Hello,

I own a 15 years old house in New Brunswick Canada. I am currently looking
for a Heat Recovery Ventilator or Energy Recovery Ventilator and would like
some information before I make a move. Here is my problem.

The humidity in my house is way too high (at all time and everywhere). In
the summer, it
is about 70-75%, some days 80% and in the winter, about 55-60%. When very
cold, I get condensation
in my windows in the winter time but not all the time. I think that an air
exchanger would help my problem. However, I am not sure what kind of system
I should
get (HRV or ERV).


Living in a northern climate, people point me to an HRV. However, from what
I understand, this would only help in the winter time. If I understand it
correctly, the ERV would help all year around preventing humidity from
entering the house in the summer. I think it would also eliminate it in the
winter (not sure about that, would like to understand the concept better).
Any help to clarify the difference between those two systems would be real
nice.


I am also looking at the HEPA system. Currently considering the Venmar HEPA
3000
(HRV) or Venmar HEPA 4000 (ERV).


I am also wondering if it is at all possible to hook this with a
dehumidifier (if yes, which one) or an A/C.


I have a two story house with a basement (three story with basement) with
about 2800 square feet of living space. I use electric base boards to heat
it all.


Any information would be very much appreciated.

pdsmlebel wrote:

The humidity in my house is way too high (at all time and everywhere). In
the summer, it is about 70-75%, some days 80% and in the winter, about 55-60%.
When very cold, I get condensation in my windows in the winter time...

You seem to be blessed with an airtight Canadian house :-) Assuming you have
no unusual moisture sources in the house (rainwater leaks, and so on) you
might use a $69 window AC in summertime and a small exhaust fan in series
with a humidistat in wintertime.

Or change the window AC to dehumidification in wintertime by adding a box
around the outside with a $50 2 W (Honeywell 6161B1000) motorized damper
with a hinge h at the top that opens for AC and closes for dehumidification,
with horizontal partitions p and one-way passive plastic film dampers Di
and Do on each side of the AC in the window mount flanges. It might look
like this in the AC damper position, viewed in a fixed font:

--------
ceiling |
|
| window
|
|
---|---------------------h---damper--- (AC)
| |. | .
| |.Do f c| .
| |. a o| = .
| | n n| .
| | d| .
| |--------p------|--p--.
| .| condenser | .
| Di.| inlet air | = .
| .| | .
------------------------- (dehum)
|
|
|
floor |
--------------

The exterior damper would close and the passive interior dampers would open
in the dehum (heat pump) position, as the condenser fan makes in-house air
pressure and flow above and out-house suction and flow below:

--------
ceiling |
|
| window
|
|
---|---------------------h............ (AC)
| |. | |
| / .Do f c| |
|/ . a o| = d
| | n n| a
| | d| m
| |--------p------|--p--p
| .| condenser | e
| Di. \ inlet air | = r
| . \ | |
------------------------- (dehum)
|
|
|
floor |
--------------

It might look like this from the inside:

| |
| window |
|-------------------------------------------------|
| ----- | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | Do | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| --p-- | AC | --p-- |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | Di | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | ----- |
| | | |
-------------------------------------------------

It might look like this from above:


--------------------damper-----------------------
| |
| |
| p |
| |
| |
| ----------------------------- |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| p | | p |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | AC | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
-------------Do-------------------------------------Di---------
| |
| |
-----------------------------

Nick

Out of touch a little with the Canadian winter?

I have a 2400 sq ft Canadian home built to 1995
standards, sealed, continuous vapour barrier with every
lumber joint caulked, R22 walls R34-5? ceilings.

It takes about 30,000 BTU of A/C to keep this baby dry
and cool. Now I have three floors exposure of solar
gain on my south door. I also had a 24,000 BTU central
a/c unit ripped out because it wouldn't keep the temp
under 80F when more than 2 people visited.

$69 will only buy a few blocks of ice here.


wrote in message
...
pdsmlebel wrote:

The humidity in my house is way too high (at all
time and everywhere). In
the summer, it is about 70-75%, some days 80% and in
the winter, about 55-60%.
When very cold, I get condensation in my windows in
the winter time...

You seem to be blessed with an airtight Canadian
house :-) Assuming you have
no unusual moisture sources in the house (rainwater
leaks, and so on) you
might use a $69 window AC in summertime and a small
exhaust fan in series
with a humidistat in wintertime.

Or change the window AC to dehumidification in
wintertime by adding a box
around the outside with a $50 2 W (Honeywell
6161B1000) motorized damper
with a hinge h at the top that opens for AC and
closes for dehumidification,
with horizontal partitions p and one-way passive
plastic film dampers Di
and Do on each side of the AC in the window mount
flanges. It might look
like this in the AC damper position, viewed in a
fixed font:

--------
ceiling |
|
| window
|
|
---|------------------
---h---damper--- (AC)
| |. |
..
| |.Do f c|
..
| |. a o|
= .
| | n n|
..
| | d|
..
|
|--------p------|--p--.
| .| condenser |
..
| Di.| inlet air |
= .
| .| |
..
----------------------
--- (dehum)
|
|
|
floor |
--------------

The exterior damper would close and the passive
interior dampers would open
in the dehum (heat pump) position, as the condenser
fan makes in-house air
pressure and flow above and out-house suction and
flow below:

--------
ceiling |
|
| window
|
|
---|------------------
---h............ (AC)
| |. |
|
| / .Do f c|
|
|/ . a o|
= d
| | n n|
a
| | d|
m
|
|--------p------|--p--p
| .| condenser |
e
| Di. \ inlet air |
= r
| . \ |
|
----------------------
--- (dehum)
|
|
|
floor |
--------------

It might look like this from the inside:

|
|
| window
|

|-------------------------------------------------|
| ----- | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | Do | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
| --p-- | AC
| --p-- |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| Di | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
| ----- |
| | |
|
----------------------------------------
---------

It might look like this from above:


--------------------damper--------------
---------
|
|
|
|
| p
|
|
|
|
|
| -----------------------------
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| p | |
p |
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | AC |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
-------------Do----------------------------------
---Di---------
| |
| |
-----------------------------

Nick

In article ,
wrote:
Or change the window AC to dehumidification in wintertime by adding a box
around the outside with a $50 2 W (Honeywell 6161B1000) motorized damper

Cheaper and simpler to change it to dehumidification by simply pulling
it out of the window and setting it up inside, ideally with the drips
going to a drain...

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by