Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers - Honeywell HE260 w/ Trane air handler

I want to install the 260 w/o the sail switch on Trane mdl. TWE031E130. In the installers guide for the handler it states "if optional humidistat is used, remove R-BK jumper and install the humidistat between R and BK. (Jumper R to O for cooling-only/non-heat pump systems with a humidistat.)" My question being is this telling me I can eliminate the sail switch and if so how do i wire it? To me the sail switch seems like nothing but trouble down the road. Thanks

In the installers guide for the handler it states "if optional humidistat is used, remove R-BK jumper and install the humidistat between R and BK. (Jumper R to O for cooling-only/non-heat pump systems with a humidistat.)"
That set up is used for the cooling side to control the blower speed.


I am afraid you are going to have to use the sail switch. Every other year, I'd suggest to remove the sail to make sure it's clean and good shape.

Thank you for your quick response. I have great respect for your expertise (been reading your replies for the past two weeks) in this arena but in looking at the wiring diagram for this air handler, of which I am no expert, it only seems logical to me that there has to be a way to control the humidistat w/o a sail switch. I've been wrong more times than I care to mention in my 59 years but please accept that I am one of those guys that needs to know why. Thanks and keep up the great work.

I've been wrong more times than I care to mention in my 59 years but please accept that I am one of those guys that needs to know why.

Glad to help out here.

The BK and Humidistat you see is for the cooling side of the system to help remove the humidity on a humid summer months.

Your air handler has a variable speed blower, and there is a large range for speed that the blower can run, so with the BK, the humidistat can tell the blower that it's humid in the home, and needs to slow down to help remove the humidity.

Not sure if your air handler is set up in Comfort-R (enhanced mode) or not, but if it is, this what happens on call for cool.

Blower runs 50% speed for a min to help get the coil cold.

Then blower ramps up to 80% speed for about 8 min, slower air flow will allow the air to pass the coil slower to remove the humidity from the air.

After 8 min, the blower then goes to full speed as what the dip switch is set up for your A/C tonnage, and CFM per ton.

Now if the humidistat was added to the BK, it will go back and forth on 80% speed as needed for humidity removal.

So, that is what you are seeing, and what it is for.

I have my variable speed Trane furnace tied to it, and in the summer, the house is never over 45% (Unless it cool and rainy out), and I run my A/C at 76˚ instead of the 72˚ in the past.

Thanks for the explanation. I'll sleep better now and tomorrow I'll install a sail switch. Thanks again.