.  If you put 120VAC to a 24VAC input, it will blow up something!!  Something like a Control board, solenoid valve, or wire??!!!!

[RegUS_PatOff]

... different than the wiring diagram supplied with the Model 60 digital control.

can you post that diagram somewhere ?

[jrudyjr]

I had checked my voltages at the control board to verify 24 vac. I called Aprilaire and discussed the issue with a lady in their support department. She turned out to be very knowledgable about their Model 60 control. She told me to double check my connections for the outdoor temperature probe at the control and where you connect the leads from the probe to your wiring. Sure enough one of the connections on the lead was not tight enough and was giving the control a fluctuating resistance reading, used stake-ons instead of wire nuts and problem solved.

[jumptrout51]

 

[ApplianceGuru]

That's good to hear.  Nothing beats getting ahold of someone at the manufacturer, who knows their stuff!!