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Does anyone have experience of heat recovery ventilation systems and ground source heat pumps?
If so any idea on cost for a 2400sq ft house? Also practicalities etc.
Thanks
Does anyone have experience of heat recovery ventilation systems and ground source heat pumps?
If so any idea on cost for a 2400sq ft house? Also practicalities etc.
Thanks
We have a 2400sq ft house, it is new and tightly sealed.
We do have humidity issues.
We were advised to consider a 'heat recovery ventilation system'.
A local engineering firm that designs and installs these systems, did come to our home. They took lots of measurements and a week later sent us their estimate.
$8,000
This would include the basic 'heat recovery ventilator', fans, and ducting to each room.
I have since googled and read a bunch of customer reviews. It seems that these are the newest thing in brand new homes. The engineers say that it is needed by code for tight homes. However among customers they say that running it runs up their electric bill, and none of them can notice any difference with them on or off. So usually they end up being left turned-off.
I have seen one system in a restaurant, that is home-made. They used an automotive radiator. They ducted incoming make-up air to flow through the top of the radiator [the top half], and exhaust air to flow out through the bottom half of the radiator.
Saying that the exhaust air would somewhat heat the bottom of the radiator. The heated water would rise. The incoming cold air would be preheated as it flows through the top of the radiator.
Total cost about $200.
To be entirely honest here, I can not testify it is works. I have not installed such a system, yet.
I do have a huge radiator sitting here though, and I am collecting the bits and pieces. It is my intention of building such a device this winter in our home.
The key to a successful GSHP is installation of the ground loop. Make sure whoever does that has it properly sized and has a track record of successful installation. The technology is quite good. I would visit and talk with home owners who have used the contractor in the past.
OK, so now our homes are built so tight that we have to provide some sort an expensive mechanical makeup air unit costing thousands of dollars ? All while using up our nations precious resources at the same time? Why not open a couple of windows for a little cross ventilation ? No way, thats not green. LOL
We have quite simply defeated the purpose of building homes tighter, or is that greener, for improved efficiency.
Why not build houses like they used to in the old days with two foot thick walls? I used to live in a house like that with single pane windows and poorly sealed doors in an extreme climate. Year round indoor temps were nearly constant with very little need for heating or cooling. Oh and uh, plenty of fresh air.
We have a 2400sq ft house, it is new and tightly sealed.
We do have humidity issues.
We were advised to consider a 'heat recovery ventilation system'.
A local engineering firm that designs and installs these systems, did come to our home. They took lots of measurements and a week later sent us their estimate.
$8,000
This ($8,000) sounds like overkill. I think the units are about $500-600. Mine connects to the return duct of my HVAC system. No need for separate ducts. Not only will it help with indoor air quality, it will lower bills in early summer months by pulling in cool outside air rather than run the a/c. Of course opening the windows does that too, but I'm not always as quick to do that as I should be.
This ($8,000) sounds like overkill. I think the units are about $500-600. Mine connects to the return duct of my HVAC system. No need for separate ducts. Not only will it help with indoor air quality, it will lower bills in early summer months by pulling in cool outside air rather than run the a/c. Of course opening the windows does that too, but I'm not always as quick to do that as I should be.
I saved their estimate. I may dig it out later. I seem to think that the actual unit they were going to install was $3,000.
Our 2400sq ft house is a single room, with a high ceiling. They wanted to install ductwork to each corner of the house.
We do not have forced-air ductwork already in place.
If you already had a forced-air system in place, it would be easier.
We have radiant heated floors, heated by our woodstove.
We have four window A/C units but we have never turned them on.
I saved their estimate. I may dig it out later. I seem to think that the actual unit they were going to install was $3,000.
Our 2400sq ft house is a single room, with a high ceiling. They wanted to install ductwork to each corner of the house.
We do not have forced-air ductwork already in place.
If you already had a forced-air system in place, it would be easier.
We have radiant heated floors, heated by our woodstove.
We have four window A/C units but we have never turned them on.
Still sounds like overkill. The question is how bad is the air in your house and how quickly do you need to exchange it with the outside air. With a single room and high ceilings you may need to do something about air stratification, but ceiling fans can handle that most of the time.
Still sounds like overkill. The question is how bad is the air in your house and how quickly do you need to exchange it with the outside air. With a single room and high ceilings you may need to do something about air stratification, but ceiling fans can handle that most of the time.
Is a ground source heat pump the same as a geothermal system? If so, I have had a closed loop system for 18 years. My electric, forced air system for a 2800 sq ft house (plus part of our barn) runs $194. budget a month. LOVE IT.
I do have a huge radiator sitting here though, and I am collecting the bits and pieces. It is my intention of building such a device this winter in our home.
Sounds like interesting idea but you might want to consider two, do some research on thermosyphon loop. That's how they do it with coal stove to supplement domestic hot water in gas/electric hot water heater but it's a slow and steady process. It will circulate naturally but in your case I'm not sure if you're going to have enough heat to get it to circulate. Of course you could use a small circulation pump.
Two key things, the vessel where you want the hot water to flow too needs to be above the one that you're pulling the heat from. You'll want to keep the distance between them as short as possible. So what you would do if you had two radiators is you'd have a pipe running from the top of the one with warm air to the top of the cold radiator. On the bottom of the cold radiator you'd have another pipe running to the bottom of the warm radiator.
In a nut shell the hotter water will want to go up and force its way into the top of the cold radiator. The colder will be forced down creating a natural loop of circulation. It works on coal stoves but again I don't know if you'll have enough heat.
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