MVHR Options

[Johnnyire]

Hi all,

 

Getting quotes for a MVHR system in my build. I am installing a Loxone system if that has any relevance.

 

Basically should I get a system which has sensor in the ducts? Logically thinking it makes sense so if someone is in the shower or bath the system know, why wouldn't I go for a MVHR that doesnt when this is an option at no extra costs from what I see?

I was thinking of getting the Zehnder system from BPC and doing a self install, what are your thoughts on this?

 

Any advice or guidance? If I do a self install I will need someone to commission? Is the cost savings worth it? Also the Zenhnder when supplied and installed is a few grand more, it is hardly worth that? 

[JohnMo]

I bought my units, I have two, from eBay. The two units are Titon HRV, great no issues in 3 years. There is zero fancy stuff with then, one unit tells me to clean filters and when it's on boost.

 

I am firmly in the keep it simple camp, it's just ventilation. You don't need internet connectivity or fancy interfaces, you set it up and leave it alone to get on with it.

 

One has a built in humidity sensor, the other I installed an aftermarket one. For the first year they boosted occasionally, but now house is dry, they very rarely need to.

 

Mine were self installed, self commissioned, but checked by a professional with certified equipment for building control.

[Iceverge]

We have no smart controls. I can boost the unit manually if we need to but TBH I never do. 

 

I will turn it up a notch if we have a party.(Depressingly rarely!)

 

 

 

[Mike]

3 hours ago, Johnnyire said:

should I get a system which has sensor in the ducts? Logically thinking it makes sense so if someone is in the shower or bath

Yes, there are at least a couple of people on here who've done that, to automatically boost the speed if a rise in humidity is detected. I'll be doing the same with my current part-installed system, plus manual boot.

 

3 hours ago, Johnnyire said:

I was thinking of getting the Zehnder system from BPC and doing a self install... ...If I do a self install I will need someone to commission

Zehnder have a good reputation, with good results in the Passivhaus database, and self install & self-commissioning is certainly possible - there are threads on here about those topics that will help.

 

3 hours ago, Johnnyire said:

Is the cost savings worth it?

It's more about having a healthy internal air quality than cost saving, though there should be one. But how do you evaluate what things are worth? Is the cost of your windows / kitchen / bathroom suite worth it?

 

3 hours ago, Johnnyire said:

Also the Zenhnder when supplied and installed is a few grand more, it is hardly worth that?

It was worth it to me - I've installed Zehnder.

 

More expensive units tend to use less electricity to operate, have better heat recovery, use better quality components, be better built and offer more features (fan adjustments, control options, more sophisticated summer bypass, etc.)

 

If your budget will stretch far enough, then the above mentioned Passivhaus Database is a good place to look. Units there have been independently tested, are evaluated using a different (more accurate) formula for heat recovery than that used in the UK, and take into account electricity used to come up with an overall efficiency ratio.

 

[FarmerN]

We have a Zehnder with manual boost, it may be imagination but I'm convinced I feel chilly while drying,due to increased air flow if I boost as I go into shower,

Now boost when I am dry, as I say maybe all in the mind, I have no hard evidence.

Edited 9 hours ago by FarmerN

[JohnMo]

42 minutes ago, FarmerN said:

but I'm convinced I feel chilly while drying

Maybe your boost is set too high?

[Bramco]

We have zehnder - it was professionally installed. But having seen the guys do it, it's something someone with DIY skills could do.

 

We didn't bother with a manual boost, we use the auto boost feature which boosts soon after someone starts a shower and clears the steam within a few minutes. One of our bathrooms doesn't have any opening windows, the others have roof lights. The one without opening windows takes longer to clear than the ones with roof lights (assuming of course you've cracked open the roof light a bit).

 

We installed the interweb gizmo, but never use the app, the unit just does it's thing 24/7/365 and occasionally asks for new filters. I guess on reflection, having the interweb gizmo and the app is useful, in that you get a notification a few days before the filters need changing.

 

[JohnMo]

9 minutes ago, Bramco said:

I guess on reflection, having the interweb gizmo and the app is useful, in that you get a notification a few days before the filters need changing

Or set up a reminder/alert on the phone to repeat every 6 months - zero cost option - yet another manufacturer interface deleted from your life 

[Johnnyire]

Thanks everyone, I think I will go with a self-install. The prices are a few grand cheaper for a self-install which includes the Zehnder system.