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#1
11-18-2011, 02:45 AM
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Really, really love my HRV
I've had mine for about 2 years now. Just before I installed it I was going through all the eco energy rebates in BC for the new furnace and heat pump, insulation etc. I found that with all the extra air sealing I went from having fogged up windows to where I was having water running down the walls on cold days.
It was nasty, with all sorts of mold issues. So, with the fact that I got a bunch of rebates for the HRV I installed my own. I spent a little under $600 for the unit and installed it myself. I got back about $500 on rebates. So the thing cost me very little. The problem of wet windows went away. But even more so, me and the family felt less tired in the house, it got less muggy we we had a lot of people over (I kick it onto high then), and smells don't linger in the house, and much less dust. I like it so much that I would put one in a house even if I didn't have the fish tank. That said, as I couldn't do it with the way my house is, but for my parents place they swapped out the bathroom fans with an HRV. It kicks into high for 30 minutes when you hit the fan button in either bathroom. It dumps the return air into the main living room. For them, they didn't need to replace 2 bathroom fans at about $200 each for large quite ones so the unit was only a few hundred more. Considering they are on electric heat (and no air exchange in the house) the pay back was there and the comfort level was much better. I can't see how you could lose with one unless you spent a lot to get one installed. 
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#2
11-19-2011, 03:00 PM
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Just wondering what is involved in the installation of an HRV unit in a finished basement and a mech room that is in the center of the house? Will I have to take down a lot of dry wall to do an installation?
Cheers, Vic
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#3
11-19-2011, 03:27 PM
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Depends on the unit but you can use your furnace to distribute the air rather than a fully independent HRV. Then you would simply drill one extra hole in the mechanical room wall for exhaust and run the HRV exhaust line from there to the furnace cold air return. The HRV intake would go inline with the current furnace fresh air intake. This way no drywall has to come down, no major modifications.
 Or even like this: Of course you need a forced air furnace and it's fan will have to operate when the HRV is on. Last edited by sphelps; 11-19-2011 at 03:33 PM.
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#4
11-19-2011, 04:17 PM
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Wow lots of great info and opinions on HRV/s Here's mine...
We have to keep in mind that a HRV is an AIR EXCHANGER and not only a De-humidifier. The De-humidification is an added bonus this unit features, or provides. It is quit amazing how much OXYGEN is reduced in the home and not replaced. You probably dont notice it but you are probably getting tired and sleepy. Your Furnace uses oxygen as it burns, your water tank uses oxygen when it's running, each person in the house is using oxygen, and MOST IMPORTNTLY our aquarium's are using it all up. I guaranty you will have more stable PH if you install a Air Exchanger, usually will go up by .2 or .3. I realize some homes have fresh air and combustion air intakes to the furnace room but this does not provide air exchange, but prevents a negative pressure in the house. Personal y I think An HRV is a Very important unit in the climate that we live in. < if installed properly> Not only as De-humidification help but for Healthy Fresh outdoor air. AS mentioned above aswell make sure that your humidifier on the furnace is installed correctly, especially if it;s a new home. < iv been to too many home's where the humidifier was installed incorrectly and runs anytime the furnace comes on > The money we put into this hobby... , $700 unit is nothing in the long run, and will save your home from mold.
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#5
11-19-2011, 04:47 PM
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In 1st picture shown above the Fresh air to the furnace must go on the return air duct, and not on the supply air duct shown.If installed as shown the furnace blower will overpower the HRV motor and burn it out .
second picture is better whith both pipes in the return air
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#6
11-19-2011, 07:02 PM
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I have to admit, there was a huge difference in the "tiredness" of my house after the HRV was installed -- so much that I would install it without and aquarium.
And since I forgot to mention it in the my previous post, I used to fight with low PH all the time, and after the HRV it is just perfect without much fiddling. The CO2 levels in you house can build up quite high. In a school building with CO2 monitor it can go from about 400 ppm first thing in the morning to well over 700 later in the day and your house isn't much different. the excess CO2 is what causes your PH to drop and you to feel tired. In reality the HRV is the same as turning on your bathroom fan and opening a window -- without the 100% loss of heat/cold. Recently I modified my HRV setup to dump the return air directly into our exercise room (treadmill) and we did notice a difference as that room didn't have all that great airflow. If I was doing an install on a new house where you could run the ducts without ripping apart walls --- exhaust air from the bathrooms instead of fans, and put the return into the main living areas rather than into the furnace (like the photos). Quote:
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#7
11-19-2011, 07:05 PM
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BC eco grants
Just as I was looking this up -- currently between the BC and federal eco energy rebate program if you get high enough "air sealing" and install an HRV you can get $1375 in rebates. As this doesn't require that you spend MORE than that to get the grant, and buy one for $600-700 and install it yourself you actually can make a profit or spend the rest to improve the efficiency of you house
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