- BALANCED HUMIDITY FOR HEALTH AND HOME PRESERVATION – Help minimize the formation of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and dust mites that thrive in low humidity and help preserve wood floors, cabinetry, furnishings, and other items susceptible to dry air
- WHOLE-HOUSE HUMIDIFICATION – Deliver 12 gallons of moisture per day in homes up to 3,600 sq. ft. with trouble-free performance and minimal maintenance. The water panel removes impurities before adding moisture to the air. Use genuine AprilAire 10 Water Panel for annual replacement
- MANUAL CONTROL – The included Model 4655 Manual Humidistat monitors your home’s air providing precise control and the onboard sensor actively measures the relative humidity throughout your home and turns on the humidifier when needed giving you peace of mind
- INSTALLATION KIT – No need to find the parts yourself. This convenient bundle comes with all of the genuine AprilAire parts needed for installations in homes with ducted heating systems plus detailed installation instructions
- BUY WITH CONFIDENCE – AprilAire Whole-House Humidifiers are designed and assembled in the USA using US and global components by AprilAire, the leader in Indoor Air Quality solutions for the home since 1954, and come with a 5-year warranty
- INCLUDES – 500M Whole-House Humidifier, Model 4655 Manual Humidistat, (1) genuine AprilAire 10 Water Panel, (4) #8 x 3/4 Mounting Screws, 6″ Round Duct Collar, 6″ Bypass Flex Duct (2 ft.), ¼” outside diameter (OD) Water Supply Tube (25 ft.), ½” interior diameter (ID) Drain Tube (10 ft.), ⅝” Hose Clamp, AprilAire Current Sensing Relay Model 50, 18/2 Thermostat Wire (10 ft.), and (4) Twist-On Wire Nut Connectors
| Product Dimensions | 10.25 x 15.63 x 13 inches, 7.75 Pounds |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 500MK |
| Date First Available | June 23, 2023 |
| Manufacturer | Research Products Corporation |
| Country of Origin | USA |
7 reviews for AprilAire 500M 12-gal. Whole-House Small Bypass Evaporative Humidifier with Manual Control for up to 3,600 sq. ft. + AprilAire Model 5843 Humidifier Installation Kit
Add a review
Related products
Sale!
Sale!
Sale!
MFT Licensing Exam –
Manufacturer should give water valve set to right amount. Not all users have idea how to set it right. Another option is water circulation pump (24 volt) which should turn on with it.
Above is for manufacturer. For user item is good. Easy to install. Will take you some time to adjust water flow.,
Amazon Customer –
I’ve got a =< 1500 sqft 2-storey house, the 500M humidifier (furnace 24VAC power, Acc+ wiring) with a cold water source, a 2-stage furnace (independently controlled stages, so I basically only use 1st stage), an 18/8 thermostat wire, and an Ecobee thermostat. In the Ecobee I have it set to Frost Control with a window rating of 5, and the system usually maintains desired humidity without having to run the humidifier 100% of the time heat is called. Humidity will be ~ 5% below desired when it's a warmer day where there aren't many heat calls.
Controlling the humidifier with the Ecobee makes for a very simple wiring setup, however it does require having enough thermostat wires. (A minimum of 6, or 7 if powering the humidifier with included transformer, plus an additional wire for each heat/cool 2nd stage for which you want to have independent control.) I like the simplicity of this setup because there’s only one electrical component to keep an eye on, the solenoid.
Darin –
I installed a 500M on my furnace due to my house being very dry during harsh midwestern winters. It works perfectly keeping my home at a comfortable humidity 24/7.
Pro’s:
1. Does exactly what it should. keeps your home at a comfortable and healthy RH% that you set, and does it in a relatively quick amount of time.
2. Easy to use and replace the filter. Adjusting the the settings are as easy as turning a knob to the desired humidity, and it even guides you to suggested levels in relation to the outside temperature. Replacing the filter is quick and easy. Just open the cover, disconnect the water line, removed old and install new.
