Review on Aprilaire-500MZ 500M Manual Compact Furnace Humidifier: Whole Home Solution for Homes up to 3,000 Sq. Ft. by Dawn Price

Fantastic university. It's easy for a dier to install (though doing so will void your warranty) and will keep a poorly sealed, air-conditioned 2,200 square foot townhouse evenly in the 40% humidity range. By connecting to my Ecobee 3 smart thermostat (automatically adjusts humidity based on the weather), my humidity is maintained perfectly - even when the outside weather is fluctuating (60°F one day, 20°F the next). Even better is that I can track when it turns on and off which shows how efficient the unit is (which isn't used on every heat call) and how air insulating your home is REALLY helping to improve humidity/warmth/cooling . A few tips: 1.) Use copper tubing (cheaper on HVAC than plumbing on my HD) 2.) Don't use the poppet valve (included) as it's more prone to failure. Add a T and appropriate valve to your line. If you can't steam with copper, check out shark fittings. 3) Connect it to a hot water line if possible, as hot water evaporates faster (Aprilaire says it improves efficiency by 30+%) 4.) Use a smart thermostat - it replicates the functionality of an automatic unit controlling the outside temperature (prevents condensation) and allows usage monitoring. Thanks to all the pros on /r/hvac I found Aprilaire. It has earned its excellent reputation but you will find that it is sold without plumbing, drain lines, thermostat wire and plumbing for installation. This is because the guarantee only works if you have a professional installation. who carries everything with him. I've also looked at other devices like Honeywell, but there is an alarming number of devices that appear as DOA in reviews. The only thing that fails on these units is the water valve and filter (intended for replacement). Either way - the extras cost around $40 if you opt for the self-install option. Installing the Ecobee 3 was surprisingly easy. I used the supplied transformer. One cable directly to the humidifier, the other to the Ecobee 3 via the ACC+/ACC connector, and then back to the humidifier. Once installed, go back to setup and add a bypass box according to Ecobee3's online instructions. I could be powered from my HVAC board but then the humidifier would only run during heater calls. My fan runs for an additional 5 minutes after the heat request, and since my humidifier runs on hot water, the remaining heat in the system can add some more moisture. I'm not sure how effective it was back then, but I started this project because our house had sunk to 12% over the winter. So I wanted to get the best out of the device that I could.