Fill me in on HRV's, what to look for, how to hook up

[herlichka]

I don't think that a humidifier would really use that much water, I think that it is a valuable asset when you need to add moisture to the air during extended periods of very cold, dry weather. When you mention your hardwood floors, it makes me think of times past when it was common for doors, drawers and windows to shrink and swell with the changes in seasons.
I think part of the confusion in trying to make your house air tight and properly ventilated is that many of the components involved in the "system" are not designed to be easily adapted to controlled ventilation systems. Clothes dryers don't have a flange for incoming air, nor do most power vent hot water heaters. How do you supply combustion air to a gas range? On a windy day you can hear the check/flapper valves in your range hood and bath fans bounce around. And so on...
There seem to be so many compromises along the path to improving your home, but the important thing to keep in mind is that all the small gains add up, and eventually you become aware that they make a difference.

My last remark, in hindsight, almost looks like a "Soap box" moment, it really wasn't meant to. I think that what I was trying to say is that if we approach our projects with the "tempering" paradigm in our minds, it will be easier to keep focused, and we will soon realize the benefits of our efforts.
Most of our projects do not yeild 100 percent; we do not all get all of our electricity from our solar panels, or all our hot water from our collectors all the time, our homes are not completely air tight, mini-splits may not service the whole home, despite our efforts we still put out an occasional bag of trash to the curb, and so on. But ALL these projects yeild SOMETHING! And, individually, or collectively, we do notice that they make a difference!

I will stop now, I am getting dangerously close to the soap box!!

Happy New Year to all!

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by herlichka

I don't think that a humidifier would really use that much water

Some of these problems are seasonal and regional.

There are areas where 'natural' humidity mitigation will work just fine. Some folks are using natural clay plaster as the inside finish in their home because of the appearance and color and low embodied energy, but also because it has the ability to take up and release moisture, thus maintaining an even moisture level indoors. Such an approach might not work everywhere, but why should it? Another natural humidity control method is to include in the house a 'green wall' of living plants that contribute moisture in humidity deprived seasons.

Originally Posted by herlichka

I think part of the confusion in trying to make your house air tight and properly ventilated is that many of the components involved in the "system" are not designed to be easily adapted to controlled ventilation systems. Clothes dryers don't have a flange for incoming air, nor do most power vent hot water heaters. How do you supply combustion air to a gas range? On a windy day you can hear the check/flapper valves in your range hood and bath fans bounce around. And so on...

Excellent point, regarding appliances not being designed for controlled ventilation systems...

There are dryers on the market that use heat-pumps which should reduce power use, and they do not exhaust hot humid air, rather they act as de-humidifiers, and the water comes out as a liquid rather than as a vapor.

But there was a previous thread wherein someone questioned the value of having a dryer at all... Some countries don't use dryers primarily because they shorten the useful life of clothing. Sounds like a multiple win to me...

• elimination of energy use
• longer clothing life
• non-powered humidification

Such a deal!

Originally Posted by herlichka

...but the important thing to keep in mind is that all the small gains add up, and eventually you become aware that they make a difference.

I guess that's why we're all here...

-AC_Hacker

[strider3700]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

But there was a previous thread wherein someone questioned the value of having a dryer at all... Some countries don't use dryers primarily because they shorten the useful life of clothing. Sounds like a multiple win to me...

• elimination of energy use
• longer clothing life
• non-powered humidification

Such a deal!



I guess that's why we're all here...

-AC_Hacker

Works great if you're in an area that needs extra moisture. Here on the wet coast I'm always concerned about mold since the house started getting less leaky. Hanging laundry inside works at the cost of adding a bunch of moisture to the inside of the house. Hanging laundry outside for the last week would just be giving it extra rinse cycles. Dryers of some sort are necessary here.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by strider3700

Works great if you're in an area that needs extra moisture. Here on the wet coast I'm always concerned about mold since the house started getting less leaky. Hanging laundry inside works at the cost of adding a bunch of moisture to the inside of the house. Hanging laundry outside for the last week would just be giving it extra rinse cycles. Dryers of some sort are necessary here.

> There are areas where 'natural' humidity mitigation will work just fine.

Yes, pretty clear it's not a good strategy for your area.

-AC_Hacker

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by strider3700

Dryers of some sort are necessary here.

Line drying will not work even in the summer?

-AC_Hacker

[strider3700]

line drying works fine when summer is here. A quick look at my spreadsheet says I do about 75% of my loads on the line from early June to the start of September. September is about 30% and even if it is sunny I can't get a load dry in a single day in December.