3. Cost. This unit does a lot for a little investment.
Con’s:
1. I personally didn’t have any issues installing this unit in my house, but it is not something that everyone would want to take on without any HVAC experience. Understand that you will need to cut into your furnace ducting in multiple locations, and have the proper tools to do so, like tin snips, gloves, pliers, etc. You’ll also have to do some basic wiring to hook up the humidistat to the furnace and the humidifier, and you’ll likely need to be able to read and understand your furnace wiring diagram to know where to wire the unit properly to only work when the furnace is in it’s heating mode. This would require some of the proper wire, an enclosed junction box of some kind (not required, but recommended), wire strippers, and hand tools. lastly, you’ll need to get the excess water from the unit to an acceptable drain. I tied mine into my condensation trap with some 1/2″ PVC and mounting straps. The unit does come with it’s own drain hose, but I preferred to drain mine in a rigid line. You’ll also have to supply the unit with water. This means tapping into an existing water line, or running a new one.
If you think you can do all the above to install it yourself, it can be done with the proper tools and knowledge. If any one of those tasks seems like it might be out of your league (looking at you, electrical lol), then I would recommend hiring a professional to put it in.
Overall:
Works better than I expected, at a very good price. Easy to use and maintain. May want to hire a pro to install, but is possible to put in yourself.
Amazon Customer –
I finally caved in and bought a whole home humidifer after dealing with constantly refilling our portable units in the kids rooms. No more messes, no more mid-night trips with water, etc.
Installation isn’t for beginners. Make sure you have enough room, the right tools, etc. I had to buy about $100 of supplies to complete the installation (Ducts, tape, screws, wiring, etc.).
I have it connected to a Nest Learning Thermostat and it works great. I currently have it draining into my condensation pump but I will eventually have it drain somewhere else to save on wear.
My home was at 20-23% humidity before and now, about a week after installation we are finally back up to 35% and climbing. We can finally breathe. No more waking up in the middle of the night feeling like you want to drink the entire town’s reservoir.
Manish –
I finally bit the bullet and bought this Aprilaire humidifier. It’s a great price, was really easy to install and you don’t need to be an HVAC to do it. If you have mechanical ability, you can do it. I’ve always used drum humidifiers, but they have maintenance issues. The hard water in our area means I have to clean it several times a season. I decided to go with this one because it’s flow-through and no standing water. I was expecting to see a lot of water going through the humidifier, but it seems to be not too bad. On initial start-up, it will seem like you’ll go through a swimming pool of water, but it soon gets to the correct relative humidity and then cycles nicely. I’ll have to update this comment once the season is over; I’m wondering how badly the screen clogs with lime.
MFT Licensing Exam –
The media could not be loaded.
Excellent product & great value for the money, This Apriliare Humidifier took me 4 hours to install (including removal of the old unit) any one who has basic mechanical/ electrical skills can do this. I reused the “saddle valve” (as it has been in use for 15 years with No leaks/problems) had to cover the old “cut out” with sheet metal/sealed with metal tape. My previous home I installed Apriliare Humidifier “flow thru” & never had any issues, missed it so replaced the old drum type Honeywell (motor failure). These will last & easy to maintain, would highly recommend Apriliare products. I do have Plumbing experience, with mechanical knowledge, so install was easy saved $$$. Shopped around & Amazon delivered it in 2 days Free Shipping. note: couldn’t find any in Airdrie, as the hardware stores here don’t carry any. Overall very pleased with the service & product.
