Ventilation for old bungalow

WYTAWillis

I live in a typical 1980's bungalow and want to improve the air quality - appreciate some advice from experienced people out there. The house is not airtight so I'm wondering what the best approach is. Insulation levels are reasonable - cavities have been pumped and windows are DG pvc. No wall vents, only trickle vents in the windows. No open firplaces, solid fuel stove in living room. Main heating is external condensing oil boiler. Total floor area is approx. 150sm. and house has a B3 BER.

The problems I want to 'cure' are a) poor air quality - stale air / smells b) some bedrooms prone to a little mould.

Some of my thoughts / questions are:

1) Are HRV systems suitable as efficiency is low in Irish climate and the house is not airtight.

2) Are heatpump ventilation systems any good and are they expensive to run

3) Are solar systems effective in Ireland

4) Are demand control systems worth the cost

5) Any good designers / companies that I should talk to

6) Anything else I should be considering

BryanF

1. Make it air-tight, then it will be efficient ans suitable for an Irish climate.
2. You need to read around the forum and determine this for yourself. You are mixing heat pumps and ventilation systems up here.
3. Yes
4. Yes
Yes
Lots

WYTAWillis

Thanks for the reply but I was hoping for a little more detail, e.g. any recommendations for good companies to talk to. Should have mentioned I am in north Tipp.

Is it really practical to make an old house airtight? My impression is that this would be quite difficult.

Also I am not mixing up anything, there are ventilation systems that use heatpumps to transfer heat to incoming air from the exhaust. They also add heat to the air but they may be expensive to run? I can't post hyperlinks but if you google "Lossnay Ventilation with Ducted Heat Pump Solution" you will find examples.

BryanF

WYTAWillis wrote: »

Thanks for the reply but I was hoping for a little more detail, e.g. any recommendations for good companies to talk to. Should have mentioned I am in north Tipp.

Is it really practical to make an old house airtight? My impression is that this would be quite difficult.

Also I am not mixing up anything, there are ventilation systems that use heatpumps to transfer heat to incoming air from the exhaust. They also add heat to the air but they may be expensive to run? I can't post hyperlinks but if you google "Lossnay Ventilation with Ducted Heat Pump Solution" you will find examples.

If yiu want detail, get 3 quotes from an experienced arch/arch tech local to you with retrofit experience. Also refer to the nsai retro-fit guidelines and passive house guidlines.

If you think it will be difficult to retro-fit air-tightness in a standard bungalow forget mvhr and integrated heat pump. Air-tightness and insulation can easily be achieved on such a property assuming the right methods and personnel are involved.

Apologies I assumed you were mixing things up, No point in ion installing Eco bling to pimp out a leaking sieve - a Fabric first approach is best.

IMO Unless you achieve passive levels of retrofit you will not have an efficient heat pump based mvhr system.

MicktheMan

WYTAWillis wrote: »

The house is not airtight. No wall vents, only trickle vents in the windows. No open firplaces, solid fuel stove in living room. Main heating is external condensing oil boiler. Total floor area is approx. 150sm. and house has a B3 BER.

How do you know its not airtight? Have you had it tested?
How much oil do you use a year?
How much solid fuel do you burn per year?

WYTAWillis wrote: »

1) Are HRV systems suitable as efficiency is low in Irish climate and the house is not airtight.

2) Are heatpump ventilation systems any good and are they expensive to run

3) Are solar systems effective in Ireland

4) Are demand control systems worth the cost

5) Any good designers / companies that I should talk to

6) Anything else I should be considering

1. no point in mvhr if not air tight. Irish climate has nothing to do with efficiency.
2. no idea
3. solar thermal is a waste if you already have an efficient hot water producing appliance and set up (condensing oil boiler). Solar PV might be depending on a number of things incl non-existent fit.
4. might be, again can't say without a proper survey
5. yes
6. As bryanF said, consider a fabric first approach and educate yourself before considering "eco-bling"

WYTAWillis wrote: »

Is it really practical to make an old house airtight? My impression is that this would be quite difficult.

Define "practical". I live in a 1970's bungalow. When we bought it we couldn't heat it past 18 degC all down to lack of airtightness. It is now very close to passive air tightness. We were able to do it by first understanding all the airtight weaknesses and addressing them in a planned manner. Difference in the house is unreal.

WYTAWillis

BryanF - I intend to get quotes, I am looking for recommendations on who to contact. I will check out the nsai guides but 'passive house' and '1980's bungalow' are world's apart in my mind. Maybe I will get some tips though.

MicktheMan - No I have not tested airtightness, just assumed that since it was built in a time before that concept (and by part-time builder / farmer / odd job men afaik) that there would be plenty of leaks. Maybe it is not as bad as I think, makes sense to check it first and find out where the problems are.

Thanks both for pointing out the fabric first approach, will start there.

Heating the house is not a problem, just the air quality - do you have any suggestions for other ways to improve it?

Calahonda52

WYTAWillis wrote: »

Heating the house is not a problem, just the air quality - do you have any suggestions for other ways to improve it?

As the doc would say: what symptoms present that make u want to focus on air quality. Is this a Blazing Saddles issue
* Does the stove has either its own dedicated external air supply or a permanent room vent?
* Do u have a kitchen extractor fan
bathroom fans?
In haus dogs, cats, or other?
Do u have mould issue?
Tumbler dryer not vented outside
Clothes dried infront of stove


* have MHRV implications

WYTAWillis

Sorry, don't get the Blazing Saddles reference - long time since I saw it

I do have (3) dogs & (2)cats so they are part of the problem. Symptoms are stale smelly air and two end bedrooms get a little mould near ceiling.

The stove does not have a dedicated air supply, relying on window vent for that but I know it needs better. There is an extractor in the kitchen but not in the bathroom. Tumble dryer is in the garage and vented and clothes are not dried in front of the fire.