Installation of HRV System

BoozyBabe

Hi, I didn't want to hijack the other thread as my questions are slightly different.

I'm building a 2storey detached 2550-2600sq ft (still growing in size!! :eek:) block house.

I'm considering putting in HRV. I'm also hoping to use my attic as extra floor space.

I've still to see one of these systems in operation, so I was hoping those of you with it installed could answer a few questions for me.

Does the heat exchanger & ducting take up a lot of space in the attic?
Can it be pushed over to one corner of the attic, or should it be left centrally?
Will it raise the floor area (& therefore reduce headroom) in the attic by much?
Is it noisey? (Can you describe something it's similar to)
How much thicker does the floor between ground & 1st floor have to be in order to install it?
How do you get the ducting from the 1st floor to the ground floor? Do you need 2 thick internal walls, or do you use the hotpress or what?
Roughly what's the diameter of the ducting?
How much did it cost to install?
How much does it cost on electricity to run?
Do you think it was worth it?

Lots of questions I know, & sorry. I'm trying to find a few peoples houses to visit, who have installed it, but in the mean time, answering some of these questions would make things a lot clearer to me.

Thanks,
BB

holdfast

firstly you need to know how air tight your house is before thinking about puttin one in. If you have build the house to air tight and expect to get an air rate change of 3 it will be worht while.

BoozyBabe

Thanks Holdfast.
Yes, I know about the air-tightedness, but I was hoping more for some info on the physical side of installing such a system, & the costs involved given the house IS airtight & gets an air rate change of 3.

Jill

WE are also considering installing a heat receovery system - have got various quotes for a 2200 sq ft house which range from 7k to 8k...

Really don't know what to look for - can anyone recommend a supplier/ type of unit or some information on what we should be looking for

Thansk

CJhaughey

We have a Temovex unit which does not sit in the attic, the unit is on the round floor and looks like a very skinny fridge in the corner of the utility room.
It is about as loud as a fridge.
The ductwork in a well designed system will vary in diameter according to the type of room it is being installed in, for example our living room has 150mm ducting feeding air and similarly the kitchen/bathrooms have the same diameter extracting.
The bedrooms upstairs however have only 100mm feeding them as they are not in use as much and so not need the same airflow as a room that is used more actively.
We were able to fit most of the ducting in the floor between 1st and 2nd floors.
The cost of install was 2 days with myself and a mate who had never installed this before:)
Power consumption is ~30w
Would I install it again? Absolutely! the house is always fresh and dry clothes dry in a day.
In fact they should be mandatory IMO.
Without a HRV how does a modern house breathe? holes in the wall?
I cannot recommend it highly enough, that said I know of some people who were disappointed with their systems as far as noise transmission and running noise were concerned.
Ours came with our Scanhome but I think that they sell the units as standalone systems as a well make sure that you ask about mufflers if you are speccing a system, ours has 2 different types for extract and supply and they really help to stop noise from being transmitted around the house.

Jill

CJ - THansk for that - I checked that site and they will do a supply only for non scan homes...

When you said you know some people who were not happy with noise levels from their units - do you know what type of unit they were running

Also what would you estimate the running cost of the unit to be?

CJhaughey

Jill

There was a thread in either this subforum or the C+P or maybe DIY not sure which, a guy had an attic mounted unit and it was making noise,he didn't specify the brand.
Personally I think having a unit sitting on the floor has much less potential for resonance due to most floors being solid.
Another colleague I work with has an air to water heat pump and has also got problems with noise from the ductwork.
I lagged all mine with fibreglass wool, horrible job but really effective at stopping heat loss and sound transmission.
Not sure what the exact running cost is, never put a meter on it.
specs are something like 60w maximum.
If it was expensive to run I would still have it for the fresh, dry air it provides.