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New member & MHVR enhancement, upgrade and bypass aftermarket installation


Vent guy

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Hi everybody.

 

I've been searching for some input and advice on my MHRV system online, and noticed this very helpful site.  My wife and I built our house about 5 years ago, and have a loft mounted Regavent Air Unit 600 DC R fitted, and it is this system that we're seeking some input and advice on.

 

Having experience a few warm summers, and having finally read the manual in detail we have learnt more about what the standard 'Summer' mode actually does - namely switch the incoming air supply OFF to allow windows to be opened, rather than provide a bypass to the incoming air heat exchange.  Fair enough.  However, the ability to have cooler air (i.e. with no heat recovery active) distributed via the system is attractive, not least due to keeping noise, bugs and dust out in the evenings and nights.

 

So, having also learnt that the bypass function was then, and is still now an option (which we would have likely chosen at the time had we been more aware), we're assessing whether this is a possibility to be fitted as an after market solution.  The Regavent does not list this as being available as a retrofit - in fact the 'Shop' options do seem pretty limited, suggesting that the company wants to only sell components if they can be sold with a fitting option.  Checking back on our old quotations, the bypass was listed as an option but was not costed - again suggesting that some components may have a variable price depending on the deal being struck.

 

Appreciate if anyone on the forum has had any experience of having the bypass option added as an after market fit, either by having Regavent in, by purchasing the equipment themselves or even having a 3rd party system fitted.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

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I don't think this will make much difference to you.  In summer the internal and external temperatures are fairly similar.  If you have an issue with overheating, your MVHR unit will not do much to help.  Get a split a/c unit.

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What my Airflow system is supposed to do is switch off the thermostat from heat recovery to heat removal when necessary - ie switch the heat exchanger to the other way. Time will tell how effective it is.

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Dealing with a heat wave is a complex issue.  Just turning the heat recovery "off" may not solve the problem.  If the outside air is hotter than inside, then with no heat recovery, you will just be drawing warm air in to further warm the house.  Think of "heat recovery" as "heat equalisation" as the heat exchanger does not know if it is supposed to be heating or cooling, only that it wants to equalise the temperature of the two airflows.  If it is hotter outside than in, leaving the heat exchanger in circuit will cool the incoming air a bit to make it closer to the cooler inside air.

 

Unless you are going to install some form of active cooling, we still find the best solution is shut the house up in the day to keep the heat out, and over night when it is cooler, open as many windows as you can to purge the house overnight with cooler night time air.

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Many thanks for the useful feedback.  The main time that I see the bypass of value is when the air starts to cool, but I have a high retained heat in the house and we want to pull fresher air in without the windows open (quite a bit of noise, bugs and pollen at night).  Any experience of the bypass operation in those conditions,  and indeed having Regavent provide such a system as an aftermarket kit?

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  • 4 months later...
On 10/06/2021 at 21:13, Declan52 said:

The only solution I found was to close the blinds and not let the sun in. Open the windows at night to let the cooler air in. 

 

Does the MVHR not help swap the air over during the night anyway? Pump out warm air & draw in cooler external air? 

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