This looks like a heat recovery ventilator. They're used over here mostly in newer houses that are sealed better and need fresh air. They're a great idea, but this isn't what I'm doing with this project.

If you are trying to use photos that are already on the Internet,

• locate the URL of the photo
• copy it to clipboard
  
  http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1303166376
• use the 'insert photo' button
• paste the photo URL to the dialog box

If you wish to include images that are NOT on the Internet,

• http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1303166826
• Go to the 'Manage Attachment' button... it will open a new page
  
  http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1303166860
• Press the 'Choose' button
• upload
• the URL of your photo will be there (right click) in 'current attachments'
• follow steps given at the top of this page

I like to center my photos, I think they look better, so I highlight the picture code and use the 'center' button...

-AC_Hacker

Here is the ventilation heat exchanger thread:
DIY ventilation heat exchanger
If you already have one, or are planning to get one, please share any info that might be useful.

Daox, have you noticed that this thread is already pinged by heat-booster.com?

I came home today to see the attic fan blowing. I'm still working on a data logging setup for it to see what is actually happening.

Get some / recycle some attic heat this weekend?

You betcha. I was gone this weekend, but now that its fully automated, it kicked in and heated the house at least on Sunday. When I came home it was still on.

Uploaded Pictures Test for Air Conditioner HP
 

I might have figured it out? We will see ?

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...mweek3-001-jpg

Since tweeker bumped my post up I thought I'd give an update. The system and been working very well and I'm quite happy with it. Pretty much any sunny day (minus one day that was 20 mph winds) itll turn on and heat up the kitchen from the mid 60s to 69-70F.

I haven't toyed with the datalogging yet either. Its working, I'm happy. I'm okay with that for now. :)

Well, I had a bit of a hiccup with the system over the weekend. I actually wasn't even home, but came home Sunday night and the blower was blowing. However, I also saw that the damper in the kitchen wasn't pusheed up as high as it normally is. So, I went to check things out and sure enough, one of the fans wasn't turning. I'll have to pull it out and see whats going on.

The Chimney as Plenum
 

Is the chimney sound, i.e., a sealed plenum? That visible portion appears so, perhaps you even tuckpointed recently? I live nearby, in Milwaukee, and my chimney was built of cream city brick, once a popular local building material. I've had to replace bricks and mortar that cracked, fell out of and into the chimney, and also disintegrated into sand, due to the ravages of time, stack temps and combustion products from my oil burner. Perhaps even poor manufacturing and improper firing of the brick occurred.

Cream city brick, I've read, tends toward greater porosity than some other types, and positive pressure in the chimney may encourage exfiltration of particles. I've found small quantities of sand around the base of my chimney in the basement, and that suggests to me that some soot, a nasty eye and respiratory irritant, may also have been pushed into the basement atmosphere.

Had you considered lining the chimney with rectangular or round ductwork? Some lurking experts might comment about whether this would increase laminar airflow, reduce turbulence and surface effects from the brick, and perhaps cut down the time that the blowers need to run, thereby reducing electricity consumption. Perhaps the effort would not yield substantial efficiency benefits...?