Hrv

caitb1

Well guys wats the story with heat recovery system has any1 hav it a few years and how is it goin, I'm kinda scared of havin the house airtight

MicktheMan

I wouldn't be without it.:)

caitb1

Probably a stupid question but wat happens when there's a power cut, when the house is airtight does it not cause problems n the house with no air

MicktheMan

Have had several power cuts over the years and never had an issue. You can always crack a few windows open, if needed.

caitb1

If it happens in the night and we are all asleep will we suffocate?

KCross

caitb1 wrote: »

If it happens in the night and we are all asleep will we suffocate?

Are you being serious!?

An "airtight" house isnt actually airtight. You strive to get as close to airtight as you can but ultimately air still gets in and out without HRV being on. Rest assured you wont suffocate. The air will get stale and you will see condensation on windows but you wont die while you sleep!

caitb1

Yes I'm serious was gonna ask my engineer but it's one of them questions that u wanna ask but feel silly askin 😂 how does every1 find the heat recovery? We goin putting in solar panels and oil with it as can't afford the underfloot heating

josip

We have HRV now for the last 5 years.
It's very good, even though our house isn't new build airtight.
We've sealed up the vents, removed the fireplace, have new windows and doors and sealed up joist ends, socket conduits, all the usual places.
It's very good for keeping the humidity down, we always dry clothes indoors on a dryer and there are no problems with condensation/mould.
Did I mention that we've no spiders in the house?
We've very little dust.
It's just so "the same" 12 months of the year

Calahonda52

caitb1 wrote: »

If it happens in the night and we are all asleep will we suffocate?

More of a concern is to make sure you have functioning smoke and CO alarms, with battery backups in case of a power cut.
Me thinks you are taking the Micheal here:(

caitb1

Honestly I'm not. Its easier ask questions behind a screen than to someone's face wen i no they wud be lookin at me wondering us serious jus like some of ye guys, we jus got r site transfered and we are going putting n hrv because my hubby wants to. I'm jus abit sceptical and a worrier

BryanF

caitb1 wrote: »

Honestly I'm not. Its easier ask questions behind a screen than to someone's face wen i no they wud be lookin at me wondering us serious jus like some of ye guys, we jus got r site transfered and we are going putting n hrv because my hubby wants to. I'm jus abit sceptical and a worrier

May I suggest the way to be convinced is to see SEVERAL homes with Mvhr , any good supplier should help- as should your arch.

Minty1212

We have built a very energy efficient house following the Passive House principle as close as possible.

Having a MHRV system is a core need for this principle our house is very air tight 0.9 m³/hr/m².

The house always feels dry and clean. Having filters in the MHRV unit also helps keeping dust down. You have to change these filters regularly every 6 to 12 months. Mine are very cheap less then €25 for 10.

Clothes and dishes left on the drainer dry much quicker.

Its a nice feeling have fresh clean filtered air coming into your house 24/7

Hope this helps

M

caitb1

Minty1212 wrote: »

We have built a very energy efficient house following the Passive House principle as close as possible.

Having a MHRV system is a core need for this principle our house is very air tight 0.9 m³/hr/m².

The house always feels dry and clean. Having filters in the MHRV unit also helps keeping dust down. You have to change these filters regularly every 6 to 12 months. Mine are very cheap less then €25 for 10.

Clothes and dishes left on the drainer dry much quicker.

Its a nice feeling have fresh clean filtered air coming into your house 24/7

Hope this helps

M

25e for 10 is great value the ones hrv that we have seen is 40 for two or 60 for 2

josip

caitb1 wrote: »

25e for 10 is great value the ones hrv that we have seen is 40 for two or 60 for 2

Ours would be similarly priced.
Our installer said that we don't need to change them every time.
He suggested taking them out every 6 months for a good beating.hoovering and replacing them every 18 months.

Minty1212

The price includes postage from Germany to me in Ireland.

