Heat recovery ventilation system retrofit

ironmonkey

Hi all. I have searched and answered some of my questions but I was looking for some advice about mvhr systems

So we bought a house that was built last year but never lived in. In the original plan a mvhr system was included. Unfortunately it was not put in. The dormer bungalow house has underfloor heating and triple glazing. The cavity wall has pumped insulation.

The main reason is to provide ventilation and I figure why not add heat recovery.

I have contacted two of the main suppliers. I'm looking at a rigid ducting manifold system. Both suppliers said their system was significantly better than the other one. I can't name the supplier here but one is made in Ireland the other uses a ventaxia unit.
The house is big about 3400 sq ft.
Can anyone give me a bit of direction. Thanks in advance.

MicktheMan

Seeing that it is a dormer, 1st step is to have it tested for air tightness. Come back to us with the result.

CPTM

ironmonkey wrote:

The main reason is to provide ventilation and I figure why not add heat recovery.

I fitted a heat recovery ventilation unit without getting an air tightness test done. My main reason was for ventilation too. The air quality in the house is amazing, and the heat in winter is brilliant compared to what it was before.

I probably wouldn't be 100% air tight but definitely was worth doing it. I hang my wet clothes out in the morning inside the house, by the time I come home from work they're pretty much dry.

I would recommend getting a summer bypass, I really felt the heat build up during that busy spell there. I don't think I had the summer bypass switched on/configured and I was only reminded of it afterwards by my dad who also has it fitted in his house.

I could pass on the details of the crowd I'm Galway I went with. They were nice, and I had a problem with the unit I got, in that in the end it was bigger than I had space for in my attic. I got a smaller one, they replaced it and refunded me the difference. There's a few places that sell them now I think so definitely shop around.

ironmonkey

Thanks guys. CPTM I'd appreciate it if you would pm me the details of the crowd you were dealing with. I'm not affiliated with anyone. The thing is we are moving into the house today and I want this job done fairly sharpish. The last thing I want is mold starting in bathrooms.
Mick I'll speak to the guy about an airtight test but the rooms have to be ventilated one way or the other. I appreciate that in order for this system to work that it requires to pull air from a sealed system but as the politicians say I am where I am!!

CPTM

Pm sent

ironmonkey

Thanks for that.

corcadorcha

CPTM Can you please pm me also. Thanks

listermint

Hey guys what's a ball park on these. I seriously looking at a retrofit primarily for Ventilation as I am currently going for external insulation. Solving for ventilation will be part of that.

Was lookin at dynamic activated vents I think a crowd in cork do them

ironmonkey

We have been quoted about 9 grand for ours. The guy says there is cheaper out there but was fairly convincing that the system they would put in would have a longer life span with moderate running cost.

goalscoringhero

Apologies for reviving this thread, I'm also looking at retrofitting a HRV unit albeit in a different scenario.

We bought our house in 2016 (built 2008), which had a HRV unit installed in the attic.
House is a Kingspan dormer passive house, underfloor heating downstairs (air/water heat pump), but has a few idiosyncrasies: open fireplace, and a strange heating solution for upstairs (solid-fuel stove powered radiators).

I noticed last year while cleaning the HRV filters that those should be replaced, but found it impossible so far to get replacements.
Moreover, the HRV unit went out of production pretty soon after house was built, and it has been put in a shoddy way: The only way to adjust running mode is by climbing into the attic, wiggling through the gable and other hazards to the unit, and putting a switch on the circuit board into a different position.
Only the main switch has been routed into a wall switch to the hot-press.

So I switched off the unit a few months ago and do manual ventilation.

I'm interested in replacing the unit with a modern one, putting it into a more accessible space (can be up the attic just a bit closer to the hatch), and exposing all functionality via a console to a more central location.

I'd like to understand whether reusing the existing ducting is possible, does anybody know?

I'm also interested whether others have retrofitted a unit who were in a similar situation and their experience and potential cost.

Thanks