Help with humidity...

mr.wilson · #1 10-19-2009, 06:38 AM

If your ambient humidity is that high, then the aquarium will have no bearing on the humidity of your home's interior. An aquarium may raise the humidity as much as 5% if your home is poorly ventilated, but hot air hitting poorly insulated cold windows will sweat just as much without the tank.

wolf_bluejay · #2 10-19-2009, 09:55 PM

The unit has been instaleld for about 1 year -- compared to fan venting the house, I really love it.
The unit I have has a fedw "modes" and I run it 24/7 on low -- and it kicks into high gear if the humidity gets too high.

As for the outside humidity, remember that humidity is a measure of the saturation of the air and depends a lot on the air temp. 100% humidity at -5C is NOT 100% once the air is warmed up, it's more like 25%.

So, in winter, if it is cold outside, you can get your humidity as low as you want.

I installed the HRV because I insulated the crap out of the house and was getting really muggy, high CO2 air. I get much less "lingering" odours, and the house feels "fresher". The lower humidity is just a bonus.

If you acutally run the numbers -- they are one of the cheapest options. I installed mine myself and it cost about $600. Compare this the the added heating/cooling costs with just venting the house, and usually it is cheaper if you live in a cold/hot climate like Kamloops.

A few setups I've seen even just replace the bathroom/kitchen fans with the HRV, and return the air to the living spaces.

Delphinus · #3 10-19-2009, 10:27 PM

I installed an HRV a few years ago. Now I'd never consider not having one (ie., I'll put one in any house I ever live in ... whether I have tanks or not. I like having the HRV *that* much.

) No really - seriously ... as stated it really is the best option. Not cheap, but you can save a lot by going DIY. Think you can even find HRV's at Home Depot/Rona/etc.

Dehumidifiers are noisy and clunky and only produce a localized effect. They can help a bit though, in a pinch. But they don't hold a candle to an HRV.

Gizmo · #4 10-19-2009, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Think you can even find HRV's at Home Depot/Rona/etc.

Dehumidifiers are noisy and clunky and only produce a localized effect. They can help a bit though, in a pinch. But they don't hold a candle to an HRV.

I got my Venmar 3000 off of the Homedepot.ca website. They don't carry them instore any longer.