M

caitb1

Minty1212 wrote: »

The price includes postage from Germany to me in Ireland.

M

do you order them from germany

Wegian

All

Dragging the most recent thread.
I am sold on the idea for our new build but now at the stage where I need to decide which one - Brink, ProAir, BEAM, Vent Axia, Frankische Profi-air, Zender

There is a huge difference in price between them all, up to 3.5K difference which is not far off double price.

Any feedback on good / poor performance would be appreciated?
Are the Rolls Royce models / vendors worth the additional $?

Calahonda52

The design, installation, and commissioning of the system are more important in many respects than the the actual unit.
Who is doing that for you?
Have you decided on the ducting layout?
Are you having summer bypass?
Are you fitting a chilling unit?
Have u decided on the location of the unit, the air intake/exhaust?

I have posted plenty elsewhere on this forum about these issues

Wegian

Calahonda52 wrote: »

The design, installation, and commissioning of the system are more important in many respects than the the actual unit.
Who is doing that for you?
Have you decided on the ducting layout?
Are you having summer bypass?
Are you fitting a chilling unit?
Have u decided on the location of the unit, the air intake/exhaust?

I have posted plenty elsewhere on this forum about these issues

The design, installation, and commissioning of the system are more important in many respects than the the actual unit.
Who is doing that for you? - I would expect this to be done by the experts / the vendor I choose

Have you decided on the ducting layout? - Each Vendor designs their own system but ducting goes from flexible round to solid oval to solid round in order of increasing cost

Are you having summer bypass? - again, additional functionality with increased costs units

Are you fitting a chilling unit? - no

Have u decided on the location of the unit, the air intake/exhaust? - will look for recommendations from Vendor, most likely adjacent walls of the Utility room

Do you have any recommendations on the units outlined above?
I can also share the vendors / installers if that would help with recommendation?

josip

Very happy with the supplier (PM sent) we chose.
5 years later it's running fine.
Been serviced twice.
Solid ducting everywhere. 3 bed semi-d.
No bypass or chilling.

rolion

Hi,

I did a MHRV as DIY,myself only,after reading and viewing a lot of information.
You can follow the adventure HERE .

Picked-up info from all installers and then did it in pieces,with the best parts from each,combined to suit my live style,home and budget.

The central UNIT: the best unit on the market,and i really mean it.
If ANYONE here finds me and matches a better one than my unit,is very lucky!

Most important element is the cabling,type and fitting.
My internal cable is round,flexible and with antistatic / antibacterial treatment built-in. External cable,with proper insulation and protection.

Manifolds with built-in sound and noise protection isulation,avoiding surprises from adjacent rooms and assure constant flow of air,at an acceptable noise level.
Intake / exhaust ceilling mounted units are fixed and not variable,as once you fix it and adjust the air flow in the manifold,seal the cabling and enjoy constant air flow.

I will not get an unit without the Sumer by-pass,as the inside vs outside temperature reaches an uncomfortable levels,you will have a need to swap the settings !

Get yourself few quotations and then see if they can change it to suit you and not their sales or tchnical department(S).
What i found is that they will sell whatever they feel comfortable selling or supporting after.
Do not compromise on quality,is not easy to change after is installed !

PS
I can describe the feelings when in the morning,you are hit with a fresh and cold air !

Wegian wrote: »

The design, installation, and commissioning of the system are more important in many respects than the the actual unit.
Who is doing that for you? - I would expect this to be done by the experts / the vendor I choose

Have you decided on the ducting layout? - Each Vendor designs their own system but ducting goes from flexible round to solid oval to solid round in order of increasing cost

Are you having summer bypass? - again, additional functionality with increased costs units

Are you fitting a chilling unit? - no

Have u decided on the location of the unit, the air intake/exhaust? - will look for recommendations from Vendor, most likely adjacent walls of the Utility room

Do you have any recommendations on the units outlined above?
I can also share the vendors / installers if that would help with recommendation?

