HRV/DVS/MM

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8 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1084560 9-Jul-2014 09:33

timmmay: Get a better extractor for the bathroom - Bunnings don't sell them, I got mine through the bathroom firm that redid the bathroom. We have high pressure hot water and even on low no steam collects.

CuriiuosGeorge: Hi guys, thanks a lot for your input! Sorry, I should've probably provided more details. We have a heat-pump in the lounge to heat up the house, rangehood for the kitchen and an extractor fan for the bathroom although there are often still plenty of moisture after we shower. So is the general consensus that it is too expensive? i.e. has someone installed one recently for a cheaper price? (either HRV or other similar products) Thanks again everyone! :)

No, the general consensus is you need to take a step back and consider the problem you're trying to solve, as well as fully reading this thread and the others linked to. A ventilation system will increase your heating bill significantly if not set up properly. I also recommended another firm to consider, who are both better and cheaper than DVS.

Hey mate, thank you for helping us out. We're trying to solve our condensation and excessive moisture problems as well as getting fresh air into the house without opening the windows in winter. Could you please state the company that you believe to be both better and cheaper than DVS? Thanks again mate!

CuriiuosGeorge

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1084563 9-Jul-2014 09:35

blackjack17: I would start fixing the cheap stuff first.

Polythene under the house $100

[Url=] https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/751745099 [url]

Crack a window at night free

Shower dome $150

Thermal lined curtains ~$200 a room

3 double glazing for non opening windows. $15 a window

And if all doesn't work then consider a air transfer system

Hi there, thank your for providing us with your suggestions. We have insulated both underground and the ceiling. I am looking at getting the shower dome and thermal lined curtains as well! How do I go about getting double glazing for non opening windows for $15? :) Thanks.

timmmay

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Reply # 1084565 9-Jul-2014 09:43

blackjack17: 3 double glazing for non opening windows. $15 a window

If you mean the cheap glad wrap like double glazing, don't do it. While it is reasonably effective you can't get the tape off the windows easily, you'll have to strip and repaint the windows like I did. Bloody time consuming and annoying. And there's no point with aluminium windows since there's no air gap.

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timmmay

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Reply # 1084566 9-Jul-2014 09:45

CuriiuosGeorge: Hey mate, thank you for helping us out. We're trying to solve our condensation and excessive moisture problems as well as getting fresh air into the house without opening the windows in winter. Could you please state the company that you believe to be both better and cheaper than DVS? Thanks again mate!

If you read the post I made at the top of page two you'll be able to work it out yourself. Perhaps you should re-read the whole thread to make sure you see and understand all the useful advice you've been given.

As a couple of people have said positive pressure ventilation systems may reduce condensation, but they'll also make your house cold in winter and hot in summer. You need to get a heat recovery unit (HRV is a brand name not a technology), or do one of the many other things people have suggested.

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blackjack17

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Reply # 1084568 9-Jul-2014 10:03

timmmay:
blackjack17: 3 double glazing for non opening windows. $15 a window

If you mean the cheap glad wrap like double glazing, don't do it. While it is reasonably effective you can't get the tape off the windows easily, you'll have to strip and repaint the windows like I did. Bloody time consuming and annoying. And there's no point with aluminium windows since there's no air gap.

Yes I meant the cheap 3m stuff they sell at bunnings.

You do have to be careful if you have old paint. It does seem to work for us and we have aluminium windows

http://www.nrl.co.nz/windowKits.aspx

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?topicid=64936&page_no=3

[edit mod RC: fixed urls]

CuriiuosGeorge

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1084570 9-Jul-2014 10:07

Hi timmmay, my apologies for not catching on there! I have read all the posts and threads posted by everyone and I am going to take on board some of the suggestions and advice! Thanks again guys.

Glassboy

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Reply # 1085711 9-Jul-2014 13:36

CuriiuosGeorge: Hi there, I've just had the HRV people come through for a quote. They said it'll cost me a total of $4133.56 for 1 fan and 5 vents. I thought it was kinda pricey. Just wondering if I could get your thoughts regarding the price and HRV in general? Thanks! :)

I had Hometech put in an "ACD" system years ago. The HomeTech quote was quite different to what HRV was quoting.

isis

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Reply # 1085780 9-Jul-2014 15:06

i've put in 2x HRV units in the last two houses ive owned.

First unit was about 3.5k about 4-5yrs ago with 3 vents & 1x Fan

Second unit required 2x fans and 4x vents that cost about 4.5k

The second house is a 1910 villa and the air felt v.damp. i must admit that the unit has helped clear the air and the damp smell along with the mould.
Heat pump seems to run better as well.

