HRV in bathroom - http://www.hvacmechanic.com/ Forums
Original message
| jools
 |  "HRV in bathroom"
, posted Fri 11 Apr 20:20  
Our house has an HRV system with 3 vents. 1 in each bathroom (there are 2 bathrooms) and 1 in the kitchen. My question is this... In both bathrooms all we have is the HRV vents with timed switches on the wall, no high speed fans at all. The technician that installed the system assured us that it was enough to ventilate the steam from the bathroom after a shower, but after each shower it seems like it isn't taking anything out. I tried putting a tissue up to the vent to see if it was even taking anything out, and it sort of stuck to it, then fell off. Is this normal?
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Replies:
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| yuri
| "Re(1):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 10:12
I service and install HRVs and yours probably is unbalanced, not setup properly. If he used flex pipe and it has kinks it will severely reduce its capacity. May need to find someone who has a proper magnehelic gauge/pitot tube kit and knows how to use it and have it setup properly.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(2):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 12:16:
Hey thanks for the tip. I checked and they used all metal tubing when it was installed though. What kind of force should I expect out of an HRV?
[this message was edited by jools on Sat 12 Apr 12:25] |
| | yuri
| "Re(3):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 12:25
They are rated in cfm, cubic feet per minute.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(4):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 13:07
Ok sounds good. I'm going to get a service tech in to do just that. The worst part is that the system is only 4 months old but the Carrier guy who installed it has been extremely unhelpful after the fact. Is there any kind of basic tests or whatnot that I can perform before I call someone?
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| | yuri
| "Re(5):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 13:50
Not really. There should be a filter inside it. It still needs proper setup. Do you know the brand name and model # of it. It is helpful to have the owners/install manual for the tech to use when setting it up,has specs in it. May be able to get info on the net if it is a major brand. Make sure whoever you call works on them and knows how to balance them. Very few guys do.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(6):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 18:19
It's a Carrier HRVCCLHA1150. I kind of got the impression that the guys that installed it didn't really know what was going on. If installed properly should the HRV alone be enough to clear the steam out of the bathroom after a shower?
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| | yuri
| "Re(8):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sat 12 Apr 21:12
All the necessary tech info kindly brought to you by Houston 204. I have a similar unit in my house (Lifebreath) and yes it should remove all the steam. Mine can do it in 5-10 mins. Works very well when set up properly. Maybe the home builder can lean on the guy or get you reimbursed for the future bill. If not set up properly it can cause a positive or negative pressure in your house and do structural damage. Can force moisture into the attic and ruin your insulation etc. No joke.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(9):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sun 13 Apr 21:01
Hey guys thanks for all the info. I opened the panel on my HRV and noticed something. The balancing dampers on both the stale air return and the fresh air supply are both in the fully closed position. Is this normal? I have limited knowledge but to me this seems like it could be a fairly good reason why the suction is so weak in the return air registers. I noticed that in the fully close position some air is allowed to pass through, but not much. I didn't change anything as you explained this could cause issues with the pressure in the house.
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| | Houston204
| "Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sun 13 Apr 21:57
"Tip of the Day" Remember to remove power first.
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| | jools
| "Re(2):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Sun 13 Apr 23:18
Should the butterfly dampers be wide open, and then balanced from there? Or fully closed before the balancing procedure is performed?
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| | Houston204
| "Re(3):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Mon 14 Apr 00:04
I would open them untill they can be balanced.
"Tip of the Day" Remember to remove power first.
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| | jools
| "Re(4):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Mon 14 Apr 14:57
Just to see what would happen I opened both butterfly dampers all the way and fired up the HRV switch in the bathroom. Now I can actually hear the air being sucked in the stale air return and it will actually lift a tissue out of my hand and suck it to the register. I don't want to leave it like this due to the high/low pressure issues we discussed before. Is it time to get somebody in to look at it?
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| | yuri
| "Re(5):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Mon 14 Apr 19:30
YES!!
You now have an unbalanced house and ventilation system. If you have a chimney in your house it can downdraft and you may get CO poisoning.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(6):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Mon 14 Apr 21:05
I realize I can't keep it like this, I just wanted to see if it would improve airflow... which it did. Seeing as both dampers were in the fully closed position before I changed them, do you think it's likely that it was never balanced to begin with?
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| | yuri
| "Re(7):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Mon 14 Apr 22:15
None of them are balanced to start with. The Lifebreaths are shipped wide open. Every house has different ductwork/pressure drops/static pressure, main blower pressure to deal with. That is why those dampers are there. Must be setup with furnace blower running on high etc etc. Should have all that info in the Carrier manual. I can get it for a Lifebreath/Lennox unit if you need it.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(8):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Tue 15 Apr 11:43
Thanks for the info. I've closed the dampers back to where they were and I'm going to get somebody in with the proper equipment to balance the system. On another note, I've noticed that with the snow thawing that the heat pump unit outside no longer sits level. I'm assuming that with the thaw some of the soil underneath the unit (which is sitting on 2 patio stones) has washed away. It's not that bad, but it's definately noticable to the eye. Can this cause problems?
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| | yuri
| "Re(9):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Tue 15 Apr 17:52
It should always be well balanced and level. If not it puts excess wear on the condensor fan motor bearings and the compressor which rides on 3 springs and likes to be level. Get some gardeners plastic fencing to keep the soil from washing away or railroad ties.
Yuri
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| | jools
| "Re(10):Re(10):HRV in bathroom" , posted Tue 15 Apr 19:49
Thanks a million! You've been an incredible help. I'll let you know what the HVAC tech says/does after he's been here. Thanks again.
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