I installed a Honeywell humidifier over the weekend on my new furnace.It’s a nice unit but the 24v water solenoid is louder than my alarm clock! It sounds like the timer buzzer on the dryer.Anyone else experience this? I’d hate to have to take the thing apart and take it back to HD to get my money back,but the noise level is unacceptable.The dh’s at HVAC-talk say that the cheaper Aprilaires are known for this but that the Honeywells should be quiet 6′ away.I can hear the thing buzzing in the basement when I’m laying in bed upstairs.The air cleaner and VisionPro stat I got from them are excellent but this humidifier noise is frosting my a$$.
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Is it the solenoid by itself, or is the sheet metal amplifying the vibration? If placing both hands on the adjacent sheet metal (a laying on of hands) quiets it (drives out the demons) then glue some cheap linoleum to the sheet metal with contact cement.
You might also try checking to be sure that the solenoid (or the attached pipe) isn't accidentally in contact with a shield or something in the unit. Jam some rubber strips or some such between the attached pipe and any hardware it might contact.
Thankfully, you can't even hear the TV above the noise of the circulating fan in our furnace, so this isn't a problem for us.
Hi Dan,
The solenoid is attached to the plastic frame of the humidifier,no metallic contact.I tried isolating it further with rubber washers but that only made a marginal difference.I e-mailed Honeywell and they wondered if there was more than 24 volts going to it.There isn't.The voltage for the solenoid comes off of their PC board anyway.They said they couldn't send a replacement solenoid because the retailer warrants the product.I'm going to have to take the whole thing apart,put it back in the box,and return it to Home Depot.And get the same thing since I have that sized hole cut in my plenum.Seems like HD gets the $hitty end of the stick here with Honeywell though.A $20 part is messed up,so a $180 humidifier gets thrown away?Seems like the manufacturer should just issue a replacement part.
Barry
Edited 2/15/2005 9:48 pm ET by IBEW Barry
The problem may be the electronics, not the solenoid. If you have a convenient 24VAC source available, try "hot wiring" directly to the solenoid (after removing any other wires going to the solenoid). If the hum is greatly reduced then likely the problem is the electronics feeding a non-sinusoidal waveform, or one that is slightly under-voltage.If this is the problem, interposing a relay between electronics and solenoid will likely solve the problem.
Just as a follow up for anyone else who experiences this problem,I took the humidifier back and got another one,and it's quiet as can be.There is a little bit of fan noise and the sound of water flowing but that's it,the solenoid is silent.
I'll be watching at Home Depot to see if they put the one I returned back on the shelf.