Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers - Dry Contacts Question for TP-PRHA

I have a TP-PRHA controlling a Honywell TruSteam Humidifier (Carrier Advantage series Hybrid Oil/Heat Pump).

The installer was perplexed on how to install the Trusteam without adding a relay to avoid the dry contact voltage. So, he added the relay, and all works fine.

I see that Option 19 on the stat can be set to OFF which will keep any voltage from being pumped into the humidifier (and frying it) when turning it on/off.

My question is, do I lose anything by keeping the relay there rather than connecting it to the stat terminal, and turning off option 19?

You are fine with how it's wired up now, unless you have variable speed blower on your furnace, then I'd suggest to have it rewired, and then take advantage of the dehumid mode.

In fact the oil furnace is variable speed. What is dehumid mode for?

Thanks!

Dehumid is for the summer month when the humidity is high in the home, it will slow down the blower speed to help remove the humidity from the air.

What model do you have on the furnace?

The Performance™ Variable Speed 80 (58VMR).

Heat pump - 25HPA5

ok, Got everything together, and we can leave how the humidifier is wired up.

This how I'd suggest it should be wired.

T-stat--------Furnace-------HP
Rh/Rc-----------R-------------R
C---------------C-------------C
W1-------------W------------W2
Y---------------Y/Y2------------Y
O---------------O-------------O
G---------------G
D1--------------DH (remove jumper between DH and R)
D2 (Add a jumper to R.

Then Option #19 to 2.

Jay11J, thank you so much for all your help.

I would like to say this new system is very complicated, but also has some incredible features. I am really glad I went with it.

Beer 4U2

Yeah, it can be a complex system, but the variable speed is great!

I have two stage gas w/. variable speed blower and Love it.. I would never go back to a standard blower.

For kicks, I'd like to see what your dip switch settings are on the furnace board, and also all the option settings on the t-stat.

If you tell me how to get to the furnace board, I will write them down.

For the stat - I can write those down too.

I am wondering if the upgrade to the memory card thing is worth it. I think it is $100, and if the internal battery ever goes bad, might be worth having a settings backup....

Thoughts?

Here are the settings on the Stat:

Option Setting
Option 01 hh
Option 02 3
Option 03* F
Option 04 OF
Option 05 L
Option 06 ON
Option 07 OF
Option 08 OF
Option 09 30
Option 10 C
Option 11 2
Option 12 90
Option 13 0
Option 14 8
Option 15 OF
Option 16 4
Option 17 15
Option 18* 1
Option 19 OF
Option 20 0
Option 21* OF
Option 22
Option 23
Option 24* P
Option 25* 4
Option 26 54
Option 27 86
Option 28 OF
Option 29 OF
Option 30* OF
Option 31* ON
Option 32
Option 33 2P
Option 40 ON
Option 41 ON
Option 42 OF
Option 43 OF
Option 44 10
Option 99


Any glaring issues?

If you tell me how to get to the furnace board, I will write them down.
Remove upper panel (burner area), then remove lower panel, you'll see the control board.
Here is the manual (http://www.docs.hvacpartners.com/idc/groups/public/documents/techlit/58vmr-4si.pdf) if you don't have one.

See page 19, Fig. 19, you'll see SW1 to SW4.


I am wondering if the upgrade to the memory card thing is worth it. I think it is $100, and if the internal battery ever goes bad, might be worth having a settings backup....

Yikes! $100? I'd pass on it. it's easy to reprogram it and you already wrote the settings down. So if it did go away, then reset it.

Option 08 OF
I'd set this to 40, there is no need for the oil to come on when it's that mild out.

Option 09 30
I'd be tempted to drop it down to 20.

Option 12 90
Do you use set back in heating mode, or you set it and forget it?

Option 14 8
Is the humidity reading that far off?

Option 16 4
I'd suggest 3.


Option 17 15
I'd suggest 25.

Option 19 OF
Set to 2 once you get it wired up as I suggested.

Option 22
Option 23
No settings on these?

22 and 23 should be OF

Option 43 OF
I'd suggest to be On.


Option 44 10
10? You mean On?

Ok, some questions:

First, can I buy you a beer somehow?

Second:

Option 9 at 20, Is this heat pump efficient under 30? I would think it goes into the defreeze cycle and becomes inefficient.

Option 12 - We set it and forget it

Option 14 - I have been "honing" this with a portable meter, I think 6 would be just right....

Options 22&23 are not available

Option 43 - Is this (electric heat staging) applicable to Hybrid heat?

Option 44 - Should be Off for hybrid, right?

Ok, some questions:

First, can I buy you a beer somehow?
I'll pass on the bear.. Thanks for the offer tho.


Option 9 at 20, Is this heat pump efficient under 30? I would think it goes into the defreeze cycle and becomes inefficient.
No, you still got heat in the air.. Set it and try it out for next year.. If you find out that it can't keep up and oil is kicking in to help out often, then you can go up.


Option 14 - I have been "honing" this with a portable meter, I think 6 would be just right....
6 times an hour is too short of cycle, and you are not getting the full efficiency, and with the short run time nothing has a chance to warm up.


Option 43 - Is this (electric heat staging) applicable to Hybrid heat?
should be off, you don't have electric back up.

Option 44 - Should be Off for hybrid, right?
I reread it, and yes, it should be off.

Dehumid is for the summer month when the humidity is high in the home, it will slow down the blower speed to help remove the humidity from the air.

What model do you have on the furnace?

Jay11J, if you are still there, I had a followup question now that it is getting warmer out and the dehumid sounds good.

Can I use that feature to dehumidify in the summer, and keep the TruSteam hooked up to dehumidify in the winter (during heating)?

Yes, I'm still here.

Wire T-stat's D1 to furnace's DH (remove jumper between DH and R on the furance.)

Add a jumper to R and D2 on t-stat.

Then Option #19 to 2.

you mean humidity for winter, not dehumid?

Yes, humid for winter.

Thanks again!

Right now we are fighting AC problems, where the cfm of the variable speed blower doesn't seem to quite "crank up" if needed, and therefore it does not catch up. My installer came out, and modified some jumper setting that adds 25% cfm, so hopefully that works. Before it just never seemed to really blow out the cold air.

Anyhow, will keep you in tuned, as you have helped so much!

Do you recall what it was set to?

With the new equipment, the air flow is goign to be lower for A/C for better humidity control.

But wouldn't decreased air flow result in lack of cooling?

I think this is what he did to increase cfm's:

Table 11c—58VMR105 Size Dip Switch CFM
Adjustments in All Modes

Set 1/2 to ON/OFF

Created a jumper to add this 24VAC to DH?

From manual page 15 - "In cooling-Dehumidification mode, with no 24 VAC input to DH, the CFM is reduced by 15%"

So essentially, those two settings add 25% more cfm's.

Honestly though, from the settings on the stat, Option 42 is still set to OFF since I have not wired up the TruSteam like you said, so I am wondering if I will even see that additional 15%.....