Back on the self-build waggon...

Not sad at all. Where was it from? (Sorry if I’ve missed that information). 

I got it off eBay, the guy has got another if anyone is looking for one.

 

its a vortice hr200 unit

I finally got this all connected yesterday, after many months of work getting everything in the loft prepared. Still got a few meters of ducting to insulate in the loft when I reinstate the floor on the loft legs ive got, but the majority is under 200mm of rockwool.

 

I didn't get any photos of the loft side install yesterday as by the time i'd finished crawling round in the eaves, I was just ready for a shower and a lay down!

 

I've still got the drainage to do for the condensate, at the moment i've just stuck a bucket under the unit with the pipe in, but I've got a through the wall fitting which i'm going to have draining both the condensate of the MVHR and the Boiler (in same cupboard) into an external drain.

 

Sat down this morning and worked out what % i needed to set the unit at, at some point I'll borrow the setup tool from here and do it properly, but no point yet until the extension is built, so just using plain floor area and volume, the trickle is set at 43% for both supply and extract. At some point I need to get a humidstat relay to trigger the boost automatically, which I'll install in the extract pipe almost next to the unit.

 

I'll keep my eye on the smoke events and see how they affect the air, and if needs be will get a carbon filter to clean the incoming air.

 

I can definitely tell that the unit is running, you know the smell you get when you open a window and let fresh air in... but obviously its not dropping the temperature anywhere near as much.

 

Total system price, for the unit off ebay, radial pipe and all fittings from BPC came in at just under £1000. The carbon filter is another £300 if I need it, but time will tell. Pretty pleased with that!

 

Photos to follow...

 

 

Also need to mount the control panel, and put the wires in some conduit. I'd not had the heating on long when i took this photo hence 16C.

 

To add the unit is very quiet, at trickle speeds its not noticeable from the cupboard when shut. In the rooms you can just hear a very slight sound akin to air flowing through plastic pipe, (which makes sense lol) but its no more noisy than the air purifiers I had, which were whisper quiet.

 

Got a few more tweaks to do, the pipe for the extract from inside (front right) needs shortening a bit so that the flexi isn't quite as bent, and obviously the drain needs sorting properly, at the moment its sucking air in through the drainage pipe, so that will be my next mission, i've got my core drill at the ready!

Edited October 23, 2020 by MikeGrahamT21

For the humidistat relay, would this work: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Humidity-Sensitive-Switch-Relay-Humidity-Controller-Humidity-Sensor-Module/274542659582

 

MVHR has all the required connections, but it doesn't specify voltage in the manual, assuming it will be 5V but would need to check and I don't have a multi meter.

 

Thinking to get a few of these, and then I can experiment by unsoldering the humidistat itself, wiring it up and locating this inside the ducting with silicone to seal the wires in, leaving the electronics outside of the ducting, connected to the MVHR, what do you think??

Can’t remember where I git mine but @Jeremy Harris recommended it off Ebay, that one does not appear to have a sensor???, mine is in a box mounted near the MVHR with the probe going into the extract duct.

This is the one I got, didn’t pay that tho!!!  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electronic-Humidistat-Control-switch-Relative-Humidity-Hygrometer-Controller/112652897474?epid=1662771990&hash=item1a3aa2ccc2:g:urIAAMXQWuRQ9pAS

Even cheaper, you need not use the temp I suppose (mine came from China) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Thermostat-Temperature-Humidity-Controller-AC-110-220V-10A-SHT2000/273457422063?

Edited October 23, 2020 by joe90

Ahh yeah. That one i posted, the sensor is the small blue bit with 2 connectors, and 5 slits in it (Next to VCC and GND), i recognise it from the existing bathroom extractor fan which has a humidistat in it. My idea was to unsolder it, and solder some wires on, then re-attach to the board.

I can't wait to see a decent temp difference between incoming and exhaust air. Not had it running for a winter yet most I've seen is 6deg up to now

That looks very like a DHT11 sensors, they are dreadful.

You may find the white ones, the DHT22 are much more reliable and accurate.  They have a larger temperature range,   DHT11 is 0°C to 50°C, DHT22 is -40°C to 80°C.  RH range is better as well, 0% to 100%, rather than the not so useful 20% to 90%.

This may seem a bit of an irrelevant difference, but I have found that the the DHT11 (blue) ones hit 100% relative humidity, they don't like reading properly afterwards.

 

1 minute ago, SteamyTea said:

That looks very like a DHT11 sensors, they are dreadful.

You may find the white ones, the DHT22 are much more reliable and accurate.  They have a larger temperature range,   DHT11 is 0°C to 50°C, DHT22 is -40°C to 80°C.  RH range is better as well, 0% to 100%, rather than the not so useful 20% to 90%.

This may seem a bit of an irrelevant difference, but I have found that the the DHT11 (blue) ones hit 100% relative humidity, they don't like reading properly afterwards.

 

Makes perfect sense, it did seem very cheap for a chinese product. I support the only other thing I could do is use the sensor from my existing vent axia fan, which is white in colour, may be of better quality?

 

I'll take a look at the ones @joe90 mentioned.

Yes my sensor is white ?

Was having a poke around the Vortice website and found this: https://www.vortice.ltd.uk/shop/ca-range-accessories/controllers-sensors-ca-range/c-hcs-humidity-controller/

 

Found some on ebay, someone who had mispurchased 3 of them, bought one for around £42 ?

 

Doesn't particularly say for install inside ducting, but will have a play, and try and take the sensor out and extend the wires so just that case sit inside the ducting with the rest of the unit outside.

This is what i ended up doing for the humidity boost relay, works a treat.