Pretty accurate information Matt. Good job. Please note one important item. In the north it's so dry in the winter, people suffer from nose bleeds and static electricity so we humidify our homes and commercial buildings. As a result there is a lot of latent heat stored inside and we absolutely use ERVs. They are probably just as important or more than the south because of our high delta T from outside to inside. I thought I would share this info with you.
"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳...𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴" That depends on where "in the north" you're talking about. Much of New England/the Mid Atlantic or the Pacific NW states have pretty high average humidity in winter(often over 70% in the morning). The average humidity in Chicago is actually highest from December through January. When I still lived in NJ my dehumidifier ran year round as did the one in my grandparents home near Newark NY. Humidity levels are influenced far more by things like terrain, altitude, large nearby bodies of water(Lake Michigan or Ontario for example) and other factors than they are simply by latitude.
@@CybekCusal It obviously wouldn't make sense comparing extremes such as 100% humidity at -20 in Fargo to 60% humidity at 45 degrees in Atlanta simply because the measurements were taken during the same season or even month. I'm talking about humidity levels at similar temperatures. It doesn't matter how you slice it. 65-70% average humidity on a 30 degree day in Chicago or a 35 degree day in Seattle means there is physically more moisture in the air than there is at 56% in Amarillo TX or 50% in Sedona AZ at the exact same temps. That humidity difference is why 30 degrees in Chicago is absolutely biting compared to 30 degrees in those areas of the southwest I mentioned. It finds its way into poorly sealed older homes in those areas, lingering in wall cavities/basements/crawlspaces, condensing when temps drop at night leading to problems down the road. Does that winter humidity compare to Mobile Alabama, Nawlins or other gulf coast cities at any time of the year? No, but few places in the US would. What do Seattle, Chicago or Boston have in common with those gulf coast cities though that Amarillo, Sedona or Death Valley don't? Immediate proximity to giant bodies of water that stay warm for some time even after the air temps start dropping. When comparing apples to apples, latitude only plays a small part in humidity levels.
@@CzechSixTv what you say is incorrect. You are going to hurt yourself. HVAC isn't your thing. Dew point represents the moisture content, not relative humidity. Go play with Legos.
I can upvote for him. In China, even though it is better now due to many efforts, but a lot of family started to installing fresh air systems when renovating due to the bad outdoor air quality. The trend started about 5 years ago, and I think it probably going to become a trend in the US due to wild fires each year... We live in north cal, and we are most definitely going to install one next year.
Now that is a well thought and engineered system, I really like not having to have all the extra exhaust fans,penetrations,ducting,wiring,whining to turn on the fan!,and bugs. Great Vid Thanks
Just installing 10 normal point of use exhaust fans and ducting in a house that size will run you $2K (for the cheap stuff builders love to install) plus the headaches that come with it.
Hi Matt fun fact from Poland. By code, min ventilation rate is 0.5 house volume per hour, however when designing good ventilation, people often recommend 1 house volume per hour. Great channel. I've learned a lot about building from your channel and you got me interested in the topic. Thx 😁
Matt, thank you. About to build my own super tight house, and this i clearly the equipment to use. Glad it was a long video, so we had time to absorb it all.
I liked the little black boxes with facts...very nice touch. Only mis spoke information was on the bedroom co2 sensor, it will not ramp up the bedroom, it ramps the entire system in all rooms as there is no zone flow capabilities. Flawless presentation other than that one mis spoke, covering/touching all the bases.........excellent job, excellent system !
Shawn, you are absolutely correct. Thanks. There is no "zoning" on this ERV air distribution system. We did review this together after filming, but the note got missed in the editing.
Ballpark numbers was the difference between “the average homeowner could never afford these high end products” to “hey I’m an average homeowner maybe I could save up towards that”. Gotta change the stigma!
@@markseamans4682 way over $40k. It would likely be $50k+ plus builder P&O and Supervision. So $65-$75k. I spoke to a builder recently who put in a very similar system on a job to this, but this is even higher end.
Great video - thanks. Concerning shower-room users forgetting to push the 'boost' switch - the MVHR (aka 'HRV') I'm installing (VentAxia Kinetic BH) here in England has an inbuilt humidity sensor so that the unit goes into 'boost' mode automatically for a selectable time whenever the humidity in the extract air rises. There may also be others that have that feature. One can also wire the light-switches in those wet rooms (via isolators) back to the MVHR so that it runs in 'boost' mode all the while those lights are on.
