Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers - Honeywell He260a Wiring Issue?

Well maybe. This should be simple with only 4 wires. Humidistat and humidifer are connected into one wire now leaving two wires. I have a Comfort Maker 90% furnace that is 2-3 years old so no need for the transformer or sail switch, right? I do have a Hum 24v connection on the board and connections for C, G, R, etc. Where do I connect the remaining wire from the H-stat and where do I connect the remaining wire from the humidifier? I am starting to wonder if the solenoid on my brand new he260 is bad. It won't come on after trying multiple wiring configurations and I have no way to test the solenoid. :wall: Thanks.

It should be wired like this.

Do you know for a fact your HUM is 24 volts?

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/844/24humnorelayyf2.jpg

Yeah, it says 24v .5amp and hum on it. I think I'm not understanding your diagram (tried to use it earlier). One wire from the H-stat and one from the humidifier are joined. The other humidifier wire goes to 24v hum? The other h-stat wire goes to C? I even tried to run another wire from C to Hum and that just caused the fan to turn off and on so that was dead end. Also tried to use R instead of C and got nothing. Today I might try using the transformer. My board has quick connects for 120v too so that could be an option I just don't know why I should have to and I have no place to mount the transformer so it would free hang off the board. Later.

One wire from the H-stat and one from the humidifier are joined. The other humidifier wire goes to 24v hum? The other h-stat wire goes to C?
Yes.

My drawing shows humidistat wire going to HUM, and other humidifier wire going to C. But either way will work.


I even tried to run another wire from C to Hum and that just caused the fan to turn off and on so that was dead end. Also tried to use R instead of C
DO NOT do that, you are going to damage something... Lucky nothing happened when then fan to turn on and off.

Guess I'll try running the H-stat to hum and the humidifer to C and see what happens. I thought I did everything right the first time. When the solenoid tripped the first time without water, could that have damaged it? Found out my first saddle valve and water line was clogged with gunk at the valve. I had to install a new one so now there is water. I could swear I heard the click a couple of times on my first test but I'm not sure.

When the solenoid tripped the first time without water, could that have damaged it?

No, having no water won't damage it.. however, if you ran two "hot" wire... R and HUM to it, it may of damage it.

If it don't work with how it should be wired, then you need to find a meter to check for power to it.

Wired up the transformer. The board had a connection for a 120v HUM and then connected the white to a cluster of hot connectors. Wired the humidifier only to test the unit and it works. It came on when the fan came on??? That's weird, it's not connected to C, just power. I'm thinking HUM 120v is direct wired to the fan switch somehow? I then wired the H-Stat together with one wire from the humidifier, then the 2nd wire from the humidifier to the transformer, then connected a wire from the transformer to C (Honeywell directions), then the last wire from the H-stat to C. Nope...didn't work. How do I wire up the H-stat to switch off the humidifier? If I leave the H-stat out of the loop then I will get too humid. Suggestions? Honeywell's directions suck!:mad:

I'm thinking one wire from the stat should go to C and then the other to the transformer maybe with both humidifier wires going to the transformer? Or, The humidistat goes to 24V Hum and C while the humidifier goes to the transformer only since 120v Hum seems to be tied to the fan control somehow?
The plot thickens.:help:

Or, and this might work, Don't use Hum 24v or C. I'll wire the H-stat to the humidifier and the transformer and the humidifer the same.

Wired up the transformer. The board had a connection for a 120v HUM and then connected the white to a cluster of hot connectors.
No.. White wire from the transformer must go the the neutral side of the system. Not hot.


Wired the humidifier only to test the unit and it works. It came on when the fan came on???
Is the white wire from your above post on the neutral side, and you are calling it "Hot"?
It powers up any time the blower comes on.

That's weird, it's not connected to C, just power. I'm thinking HUM 120v is direct wired to the fan switch somehow?
C is no longer needed.. it's being used on the transformer itself.

If you use the board itself (it uses the furnace's low voltage), you wire it as I show it to you in my drawing.

if you wire in the transformer, then you use the two screws on the trasnsformer itself, stay away from the board's low voltage hook up! use of transformer should be like this below.
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5061/imgp0383up4.jpg

I am an idiot. I was using 4/18 wire which is fine as long as you use the same color of wire on both ends of the same wire. At some point I switched colors on the H-stat. Dooh! (This would explain why I didn't fry something when I was experimenting with other terminals). Since I already wired up the transformer, I decided to use it and take the load off the existing transformer. In the end, 1 wire from the H-stat went to 1 wire on the humidifier and 1 wire went to the transformer from each. Apparantly the HUM 120v connection is connected to the fan relay since it seems to only activate the humidifier on the heating cycle. The humidifier shuts off when the heat goes off and the blower fan comes on in sequence to blow out residual warm air like its supposed to. It seems to be working fine now. Beer 4U2 :thumbup: ;):fpost::bad poster:GI2

No.. White wire from the transformer must go the the neutral side of the system. Not hot.