JonathonS

rolion wrote: »

Most important element is the cabling,type and fitting. My internal cable is round,flexible and with antistatic / antibacterial treatment built-in. External cable,with proper insulation and protection.

Hi Rolion, I am assuming that when you say cabling you mean ducting?

I am not clear on your comment on external ducting, please explain this point.

MicktheMan

Wegian wrote: »

All

Dragging the most recent thread.
I am sold on the idea for our new build but now at the stage where I need to decide which one - Brink, ProAir, BEAM, Vent Axia, Frankische Profi-air, Zender

There is a huge difference in price between them all, up to 3.5K difference which is not far off double price.

Any feedback on good / poor performance would be appreciated?
Are the Rolls Royce models / vendors worth the additional $?

I have a Proair system now for more than 8 years and cannot fault it. It does what it says on the tin and I read that they have received PH certification now.
As other have said, design / installation / commisioning / maintenance are critical to success.

rolion

JonathonS wrote: »

Hi Rolion, I am assuming that when you say cabling you mean ducting?

I am not clear on your comment on external ducting, please explain this point.

Sorry,you're right
There is a type of ducting connecting external vents to the central unit then to manifold VERSUS a different internal ducting for the connection of manifold to internal vents.

I will not feel safe knowing that my family breathe 24/7 trough some metal pipes.I stand to be corrected,but i havent read too much about it as the flexible straight plastic antistatic/antybacterial pipes impress me first.
How do you clean the cornered metal shaped ducting ?

There is lots of information online.
Try to see / read end users feedback and not only sales speech.

Enjoy it.



PS:
I like this post,not mine,no relation:


MHRV

pros.
1. controlled ventilation system independent of outside wind and pressure.
2. Air quality and filtration.
3. steady stable heat delivery.
4. Humidity reduction (very important for Ireland with av RH of over 80%
5. Heat recovery.
6. Can deliver heat through the ventilation system for near passive spec. removing the need for radiators, you can just put some underfloor in tiles areas and maybe a couple of towel rails and the MHRV will distribute
7. can run at multiple speeds depending on occupancy c02 meters.
8. Feels fresh inside.
9. Cost neutral over 4 years.
10. New part F ventilation requirement means 4% bigger hole in wall vents.
11. can halve space heating bills.
12. adds future proof value to house, even if you just install the ducts now, as if you sell it in ten years, the market will want MHRV.
13. Improves BER asset rating if combined with airtighness below 3 ach@50pa

cons.
1. Cant use open fire must use room sealed stove( why would you use an open fire)
2. Filters need cleaning twice a year (suppose you cant do that with your lungs0
3. perception of risk of mould growth in ductwork. This is due to early installers using flexi's for main ducts instead of metal ducts. However generally if ducts are insulated where fresh air is brought in, mould cannot happen because of reduced humidity.
4. dosent work with our speculator based construction methods of build it cheap and feck off. Therefore hole in the wall vents seem more economical at build stage when occupancy costs are ignored.
5. Most self builders use substandard designers and builders who dont understand that energy efficiency can be incorporated at zero cost with a little bit of planning. For bolla sake, lettin engineers design houses! madness. Moreover to be a builder in Ireland all you need is a Navarra and a mobile phone, a plumber needs a four year aprenticeship and his papers.
6. Only makes sence to homebuilders as part of an integrated systems approach to building comfort. Dosent work for eejits who throw up a building reg standard house with chimneys and vents. 'oh i've only got €240k to build my one off, that means I can only go with cavity with kingspan, chimney, wall vent, massive oil boiler, 3000 square foot, with corridors everywhere. maybe stick on a ecobling heat pump to an inefficient house.' The problem is our designers and builders havent a clue. The people building efficient passive or near passive houses are self builders who have gone and done the research themselves and realised that spending on insulation and airtightness instead makes sence.

