AprilAire gets an F-,-,-

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have two Aprilaire dehumidifiers.
The larger one (model 1720) broke.
Aprilaire says they won't warranty it unless installed by an HVAC company (An interesting notion that could easily be subject of a challenge in a NJ state court).

Anyway my unit broke. The squirrel cage blower fan has a dead capacitor. Or so it appears.

A gigiziallion calls later I find one company that can get me a replacement blower fan (part #4646). They are almost impossible to get.

The cost: $749.00 ~!!
Yup, Seven-Hundred-&-Forty-Nine Dollars, for a squirrel cage fan.

It's a fan~!!! And the manufacturer won't sell me the part. They leave the customer to find a distributor all on their own.

If I put some other fan in the cycle I would likely fail 'cause the bloody thing sends a signal to the power supply board that tells it to power up the Compressor pump. No signal = no de-humidification compressor pump.


So it is with great wrath that I heartily dis-recommend AprilAire.

[Randy Denby]

Cliff, I'm assuming the capacitor caused the motor windings to fail as well? A capacitor is usually a 5-15 dollar part.





BTW...I'm a licensed HVAC contractor. If you can get me the model number/make of the motor or the same for the humidifier, I'll see what I can dig up for you......................My local wholesaler sells Aprilaire electronic filters, so I'm sure he has their whole catalog

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cliff, I'm assuming the capacitor caused the motor windings to fail as well? A capacitor is usually a 5-15 dollar part.

I don't know. The motor stutters like it wants to start but doesn't. It's an open motor I never saw any smoke & it doesn't smell like it's toasted.

BTW...I'm a licensed HVAC contractor. If you can get me the model number/make of the motor or the same for the humidifier, I'll see what I can dig up for you......................My local wholesaler sells Aprilaire electronic filters, so I'm sure he has their whole catalog

Why that's mighty kind of you.

I'm waiting for a return call from Allied Electronics (found 'em online). If they can't help me I'll be most grateful to take you up on that.

[Reed Wells]

Thank you Cliff, I was going to put an April Air humidifier in my shop for this winter, it gets so dry in there. But now thanks for the information I will look else where and ask many more questions.

[Wes Bischel]

Cliff,
Give Sid Harvey's a call: http://www.sidharvey.com/

They seem to have everything - or can get it. I'm not sure where you are, but there is likely a location nearby.

Good luck been there and know how it feels,

Wes

[Bill Wyko]

Gotta love SMC. Someone always has an answer.

[Al Willits]

I might not be so quick to dump a Aprilaire humidifier, we sell them and the Honeywell version for furnaces and the Aprilaire versions work quite well.

Not uncommon for manufactures to shy away from self installs, not meant toward you Cliff, but after 30+ years in the HVAC business you can't believe the number of screwed up self installs by supposed expert DIY's we've run across.
In fact our company has quit selling over the counter parts and that is part of the reason.

Don't deal with the dehumidifiers, but if Randy or someone else can't help PM me and I'll see what access to them parts we have here.


Al

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I might not be so quick to dump a Aprilaire humidifier, we sell them and the Honeywell version for furnaces and the Aprilaire versions work quite well.

Well if you are having your HVAC contractor installing it and they are putting the warranty in their agreement with you then you are golden. 'Cause the warranty is enforceable according to the terms in the agreement.

Even while I wasn't asking AprilAire to do any warranty work I was unable to get them to sell me a lousy part. And then when I found that part the cost was outraegous: $749.00 for a squirrel cage blower fan.
Someone is gouging. It's either the part retailer or it's Aprilaire, 'cause that Fan isn't worth more than $50.00 retail at the most.

Not uncommon for manufactures to shy away from self installs, not meant toward you Cliff, but after 30+ years in the HVAC business you can't believe the number of screwed up self installs by supposed expert DIY's we've run across.

Oh ~ well I have done plenty of business with that most horrible of persons: Joe. Q. Public. I'd believe anything you told me.

if Randy or someone else can't help PM me and I'll see what access to them parts we have here.

Muchos Gracias

[Al Willits]

"""""""""
Even while I wasn't asking AprilAire to do any warranty work I was unable to get them to sell me a lousy part. And then when I found that part the cost was outraegous: $749.00 for a squirrel cage blower fan.
Someone is gouging. It's either the part retailer or it's Aprilaire, 'cause that Fan isn't worth more than $50.00 retail at the most.
""""""""

That's the part that confuses me, that seems waaaay over priced for just a blower.
They don't seem to be to friendly do they, good luck.

Can you get a number off the motor?
Maybe match it up at a electric motor supply company?

Al

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

That's the part that confuses me, that seems waaaay over priced for just a blower.

Exactly

They don't seem to be to friendly do they

Oh They are nice enough on the phone even willing to talk you through a diagnosis. I was impressed at that but the unwillingness to sell parts and the price was just out of the park.

Can you get a number off the motor?

It looks like a custom job.

Al[/quote]

[Al Willits]

Its a slow day at work here, maybe send me the model and serial if ya want and I'll look, ya got me curious now..

al

[Al Willits]

http://www.aprilaireparts.com/aprila...ier-parts.html


Try that, its the 1700 model which should be the same they have a $450 price tag, least its a bit cheaper.

Al

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I tried replacing the capacitor. No luck the motor is dead.

I found the manufacturer (German) of the blower.

They will sell me the blower and motor assembly for $185.84

This is the same exact item that April Aire wants nearly $700.00 for.

However it's a special and they have to make it up and it's a 122 day lead time.

So I found a motor repair shop in S. Jersey and shipped it off to them

[Al Willits]

Unbelievable, but at least you found a shop to get it rebuilt, gotta be a heck of a lot cheaper than aprilaire...

Al

[Phil Thien]

Well, I'd never deal with them based on this thread.

That type of behavior on the part of a company is inexcusable.