Opinions on HRV systems

Hi there im just wandering if anyone here has a HRV system and if anyone has a opinion on them and also if they noticed a diffrence with one?

cost vs what they do its expensive as heck.

If you are simply wanting to transfer heat from your lounge and transfer to other rooms then I would suggest going to the electrical wholesalers and buying a fan some ducting and do it yourself.

The HRV does however take heat from the ceiling space and transfer that down into the house via use of a air filter. Keep in mind it will only do this if there is heat up there to take. on a cold day some systems actually use a built in heater to blow your warm air down to you.

Common complaint is also the air up there smells musty etc keep in mind not much ventilation up there up till now and it has nowhere to gain fresh air from.

So all in all depends on what you want it to do and for what cost.

If I had to choose between using some warm air from the ceiling space and creating some with the use of a heatpump I'd pick the heatpump any day.

ETA: this message was brought to you by moocow's DH. (sparky)

Edited by MooCow

Love it - we don't get any condensation on any of our windows any more and the house is more efficicient too heat without the dampness in the air.

They aren't a heating system though, which some people think they are.

Thanks guys
Julz - im wouldnt have a clue if so which would be the cheaper of the 2? hmm
MooCow - Yea they do seem a lil on the expesive side, would cost us over 4000 for our house (we have a massive louge) its not too much of the heating in our case i think we were thinkin more of the moisture and condensation (sp) we have a fire place that seems to do its job pretty good but we are in northland so and havent really felt the the cold here and our house ibeen pretty warm so far (never lived here through the winter)
Jelly - we would just use our fireplace as we get free fire wood from DP parents, Do you have much miosture and condensation?

Edited by bumblebee

...I have no comments on the product...but I've met a sales person in another context (ie they weren't selling to me)...and the whole "target sales" talk put me off!!

Oh also it's much better for single storey than double storey. My mum got it for dampness but they can only do ducts in the ceiling/roof space so the downstairs rooms are still damp in winter like you won't believe!! But the upstairs ones aren't.

They don't transfer heat, although you can get something that does transfer heat from roof to rooms iygwim. Personally I like the thermometer on it! And you can set the temp and it won't cool the room below that iygwim.

I've had them in two different houses.
In a smaller house, single story, 90-120 square metres they work well.
In bigger split level or two storied houses, not so great.

Honestly, I don't think they're worth the $2500 they want for them.
They helped with condensation, didn't stop it. Didn't keep the house any warmer really and they create a lot of dust.

JMO

We never noticed much of an increase in power bill. We have a small 3 bedroom house and paid about $2,800 nearly 3 years ago including ventilating the bathroom. It says to get filters changed every two years. And I agree, their follow up service isn't as good as it could.

Strange to hear you have noticed that they generate alot of dust Mum2Mac. Thought it would be the opposite. Strange.

Hi, just thought I would put my 2 cents in

 

We had a Moisture Master installed in our house in chch - a 120sqm bungalow  - after looking at MM, DVS and HRV. It cost $2800 for a duct into every room, and seems to be working well (place is tenanted out). MM just seemed to be a better product than the other two when I researched them, they also have the option of adding heating into the ducting at a later date if required (another $800) and this would mean the air being moved around from the roof space would be heated. The MM guy said not to bother with the systems that include a heat transfer system built in - it would be cheaper and easier to pop down to Bunnings/Mega mitre10 and buy one of their DIY jobbies instead - which I was a bit suprised at, as he also sold heat transfer systems (why tell a client that your product isn't any good!? But at least that showed honesty).

 

Our primary reason for getting a system installed was to dry the house out, not a particulary damp house, but got terrible condensation on the windows in winter, which left the house really chilly. By drying it out, the heating has become way more effective - we have electric heating at one end, and a gas fire at the other (flued). The system has paid off in terms of reduced heating costs and less maintainence due to the reduced moisture. And if the tenants want, we will get the ducting heated when they ask, but so far they haven't needed it.

That sounds about right, but the MM system is designed to keep the air moving - even on cold chch winter days, think it operates between -10 and +25 degrees from memory? But the air in the roof space will always be warmer than the outside....brrrr! Having said that, the air in the roof in winter will generally be cooler than that in the house overnight, hence the ability to add heated ducts, so not forcing cold air into the house while you are sleeping. Anyway, it seems to be working really well - and we are so happy with it (spent a year saving up to get it installed so was really really hoping it would work!).

 

Hope that makes sense - rambling a bit as haven't slept in 3 nights

Edited by squoggs