With a new house i'm building, i'm having mixed feelings putting in a system. I've had quotes from Smartvent in the region of 10k with the rolls royce heat recovery system.
tbh, i've put the money towards a ducted heat pump central heating and will use the dehumidy mode if required

timmmay

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Reply # 1085783 9-Jul-2014 15:08

10K for a heat recovery system is mental. Cleanaire are MUCH cheaper. However with a new house I'd probably be going to a heating and ventilation firm to get an integrated heating/cooling/ventilation system.

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isis

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Reply # 1085792 9-Jul-2014 15:17

i think we're going to try for the open the windows system this time round and see how we go...

Glassboy

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Reply # 1086275 10-Jul-2014 10:04

isis:

With a new house i'm building, i'm having mixed feelings putting in a system. I've had quotes from Smartvent in the region of 10k with the rolls royce heat recovery system.
tbh, i've put the money towards a ducted heat pump central heating and will use the dehumidy mode if required

With a new house you should be able to design out the problems that make HRV type systems so useful in older houses.

bfginger

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Reply # 1086277 10-Jul-2014 10:06

Put a timer on the bathroom fan so it keeps going for 20-30 mins after a shower and run a dehumidifier in winter. They produce useful heat and will remove moisture. A heatpump just makes the existing moist air hotter. Running costs are stuff all being that they are usually 200-300 watts and you get all that and more in heat from them.

Having the heat pump warm the air won't remove humidity but it does reduce relative humidity which means surfaces inside the house will be drier. What you don't want most of all is high humidity and then rapid drops in temperature that forces water out of the air onto surfaces. Warmer air can carry and pick up more water.

Many houses need dehumidification as no reasonable heating or ventilation will always be enough by itself when outside humidity is at 95%.

Standard dedicated dehumidifiers are more efficient when working in warmer room temperatures and don't work properly when temperatures are lower than 18 degrees and may have almost stopped working once the room temperature is cold. Mechanical extractor dehumidifiers may be less sensitive to room temperature but there are few of them on the market and they can be electrically inefficient.

Heatpumps can dehumidify but very few can do it without cooling at the same time as they're usually designed to do it when extracting heat out of the house. Daikin has a line of heat pump models that are supposed to be able to dehumidify to a % humidity target without cooling but I don't know how electrically efficient they are at doing that.

If you install a shower fan you should open a window in the bathroom when using it so it's pulling air in through that instead of cooling the whole house. Some bathroom fans have stupid 50 watt halogen lights in them which are very hard to remove or replace and might pose a fire risk with enough dust build up. You can buy New Zealand made bathroom fans. Some extractor fans have locks to make them air-tight when not in use but many don't and will introduce incidental ventilation.

Better insulation will help reduce relatively humidity by increasing and stabilising temperatures during winter. Underfloor insulation from houses built before 1996 will usually have an inadequate R value. As the earlier poster said, you don't want infiltration of damp air into the house through the floorboards. New builds still aren't required to have strong insulation in the ceiling and the requirements were much weaker in the past so most houses have ineffective or no insulation there.

I'd think about what insulation material is in the roof before venting air from there into the house.

timmmay

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Reply # 1086280 10-Jul-2014 10:08

New houses should have 100% double glazed windows and glass doors. PVC is the best material IMHO, it's been standard in cold climates for a long time, NZ is just starting to catch on. Aluminium is a poor choice, and thermally broken aluminium is about the same price as PVC.

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mattwnz

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Reply # 1086333 10-Jul-2014 11:51

timmmay: New houses should have 100% double glazed windows and glass doors. PVC is the best material IMHO, it's been standard in cold climates for a long time, NZ is just starting to catch on. Aluminium is a poor choice, and thermally broken aluminium is about the same price as PVC.

The problem with PVC is that it is ugly and relatively expensive here considering it is the same price as thermally broken aluminium which look better IMHO. The main reason it is used a lot overseas us because it is usually the cheapest option. There are quite a few new thermally broken aluminium options now available. Otherwise I would go for timber if price wasn't an issue and you don't mind a bit more maintenance as timber can look better in some situations.

timmmay

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Reply # 1086500 10-Jul-2014 15:59

I wouldn't buy a timber house again. I'd like to reclad my old weatherboard house in something else, plastic or aluminium. PVC is used because it's the best product, doesn't transmit heat, shame it only comes in white and ugly wood grain.

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