Indoor Air Quality Control and Monitoring

Humidification

Control Humidification Level (If thermostat has been wired and setup to control a humidifier)

  1. Touch MENU and select Humidification.
    Use the slider bar to select the desired humidity level. Typically this will be a setting between 35 to 55% RH.

  2. Touch Save to save your settings.

  3. If frost or condensation appears on the windows due to too much humidity, enable Window Protection and adjust the level.

Window Protection

Window Protection limits the amount of humidity to prevent frost or condensation on windows. To use Window protection, the X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat must know outdoor temperature from an outdoor sensor or the First Alert App.

The thermostat prevents frost or condensation on windows by not allowing the humidifier to run above a certain level. To prevent frost or condensation, the thermostat may turn off the humidifier before the humidity setting is reached.

You can adjust the Window Protection setting by touching MENU, then select Humidification > Options > Window Protection Level. Window Protection is set on a scale from 1-10. A setting of 10 represents poorly insulated windows and a setting of 1 represents well insulated windows. A higher number automatically reduces the humidity to help prevent frost or condensation on your windows. Use a lower number if indoor air seems too dry. To prevent frost/condensation on your windows during cold outdoor temperatures, poorly insulated windows require a higher Window Protection setting, which will limit how much your humidifier can run. After you set the Window Protection setting, check for frost/condensation on your windows in the morning. If frost/condensation is present, adjust the Window Protection setting to the next higher number and check for frost/condensation on your windows the next morning.

Continue to adjust the Window Protection setting to a higher number until frost/condensation is no longer present. If Window Protection is turned Off, the thermostat controls the humidity level to the user's desired humidity setting. Frost or condensation may appear on windows.

Dehumidification

The thermostat reads the indoor humidity level and allows the user to set a dehumidification setting. The thermostat controls the humidity level using the cooling system or a whole house dehumidifier.

Control Dehumidification Level (If thermostat has been setup to control a dehumidifier or AC with High Speed fan)

  1. Touch MENU and select Dehumidification.

  2. Use the slider to adjust the desired Dehumidification level. Typically this will be a setting below 65% RH.

  3. Touch options if you want to enable/disable the dehumidifier.

    4. When disabled, the display will show off when viewing the dehumidifier setting screen.

  4. Touch Save to save your settings.

Ventilation

The thermostat can be set for the following ventilation types: (Modify Configuration setting 10000)

  • ERV/HRV

  • Fresh Air Damper

Control Ventilation Level

  1. Touch MENU, and select Ventilation. You can check or change the ventilation mode.
    Mode:

    • Auto: Ventilation runs to follow % on time requirements programmed by the installer.

    • Off: Ventilation remains off unless turned on using the timer.

    • Timer: To temporarily turn the ventilator on, use the up arrow to set the number of minutes you want the ventilator to run (0-180 minutes). To cancel a temporary setting, touch “Cancel Timed Ventilation”.

  2. Touch Save to save your settings.

The display will show whether the ventilator is currently running under “Equipment status”.

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring (X8S and X8Q only)

The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat monitors for Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and Humidity. A general air quality level is shown under the temperature reading from the home screen. More detailed readings are shown when Air Quality is selected from the menu. Air Quality is rated as Great, Good, Fair, Poor and Very Poor. A Poor or Very Poor reading doesn't necessarily mean that the air quality presents a hazard. The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat is not a substitute for a dedicated CO2 or VOC sensor and only measures the room in which the thermostat is installed. Alerts at the X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat thermostat are for awareness only.

Some application environments may regularly generate Air Quality alerts from expected conditions such as the natural vapors from carpets and other materials in new construction homes.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide is produced by breathing and from any gas (combustion) appliance such as a gas furnace, gas stove top and/or oven, etc.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are chemicals that can come from common household items like paint, cleaners, and furniture. While it's normal to have some VOCs present in the air, it's good to keep spaces ventilated.

Solutions for poor Indoor Air Quality:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2):

Carbon dioxide is produced by breathing and from any gas (combustion) appliance such as a gas furnace, gas stove top and/or oven, etc. If CO2 is high, it is most likely indicating insufficient ventilation for the number of people in the space. Running the exhaust fan while cooking or opening windows can help in some cases, however if outdoor air quality is poor due to conditions such as forest fires, outdoor barbeques, burning leaves, a window over the vent of a running dryer, etc. then opening a window may be the cause of the poor air quality indoors. If the indoor CO2 is regularly high, Honeywell Home offers whole home ventilation solutions. In most cases proper ventilator will greatly reduce the CO2 levels in a home. These products are sold and installed by HVAC pros. The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat can control a whole home ventilator.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):

VOCs are chemicals that can come from common household items like paint, cleaners, and furniture. While it's normal to have some VOCs present in the air, it's good to keep spaces ventilated. Running the exhaust fan while cooking and opening a window when outdoor air quality is good will help improve air quality. Honeywell Home offers whole home ventilation solutions. In most cases proper ventilator will greatly reduce the VOC levels in a home. These products are sold and installed by HVAC pros. The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat can control a whole home ventilator.

Humidity:

The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat detects the humidity level at the thermostat and/or wireless indoor sensors. The X8S & X8Q Smart Thermostat can control a humidifier or dehumidifier to maintain more comfortable levels of indoor humidity. These products are sold and installed by HVAC pros.

Disabling Air Quality Monitoring on Thermostat:

At the time of the initial thermostat release, the Air quality monitoring cannot be disabled, however there will be an over-the-air update shortly after launch which will allow for this to be turned off if air quality monitoring is not desired. At that time, the firmware on new thermostats will also have this update.

Disable push notifications and email notifications:

The homeowner can disable push notifications and email notifications through the First Alert app. In the app, select the thermostat. Select the Gear icon in lower right. Select Alert management. Scroll down to the Carbon Dioxide and VOC alert options. Adjust those settings as desired.