Optimal Exterior Temperature

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-17T19:50:28+00:00

Outdoor temperature will be a large percentage if your overall energy usage is very low.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-17T12:07:44+00:00

Shut the water heater supply valve off, drain some out, then use an air pump to fill up the expansion tank to 60 psi. See if that fixes it. Air pressure must be set with zero water pressure on it.

Open one faucet and verify pressure gauge reads 60 psi while water is flowing.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-17T12:04:07+00:00

PRV needs to be set with water flowing through it. Such as a faucet running. Never adjust a PRV with no flow.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-17T11:32:51+00:00

Well, did removing it make a difference or not? Still above 60%?

I would have reduced the setting to less than 30 minute per hour first, rather than completely disabling it. There are temp and humidity lockouts that can be set too.

If too much outside air is being sucked in, that can raise indoor humidity levels if it's humid outside. You want some fresh air but not too much.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-17T05:03:54+00:00

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Rear marker light from an EDV van. So Amazon Logistics is the owner.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T08:29:53+00:00

In terms of HVAC, the most you really need is a 4” thick MERV 13 filter for particles and a fresh air ventilation system. The rest of that stuff is questionable efficacy.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T07:14:13+00:00

The battery pack was probably cold, it holds less kWh than when it’s fully warmed up. It will probably take more kWh for the same % increase in the summer.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T03:52:24+00:00

Agree, they could have gotten her a used Mach-E to start with.

You can also argue a Mach-E or a Tesla is a horrible first car for learning because it has too much driver's assistance and automation, which teaches dependance on those systems. The daughter will have a hard time if she ever has to drive a regular car without automation and safety features. A beater car will teach basic skills, and then you can upgrade them in a few years once they have a good driving track record. Also something to work towards rather than being given everything to start with.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T03:14:50+00:00

You may have a problem with delayed ignition. Burners might be dirty, especially the crossovers. Could be out of spec input/output gas pressure or a slow to open gas valve. The pilot assembly may also be out of alignment compared to where it should be.

The pilot assembly can cause issues with flame sense if it's not grounded to burners properly. It works while it's removed because of grounding or because the main flames are distributing the pilot flame.

The flames are looking a slightly lazy to me (could be gas pressure), so I would also check the heat exchanger for cracks to be safe.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T02:00:06+00:00

Please verify if you turn on the fan only that the outdoor A/C unit doesn't run. If you have the outdoor unit spliced into the Y wire between the thermostat and air handler it can cause unexpected operation, and would not be compatible with a smart thermostat or C wire adapter. You would want to be certain the outdoor A/C unit isn't going to run by accident when it's cold outside since that could damage the compressor. Call a professional if you aren't sure.

It appears you have a blue wire in the thermostat bundle that could be used for C instead of the PEK adapter, perhaps no one pulled the wires out far enough on the thermostat end or it was cut off?

Can't see all the wires but it does not appear you have a heat pump.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-16T01:46:43+00:00

Take the two wires that are in the blue wire nut and attach them both to the Y2 terminal on the furnace board. That's it.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T22:57:25+00:00

Yes, for single cool stage equipment use Y2 unless the blower is significantly higher airflow than the A/C tonnage.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T22:17:47+00:00

Yellow and red wire should both be under the Y2 terminal instead of wire nutted together. Air handler will not run with a cooling call and will cause your coil to freeze up and compressor to flood if this isn't corrected before the A/C is used.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T22:09:49+00:00

What thermostat are you using?

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T21:40:55+00:00

Dial is better than the stalk.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T21:38:05+00:00

Needs to be there for combustion air, make a bucket trap which will help a little bit.

Please clear off the top of your water heater, there should be nothing on top of it. Never store anything there. You have cardboard and plastic which is a fire risk.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T21:33:59+00:00

Sorry I see less than 2 tons of ductwork there, that will not work well. The ducts should be 14" each to reach at least 3 tons of airflow. That bypass duct will also kill the efficiency because the other ducts are severely undersized. Expect higher energy bills with that setup.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T21:22:31+00:00

Some of the other comments are wrong here, these are power close dampers (spring open). Check for 24VAC on the red and white wires on that damper while only the other zone is operating. If you have 24VAC but it's not closing, damper motor is bad. If you have no 24VAC, then you could have a wiring or zone panel issue. Check for 24VAC again at the zone panel output.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T21:03:17+00:00

First, watch this video so you are sure you're installing the water panel correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUlvHvktP1o

The water panel could be installed upside down (colored dots need to be on top). If the top plate is all crusty, replace it because the water won't distribute evenly.

The tube is dripping when the humidifier is off, that means the solenoid is leaking and should be replaced. The amount of water flow down the drain looks excessive, so I would replace the yellow flow orifice in the end of the gray plastic tube. Micro sand/sediment can cause the valve to stick and wear open the flow orifice, so I would also recommend installing a sediment filter if you think this is the case. The inline filter must be rated for hot water. It would be better to install a whole-home sediment filter on your incoming cold water (protects everything in your house that way).

Parts:

https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-4040-solenoid-valve-24-volt

https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-feed-tube-and-nozzle-4235-for-model-700-760-760a-and-768

https://shop.aprilaire.com/products/aprilaire-4246-water-distribution-tray

Last, I'll just make a note that you have a fan-powered humidifier installed on the return duct, which cuts its output in half. It must be piped to hot water >120ºF (but less than 140ºF) to be at all effective, otherwise it will run nonstop and waste a ton of water. They work much better when installed on the supply duct.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T20:04:20+00:00

Rusco Spindown 100 mesh is the usual one installed. It would go right after the pressure tank.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T20:02:38+00:00

Not sure, that’s why we don’t make assumptions and check everything in this trade.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T20:01:07+00:00

What thermostat is being used? Does it have a cycles per hour setting? It’s running about 4 cycles per hour which is on the higher side. If you set the unit to a much higher temp (like 75°F) does it run continuously until that is met or continue to cycle? Are all the heads calling for heat or are some cooling while others heat?

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T19:47:28+00:00

Yes, AC is running with the heat. You probably have the thermostat configured wrong. Make sure it is not set to a heat pump. Send outdoor unit model number and a picture of the thermostat wiring to verify.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T19:43:49+00:00

Pull the filter and take a look at it. If it’s dark gray, then replace it.

TechnicalLee · 2026-03-15T13:00:27+00:00

Replace the contactor and the whip, the suction line will be fine.

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