Darin –
Very pleased with this Whole-Home Humidifier I installed myself without any prior professional experience. That being said, I did spend about 5 hours researching installation techniques as the included directions are both difficult to make sense of as a layperson and also fail to reflect newer construction homes with furnace boards containing dedicated humidifier (labeled HUM) circuits. If you have a newer home, see photos and follow instruction. If your furnace’s HUM circuit is 24VAC, then you won’t need to use EITHER the included transformer or the recommended relay (an additional $35). When you wire the humidifier (using 18/2 thermostat wire), the humidifier only runs when the furnace fan/blower unit is running. When the home thermostat triggers the furnace to run a cycle, it will automatically trigger the humidifier to run along with the furnace. This is ESSENTIAL in saving TONS of money on unnecessary water usage. If you bought the MANUAL version humidifier (like me), then without paying additionally for the relay accessory the humidifier will run around the clock even when the furnace motor is off, essentially just draining your hot water down your floor drain.
WIRING (with newer home construction or recently upgraded furnace)
You’ll first install get the entire unit installed after cutting LEVELED spaces into HVAC using included templates. It is essential that the unit is installed perfectly leveled to ensure balanced water flow throughout the humidifier unit filter.
(1) Then, you’ll run an 18/2 Thermostat Wire from the furnace circuit board into the vent where your humidifier unit is hooked up (you’ll 18/2 wire will come in either a brown or gray sheath containing two wires; one white, and one red). Use conduit to protect wire if running between two vents, as shown in the attached photos.
(2) With the 18/2 from the furnace circuit board to the humidifier, you’ll tie-in the WHITE wire directly to one of the 2 yellow wires attached to the humidifier unit. The other end of the white wire will hook up to your HUM circuit on the furnace board using a CLAM adapter specified to your 18ga wire.
(3) The red wire from the 18/2 running from the furnace circuit board to the humidifier unit will then tie-in to the screw on the near-side of the included thermostat (hung a minimum of 6″ above your humidifier unit. The other end of the red wire will tie-in to your COMMON circuit on your furnace circuit board, labeled with a C. This is your 24VAC. There will likely be 1-2 cables already tied into your (C)Common from your homes thermostat and/or AC, so if you need to butterfly the wires to avoid crowding up the input then do so. (See included picture)
(4) You’ll then run a new, single red wire (pulled out of the brown/gray sheath) from the other screw point on the thermostat directly to the 2nd yellow wire on the thermostat unit. Simple as that! Hooking it up this way will ensure that your humidifier only pulls hot water when the furnace cycle is actively running after being triggered by your homes thermostat as it calls for more heat.
TIPS from the PRO FORUMS I researched:
-Avoid using the semi-rigid, extendable and flexible duct pipe when connecting the vent from your humidifier unit to the opposite return/flow vent (see pictures). PROS stated they never use this pipe for humidifiers because moisture can build up in the many grooves which can pose many problems down the road. RIGID Vents also allow for smoother airflow.
-It was advised to NEVER use the included adapter for cutting into your copper piping to pull water if you are installing in a home without newer PEX Pipe. They stated these always fail over time and will begin to leak. If you have copper piping, you may need to solder in a T-Joint to run the 1/4″ hot water line (this skillset is likely beyond the DIY’er). Bite the bullet and hire a pro, even if it is just for this purpose.
-Use COPPER 1/4″, and NOT plastic tubing when running from your hot water line (it is further advised to always run hot water through the humidifier) to your humidifier unit.
-If you have PEX Pipe, working with Shark Bite joints is a breeze–just make sure you measure the depth of how far the pex pipe needs to be inserted into the Shark Bite valve to ensure proper seal.
All in all, this was a lengthy install (took me about 6.5 hours with zero prior experience with HVAC) but the unit is running exactly as I had hoped. After one evening’s cycle, humidity in the home is up 4% and I hope to be at the recommended 35% within 3-5 days (it was also recommended to NEVER put your humidifier thermostat above 35%, as this can result in excessive moisture build up in the home and lead to mold issues as well as harm any wood work/cabinets). I paid an additional $100 for materials, and saved myself the $300 installation charge for a pro (this was the low-end of estimates I received). The other perk of the self-install is forcing yourself to learn/understand the unit’s functioning, which will assist with ongoing maintenance and troubleshooting if problems arise. Give it a go!