Energy recovery is super efficient in a residence. We have baseboard
heat (some hot water and some electric). The use of the energy
recovery unit saved us money (about $50 a month), and had the effect
of reducing a sometimes noticeable musty odor in one part of the
house. We looked a any number of products from Lifebreath, Renewair,
and Venmar (if I have the names right - please excuse me if they are
not spelled correctly). We ended up purchasing/installing a new type
of energy recovery product. It works with moisture and heat. It is
core made of some type of space-age plastic. The unit is a Conserv and
it is made by a company in Florida (near where our home is located)
called Dais. One thing we noticed right away once the unit was
installed (cost us $1,412 for the total installation by a licensed
HVAC contractor) my daughter's sneezing (she has all forms of
allergies) just about stopped. Pretty cool stuff - anyone with a few
extra dollars - I would recommend you install energy recovery. I do
not know fully how it works but it sure does well by us.


"HeatMan" wrote in message ...
I don't know much about timber frame construction.

Responses in line.....

"Jon Endres, PE" wrote in message
. net...

"HeatMan" wrote in message
...
I wouldn't touch any of the commercial ranges for reasons mentioned by
other
people that post here.

BUT

Given the chance, especially since I'm in the HVAC/R business, I'd
install
remote condensing units in a heartbeat if my bride would let me. Get
the
heat and noise outside. And while I was at it, I'd install a absorption
type cooling system so I'd have a small cooling tower. That way, I'd
have
water cooled condensers instead of air cooled.

I'd cost about 3X what a 'normal' system would and I'd never be able to
sell
the house because I'd be the only one that could work on it.....


That brings me to another question, if you don't mind:

And if I do? You owe me an adult beverage for payment.....

The house will be a traditional timber frame with stress-skin panels,
sitting on a basement foundation made of insulating concrete forms and
poured concrete. I am putting radiant floor heat in the basement floor
and
using Warmboard panels (or something similar) in the first floor. The
second floor will be plumbed for radiant panels or baseboard but not
installed unless we find that the area gets too cold.

There ain't much better than Warmboard, IMHO. I'd go ahead and put the
radiant in the upstairs now. Those warm floors don't warm the upstairs
well.

My difficulty lies with cooling. I would like to centrally cool the
house,
but am finding it very difficult to find a system that will work in a
timberframe. I have looked at mini-splits (Mitsubishi) and Unico/SpacePak
systems, but I guess I need some more opinions and feedback. You mention
water-cooled condensing units, a cooling tower. Without getting
ridiculously pricey, can this be done effectively in a residence?

In a word, no. You have a choice. Quiet, even and expensive or noisy,
drafty and 'inexpensive.' Given an open checkbook, I'd put in a water
chiller and fan coil units for every room. They'd be near the ceiling and
blow straight out into the room. The hall ceilings would be the standard
height and the rooms would be 10 or 12 feet.

Also, what about makeup and excahange air for a tight house? How is this
done?

That's a real can of worms. There are air exchange units (also called heat
recovery ventilators [HRV's] or energy recovery ventilators[ERV's]) out
there and they all do the job, but they aren't cheap. I have heard of one
state that now requires these in every new house. That's mainly because the
new houses are so tight, there is no natural respiration. That makes the
houses more energy efficient, but can also lead to mold and mildew growth.

Thanks for the advice.

Good luck
Jon E