Mar 1, 2010

josip

rolion, those Cons look like they were written by a HRV salesman

Wegian

Thanks for the feedback. Met with one of the suppliers and I was impressed so I think my mind is made up

rolion

Wegian wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback. Met with one of the suppliers and I was impressed so I think my mind is made up

Great...can you share the rationale behind your decision,please !?

rolion

Well,2 years passed and a new kid is on the market !
I read this article HERE and then this one HERE...that unit really looks and works great ...if you get the ducting deployed correctly !

Wegian

My rationale:
I shortlisted 3 Models based on
- Price: Low, Mid, High points in the range
- Customer experience, people I know who have each installed
I could not empirically assess the quality of the product from a mechanical / electrical point of view to assess longevity, I didn’t have enough info / expertise
Comparing specs from an air change point of view and efficiency point of view I didn’t see a huge difference – although the pricier ones advertise greater Heat Recovery efficiency
What I did find was a significant difference in the levels of controls between the units, the ability of the user to set the unit up for different modes. Eg: The one at the lower end of the range has 2 modes
1) Steady state (balanced at commissioning)
2) Boost (for extra extract for bathrooms / kitchen)
My conclusion was that I wanted a unit to ventilate the house and I wasn’t willing to pay extra for additional controls which I don’t think I will need. I would prefer to pay that money on insulation / air tightness / sanitary ware / fancy candles / take your pick

Calahonda52

Wegian wrote: »

My conclusion was that I wanted a unit to ventilate the house and I wasn’t willing to pay extra for additional controls which I don’t think I will need.

Thats all find and dandy but is perhaps a little shortsighted.

The incremental costs of the controls are exactly how much?

Have you done the payback math on using the higher efficiency ones, maybe the PHPP approved kits?

I have posted extensively here on this topic recently, including links to 3rd party reports.

if the design gets compromised and the design flow rates are up near the max due to poor duct size selection and location and perhaps no silencers or poorly selected, with only two speeds you may well find yourself lying awake at 03:00 after a bad curry listening to it and saying why did i not, or worse the OH asking ...

Its not as simple fix as a new coat of paint in a room

josip

Calahonda52 wrote: »

if the design gets compromised and the design flow rates are up near the max due to poor duct size selection and location and perhaps no silencers or poorly selected

Are these design mistakes only possible if the HRV system has basic controls?

Wegian

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Thats all find and dandy but is perhaps a little shortsighted.

The incremental costs of the controls are exactly how much?

Have you done the payback math on using the higher efficiency ones, maybe the PHPP approved kits?

I have posted extensively here on this topic recently, including links to 3rd party reports.

if the design gets compromised and the design flow rates are up near the max due to poor duct size selection and location and perhaps no silencers or poorly selected, with only two speeds you may well find yourself lying awake at 03:00 after a bad curry listening to it and saying why did i not, or worse the OH asking ...

Its not as simple fix as a new coat of paint in a room

Thanks for the feedback, albeit slightly sneery

Additional Costs range from 2K to 3.8K, depending on levels of controls available (most expensive can be controlled through a smartphone app for example)

The unit I selected is PHPP certified

I echo the query - is the likelyhood of design being comprimised more likely with a unit with basic control?

My decision re selection is in part based on postive feedback from customers of this vendor which has eased my concerns re design flaws

adrianm1234

Hi. Anyone have an ES heat pump installed .They look good in think on paper. Does anyoneone know about them . Pumps are Swedish made.How do they stack up against competition and what are the running costs like? About to start blocking house so looking at all options . Any advice really appreciated.Thanks in advance

caitb1

can ye pm me brand of hrv as i really need to start researching them,

MicktheMan

caitb1 wrote: »

can ye pm me brand of hrv as i really need to start researching them,

Eh... google:rolleyes:

Wegian

caitb1 wrote: »

can ye pm me brand of hrv as i really need to start researching them,

Read my post on this thread, I have listed some