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MHRV and Kitchen Extractors

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  • 07-07-2020 3:11pm
    #1
    catharsis
    Registered Users Posts: 312 ✭✭


    If you have a reasonably airtight house and a well-balanced MHRV system, what is the optimal/correct thing to do in terms of kitchen extractors?

    1. Do not have one
    2. Have a recirculating/charcoal-only extractor
    3. Have an extractor with a duct to outside (separate from the MHRV ducting)
    4. Pipe the hood into the MHRV system (sounds like a bad idea!)

    Incidentally I'm also wondering about which type of tumble dryer to choose. Historically condenser dryers for inside, vented dryers for the shed or external laundry rooms. But now I'm thinking should the tumble dryer perhaps even be vented and connected directly to the MHRV system so that the moist hot air out of the dryer is pumped through the exchanger and out of the house?

    Anyone any comments on tumble dryers and MHRV?

    Thanks in advance


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    #2
    Yellow_Fern
    Registered Users Posts: 2,570 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    I am not very knowledgeable about this topic but although some companies allow for an extractors to be connected to the MHRV, it seem to cause problems. Extractors can take out a huge amount of air and see to be very wasteful. I think it can cause pressuration issues.

    I think drying clothes outdoors is best but you can easily dry clothes in doors in a house with MHRV. If you really want one, get a heat pump tumble dryer. Very efficient. No venting to worry about. Connecting a tumble dryer to a MHRV is a heat idea, if it is feasible.


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    #3
    mike_2009
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭mike_2009


    you need to keep the grease out of the MHRV system at all costs. Gets messy to clean out otherwise. Most people seem to take the recirculation route from what I've read online - this creates the grease trap immediately over the cooking area. It's hard to get one that works well though but any connection to the outside will be difficult to balance otherwise. I've a heat pump tumble dryer, works great!


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    #4
    catharsis
    Registered Users Posts: 312 ✭✭catharsis


    Thanks all for comments

    I seem to have settled on a heat pump tumble dryer and a re circulation model extractor.

    A few people suggested that the old-fashioned tumble-dryer into the MHRV should work, but it was oft-suggested that making sure lint does not get into the system was crucial.


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    #5
    matrat
    Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭matrat


    Hi catharsis,

    For a dryer vent we bought one of these from amazon.ca, http://www.batticdoor.com/ClothesDryerVentSeal.htm, simple but seems very effective. Have actually added one to my folks home who are also very happy with it. I have seem more modern options recently if you search google etc.

    Re the kitchen extractor, having went down the re-circulation route ourselves, it is something we would have done different now. I suggest extracting to outside and using either a pressure vent or a electric value controlled by the fan operation. The re-circulation is a nice idea but the reality is that it gets gummed up very quickly and you end up with more kitchen smells and yellow ceilings.


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    #6
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    Recirculating cooker hoods don't really work, so if that's the solution it ain't great ...

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #7
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    Markcheese wrote: »
    Recirculating cooker hoods don't really work, so if that's the solution it ain't great ...


    Do you already have a condenser dryer ? If so why get a heat pump one ? Your not wasting the heat the condenser dryer makes ,it's helping heat the house...
    Maybe if you use your dryer a lot a lot , it'll be worth getting one ...

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #8
    Yellow_Fern
    Registered Users Posts: 2,570 ✭✭✭Yellow_Fern


    Markcheese wrote: »
    Do you already have a condenser dryer ? If so why get a heat pump one ? Your not wasting the heat the condenser dryer makes ,it's helping heat the house...
    Maybe if you use your dryer a lot a lot , it'll be worth getting one ...

    I have a condenser dryer and they never really seem to dry clothes though. Not sure if that is a common issue. I would be too happy to let the heat out. My MHRV could handle it.


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    #9
    catharsis
    Registered Users Posts: 312 ✭✭catharsis


    matrat wrote: »
    Hi catharsis,

    For a dryer vent we bought one of these from amazon.ca, http://www.batticdoor.com/ClothesDryerVentSeal.htm, simple but seems very effective. Have actually added one to my folks home who are also very happy with it. I have seem more modern options recently if you search google etc.

    Re the kitchen extractor, having went down the re-circulation route ourselves, it is something we would have done different now. I suggest extracting to outside and using either a pressure vent or a electric value controlled by the fan operation. The re-circulation is a nice idea but the reality is that it gets gummed up very quickly and you end up with more kitchen smells and yellow ceilings.

    I;m told by my MHRV guy that a vent like this can 'unbalance' the system and is this undesirable not just for heat efficiency but also for functional reasons.

    in terms of the hoods, what we are looking at are the 'downdraft' hoods such as the Bora or similar - which are allegedly better than the overhead hoods for keeping celiings from yellowing etc in as much as you can tell whether or not they were working. Is your experience of a downdraft or one of the more traditional overhead hoods?

    Anyone else have any experience of a recirculating downdraft hob?


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    #10
    Blowheads
    Registered Users Posts: 429 ✭✭Blowheads


    We have a vented dryer, though I understand these are getting harder to buy.
    Regular vented extractor fan which I tried in recirculation mode but was put off by the noise and the performance
    We also have a stove

    MHRV retrofitted

    So far we all have plenty of air to survive


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