Commissioning MHRV

tails_naf

Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a company/invitational that will commission a MHRV system? I self installed, but from what I hear I should have the flow rates properly calibrated.

Any ideas on roughly how much this would cost also?

JuniorB

Still waiting on ours to be commissioned - for nearly 6 weeks!:mad:
Plumber is dealing with HRV supplier. He tells me it costs €250.

I can tell you there is equipment required to measure flow rates - God knows what it's called. I know it has to be 'sent to England' to get calibrated once a year. And sometimes it's done wrong and has to be sent back And that said company only has one of these machines that all their installers share. And you would think that this equipment cost 10 or 20 grand .... but no ... it costs the sum total of €1000. Too much to have a second one on stand by? The business acumen of some companies absolutely baffles me sometimes.

JB81

Hi Guys

What model of unit did you install?
What type of ducting?
And what part of the country are you in?

Thanks
JB

HPT

Hi all,

I was considering doing a self install of one of these systems.

Would I HAVE to get it calibrated or can I adopt a trial and error method to get it up and running?

Thanks

YourAverageJoe

be carefull, i self installed the ducting and had an awful job getting someone to install the air handling unit. All affriad the ducting is not done right which would mean very hard to comission. If i was doing it again i would get one company to do everything.

CJhaughey

I installed and commissioned mine, I don't think they have to be calibrated. My unit has two speed controllers, one for intake and the other for exhaust, and I run a slight underpressure.
The room vents can also be adjusted to provide more or less airflow and the same for the extract vents, kitchen obviously flows the most, bathrooms next and utility last.
Bedrooms don't need high flow but living areas do.
How would you calibrate a unit anyway? Blower door test on each room with intake/extract vent?

heinbloed

CJhaughey asks:

How would you calibrate a unit anyway? Blower door test on each room with intake/extract vent?

There are EN standards. Contact a professional. All flows in communicating pipes have to be calibrated if the system is supposed to run efficient.

And yes, there are flow meters. And thermometers. And gas detectors.

YourAverageJoe

agree with heinblood. Airflows have to be balanced via the adjustable diffuser in each room or else the system wont run correctly. Also, should you not be running a slight over pressure? Under pressure will suck in cold air from outside via any openings.

soldsold

Sounds like a group buy of an air flow meter would make sense, the ukselfbuild yahoo forum group did a group buy of a plasterboard lifter a number of years ago and the way it works is that you buy a share, you use it, then sell your share as another selfbuilder comes on the forum looking to buy a share. No net cost, little risk as you only risk losing your share if it goes AWOL. The meter gives a Reading and there are standard airflow rates for different rooms based on the room volume and type, easy once you have the spreadsheet - my hrv supplier gave me a copy.

Anyone interested in this PM me, I need access to an airflow meter too soon. moderators I assume this isn't breaking any rules? It sounds like a sensible idea to me

sinnerboy

NICER Training in association with ÉASCA are hosting the January meeting of the Green Building Users' Group.

The meeting will start at 6 pm on Tuesday, 18 January @ the Cultivate Centre. The Cultivate Centre is located at the Green House at 17 St Andrews Street, Dublin 2.

This month's topic is Heat Recovery Ventilation.

Discussion points to include the new IVIA (Irish Ventilation Industry Association), Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV), HRV Unit selection with installation considerations, Airflow, Sizing an MVHR system, Installation examples, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and air tightness, Noise in Systems, Maintenance and Commissioning. Facilitating the meeting will be Ciaron King, from Brink Climate Solutions.

Please feel free to invite your co-workers and colleagues to these meetings. They are open to all in the industry who are interested in green building.

Please join us for what we know will be lively and interesting event! Email booking@nicertraining.ie if you would like to attend. On the day, please text 085 7526618 to be let in if the door is not unlocked.

About time we had an IVIA (Irish Ventilation Industry Association). Heres hoping design and installation standards will rise now.

CJhaughey

YourAverageJoe wrote: »

agree with heinblood. Airflows have to be balanced via the adjustable diffuser in each room or else the system wont run correctly. Also, should you not be running a slight over pressure? Under pressure will suck in cold air from outside via any openings.

I am not so sure that it won't run correctly, mine has been in 5 years and it runs fine! I have no problems with excessive heat loss. Maybe in a big office or a factory you need to correctly balance the vents but in a house? I would say that correct filter maintenance is more important.
Underpressure makes sure that any warm moist air doesn't get forced into the fabric of the house. If the house has openings that are big enough to suck cold air in through, I would be looking at that seperately.
Damp air in your walls can have unpleasant consequences.

heinbloed

Proposed climate change Bill

• Madam, – Frank McDonald’s analysis of the proposed climate change legislation in Ireland makes for depressing reading (Opinion, January 17th). The legislative proposal is itself of limited ambition, with huge concessions already having been made to placate the various lobby groups, but it seems the usual suspects are crying bloody murder (and wolf) in attempt to strip the Bill of any meaning.
  As a former Ibec press officer, it never ceases to amaze me how the Irish media gleefully regurgitates Ibec’s evidence-less arguments that are offered up every time a Government tries to introduce progressive legislation with which Ibec does not agree. Ibec (and its subsidiary trade organisations) is at it again, claiming that the proposed climate legislation will cost jobs, without providing any evidence to back this up as usual. The truth is the opposite: this legislation should spur innovation and create jobs in the growing global green economy.
  Ireland is well positioned to gain from this global shift but not if the disingenuous spin of Ibec and the IFA wins out and holds our country back. – Yours, etc,
  RICHARD MORE O’FERRALL,
  Rue des Boers,
  Brussels, Belgium.

Don't laugh, this is an insiders opinion. From today's Irish times reader's letters page.

The state of being behind the times in the Irish building industry - where the industry sets the standards to which the legal system has to adjust - is going on. Invite them to tell us how things work, where the money goes to......

From 2013 heating systems (incl. HRV, solar ect.) installed in the EU have to be energy rated ( the entire system as installed, not just the boiler)according to EN standards. Similar to the sticker on a fridge. Since in some member states there is simply no competent staff available to set standards of controlling these energy enrgy ratings the industry suggests that the installer can control himself, the NCT carried out and sealed and certified by your local back yard garage. Factory trained of course.

What are the consumers thinking of this? Contact your MEP !