Hey folks. I am rapidly approching the hvac part of my build and would appreciate any recomendations for erv/hrv for my house. Its about 1300 sqft with a good size vaulted ceiling. 2 1/2 bath with a big range hood vent. Eletric hot water and radiant with a heatpump for airconditioning and quick/suplimental heat. I have seen the erv/hrv exhausting all the bathrooms into one unit. We are running out of money so price is a big factor in this choice. Dryer and range hood will vent strait out the walls. Thanks ahead of time for any help. Name brands and sizes would be great. Thanks, Michael

Michael, you need to slow your build down, because you're getting ahead of me and I think I started before you!

Michael;

if money is getting short you can pre-plan for one and install later, I installed mine one year after I moved in

Renewaire EV-130

Ebay can be a great source for finding bargains

http://cgi.ebay.com/PANASONIC-FAN-F...27af29cb85

Chris, thanks for the reply, I like that unit, the ev-130. Do you think the ev 70 would be big enough? Same motor and ducts, plus our house will be an in and out house, on the lake, kids and pets. I looked up the specs. Can i just pull air from all three bathrooms at the same time and exhaust them out of the unit. I was thinking of humidistats in the full baths with a timer in the half bath. The panasonic is affoardable but i dont think it would vent multiple locations. Jelly, it aint over till the fat lady sings. Hopefully we are 2 1/2 months from co. We shall see. Thanks

Brawler;

yes the 70 series looks adequate,  I have been on Jelly's jobsite and I think based on photos the fat lady is warming up on Brawlers job

The EV70 would get you by for gereral ventilation needs, but I would go with the EV130 when you are asking the ERV to do double duty as bath exhaust.  (A good investment for a couple hundred $ more.)  In order to achieve good clean-out of the bathrooms, you could divide the (approximately) 120cfm from the 3 baths as 40cfm each or any combination not exceeding 120.  The EV70 would only get @ 23cfm (equally).  The larger unit would run less, for whole house ventilation with the PTL.   You may use dehumidistats in the bathrooms (set no lower than normal summer humidity, at least in summer, otherwise the ERV would never shut off).  You should still (or only) use PBLs (push button timer, 20/40/60 minutes) to have manual spot ventilation controls, since the dehumidistat doesn't activate by smell.

Brawler

we have regular bath exhaust fans to remove humidity , we installed the ERV to introduce fresh air into the house, we exhaust from laundry room and master bath areas and bring fresh air into the great room. It is on a percentage timer, but we mostly use in winter months when humidity is low outside and run at 30% of time

Would i be better using an bath fan in the main bathroom and just using the erv to pull from the guest bath and powder room. Might be an easier install. What is the best way to backdraft protect the bathroom exhaust vent . thanks guys.

Posted By Brawler on 17 Apr 2010 11:25 AM
Would i be better using an bath fan in the main bathroom and just using the erv to pull from the guest bath and powder room. Might be an easier install. What is the best way to backdraft protect the bathroom exhaust vent . thanks guys.

Brawler; thats your call as you know the floor plan and what is most practical. Bath fans have a built in damper and you can put a second one at the wall termination cap

Brawler......would love to see more pics of your house! (have I missed a nice spread recently?) I really like how it's shaping up!

psammy

Sammy, my house is starting to take shape. We started from basement walls, which we built in 08 and began our top two floors on jan 10. We had a crew of volunteers and took about 4-5 days to get under roof. Stressfull but fun too. We now have siding ,window, doors ,overhangs built. This week the painting starts for the outside and next week the standing seam roof goes on and the rough plumbing should be finishd. Hvac should start same week. Still taking bids on electrical. Tough to get a solid quate because of the sips and for some reason people dont like time and materials. Soon as the plumbing is tied in and buried we will install the well. Last big project will be the interior finish. We are using 6 and 8 inch white pine to sheath the interior. Still trying not to use drywall. hate the stuff, but it is cheap. here as soom shots. thanks michael

Posted By Brawler on 18 Apr 2010 08:43 AM
...Tough to get a solid quate because of the sips and for some reason people dont like time and materials...

They don't like time and materials because they would rather leave it mysterious. If they break it down too much then they can't inflate the price as easily. I have no problem paying a fair price for good work, but some subs REALLY try to stick it to you. Add in a construction method they are not familiar with, and you can forget it. I had a plumber give me a bid for 30,000 dollars (with no fixtures)!

I like the vertical nature of your house Brawler, very smart use of your land.

thanks jelly. It let us save every tree possible. It also maximised the view. From the top floor the water view is almost 220 degrees. Its a small lot so a small footprint alows room to build on in the future.

Thanks for the pics.....very nice! Sorry about the little detour on your thread. I appreciate the info on ERV's as well....

How do ERV/HRV's adjust air flow? Is it something you set on the unit itself or is there a remote control unit similar to a thermostat for a furnace? I know these systems are not that complicated, but still a bit of a mystery to me.

psammy

ebay and other online shops can give you bargains. If you don't have enough money, you can first save and then canvass for the best and affordable.

Anyone interested in a new(in the box) RenewAire EV-130 send me a private message and I will get you in touch with someone that is motivated and wants to sell theirs