Yeah, that's what I meant. I get confused sometimes and apparantly color blind. It was plugged in next to all the other white wires so that was hard to miss.


Is the white wire from your above post on the neutral side, and you are calling it "Hot"?
It powers up any time the blower comes on.


C is no longer needed.. it's being used on the transformer itself.

I figured C on the transformer is what I needed. The diagram from Honeywell says something different and appears to involve a 5th wire. Good thing I screwed up early and switched my wire colors or something would have fried.

If you use the board itself (it uses the furnace's low voltage), you wire it as I show it to you in my drawing.

Skipped it after I found my mistake since the transformer was already wired in. Any benefit in using the board instead?

if you wire in the transformer, then you use the two screws on the trasnsformer itself, stay away from the board's low voltage hook up! use of transformer should be like this below.
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5061/imgp0383up4.jpg

I didn't think I was right mixing the transformer with the board. I got that idea from Honeywell's instructions and decided against it after I wrote down realizing how retraded that would have been. I usually work on cars. When I screw up with a car I usually just blow a fuse casuing no harm. This is a little different :rolleyes:.

Apparantly the HUM 120v connection is connected to the fan relay since it seems to only activate the humidifier on the heating cycle. The humidifier shuts off when the heat goes off and the blower fan comes on in sequence to blow out residual warm air like its supposed to. It seems to be working fine now. Beer 4U2 :thumbup: ;):fpost::bad poster:GI2

Whew! I was ready to climb into the screen and help ya!

Glad you got it going now!

To whoever reads this thinking they are in over there heads on an install: Be aware of your wire colors (or just have the proper 2 color wire I should have had in the first place). Be sure your saddle valve is working and supplying water. My hose from the water was also clogged. Just unscrew it and blow through it to be sure it will supply water. That's what caused all of this. And....Honeywell's wiring directions suck. They need serious updating for today's furnaces. From what I've read, they're a little lacking on some of the old stuff too. Happy home improving and thanks for your help Jay11J:eek:. Although I discovered my own stupidity, your diagrams, pics and explanations helped to remind me the need to back track and keep trouble shooting. I wired this thing at least 10 times before I started from the very beginning at the switch were I made my mistake. :thinker:

Honeywell's wiring directions suck. They need serious updating for today's furnaces.

The biggest reason why Honeywell don't have it wired out like we have done it that they want to keep the home owners DIY'er out of the furnace control board to prevent any major issues that may fire up.

Also, the drawing is basic, and there are no "correct" way of where everything goes.

I have two HE260's and getting ready to install them on my homes two Lennox Merit Series Funaces. This thread has been very helpful in trying to understand the wiring proceedure. I have a dumb question, do you remove the jacket from the red and white wire that came with the install kit or just leave one of the wires unconnected when hooking up to the H-stat and Humidifier?

Also, the way my furnaces are laid-out, the bypass connection to the warm side will be about 12" higher than the humidifier itself. Is this OK? I read somewhere that you want them both on the same plane to ensure good airflow.

I have a dumb question, do you remove the jacket from the red and white wire that came with the install kit or just leave one of the wires unconnected when hooking up to the H-stat and Humidifier?
There is never a dumb question. You just cut the wire to the location you are making connection, and strip the wires back and wire nut it.

Also, the way my furnaces are laid-out, the bypass connection to the warm side will be about 12" higher than the humidifier itself. Is this OK? I read somewhere that you want them both on the same plane to ensure good airflow.

That is fine, as long you got a good path of air flow, you can go anywhere.

Mine 90˚ up, twist and turn to get to the duct above. I used semi-ridged pipe.

Thanks Jay. Regarding the wire jacket issue, I meant do you separate the red and white wire? Also, does this wiring diagram look right? I will be using the 24V transformer that came with the unit.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/a3a92043c4.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

Or, how about this?

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/bd7c7ab795.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

Thanks Jay. Regarding the wire jacket issue, I meant do you separate the red and white wire? Also, does this wiring diagram look right?
In a way, yes, but no need to separate all the wires.

I will be using the 24V transformer that came with the unit.
What's the full model # of the furnace, might not need it.


Or, how about this?
No.

Like this.

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/2834/20081202133404ce5.png

Jay,

Thank you, this is perfect. I understand now. I'm at work so don't have the furnace model number handy, but it's the Lennox Merit Series (Tall Boy type). I looked at the manual this past weekend and the diagram for the board in the manual showed the HUM as 120V, but will check again tonight and let you know.

Thank you again, you're help is tremendous.

Hey Jay, the manual says Lennox G40UH(X) Series and here is a scan of the board from the manual. It says 120V. I assume HUM-N is the common?
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/f2485b7f26.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

go ahead and wire the transformer onto the HUM/HUM N.

then wire the low voltage side as shown in my drawing.

Great, thanks Jay. I'll work on it this weekend and report back.

Sounds good.. Will be looking forward to hear back from you.