Love all your Videos, Big..."FAN" of your HRV Videos, Placed an Intellisense in my house through watching you. Thanks buddy,hope your home is all buttonedup and benefitting from your experiences, take it easy
I'm sold, was basically going to do something similar, but this is the nicest kit I have seen. I'm a mechanic, and complete user friendly kits are the only way to go. I'm not sure I can afford to get the system right away, but I'm going to put it in my plans, and implement it when funds arise
Great video. It's awesome when the questions you have floating around in your head, are gradually answered throughout the video. So rare for presentations like this.
Matt, we start construction on a Passive House in September 2024 in WI. Trying to contact a Zehnder dealer for product and installation. You have a great channel.
I would strongly advise to think about the pipe cleaning right away : avoid tight 90 deg turn and regular acces to inlet pipes. Otherwise you might start to have allergy problems after 5 years. I m hvac engineer from Belgium.
adding this to my ICF plans. Works absolutely perfect with ICF and solving some of the issues there. I planned on a multizone split A/C and heat, or ideally Geotherm if it is possible for the eventual location and my budget. This system is really simple and makes a lot of sense. Frees up planning in so many other ways it pays for itself.
Amazing stuff! I appreciate your honesty and openness shown in these videos documenting the "how-to" and the "why" of different technologies implemented into your house. Here in Europe, we also have certified passive houses and even premium passive ones with top energy-saving solutions such as CLT panels used in the assembly of exterior walls, floors, partition walls and roofs walls, passive house doors, passive triple-pane windows with weather-based electrically controlled blinds, wired/wi-fi weather stations with humidity, air pressure and light sensors, green energy from photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, integrated smart meters and KNX-based protocols for remote monitoring and controlling of a variety of appliances such as the geothermal heat pump, ventilation units, room temperature sensors, hydronic systems such as subfloor heating and radiant cooling ceilings, wall-mounted smart switchers and app-based interface for ambient light scenarios, CAT 7/8 structured cabling for connected IoT devices and much much more...there is a growing worldwide tendency to build smart and even energy self-sufficient premium passive residential properties, office buildings, schools, kindergartens and the like....I would love to see some of these smart house solutions integrated into your project. Stay healthy and keep up the good work!
This is extremely interesting. Such high level engineering. I followed along and understood everything as explained until we got to the proton nebulizing surface area exchange rate cross flow efficiency counter flow combobulator
I was thinking the same. However, TOH would have added a light to the dark attic and had smoother camera movements, I was getting nauseated from the shaking.
33:26 While some may be concerned about the Zehnder cost set up (or operating costs - which are really not bad at 2.4Kw/ per day) I can see the Zehnder system taking place of additional mini split units that would have otherwise been needed throughout the house. So yes, this unit costs a bit more, but the HVAC bill is going to be half!
@@kadmow I know that an ERV system is for air quality. My point is that when you have such an efficient air distribution system such as this Zehnder ERV, you eliminate the need for additional mini split units throughout the home because this system will continually distribute air around the house.
@@JamesBlazen I understand that. Matt has already stated that he will be utilizing mini split heads in his home. My only point was that this Zehnder system offsets the cost of installing mini splits in; say, every room, which I've done. Next time, I would consider the Zehnder option and save the cost of at least half the mini splits. The bonus is getting the fresh, filtered, heat recovered air that the ERV provides. (A requirement anyways on a house that is under 1.0 ACH.)
Would have been beneficial for them to discuss the kitchen exhaust and how the makeup is being handled. This is only the "fresh air makeup system" This really needs to work in conjunction with the rest of the HVAC system. Hopefully that can be covered in another show. Total cost is going to be significant.
no kitchen exhaust in this house. Induction cooktop, so it's not needed. He just puts a return grille in the kitchen as part of this ventilation system instead
@@kevinmacnichol7692 An air return in the kitchen is a code violation by the way. And the need for a kitchen exhaust is not based on the type of cooktop but rather for the heat and moisture that is generated as well as the occasions burned food when the cook is not paying attention. Or are you just trolling with the obvious misstatements?
Fantastic video. In a future video could you go over how you will manage your dryer? Venting, make up air, special location if any, special door/windows if any, etc?
Matt, curious about some things on this system. What is the monthly electric cost? What is the average filter replacement cost? How would this system work if you wanted to have a fireplace in your house? How would the possible smoke effect the system or would it damage the system?
Matt Risinger, thanks for sharing this! I appreciate your dedication to clean indoor air. That Gas appliances add the possibility of carbon monoxide is reason ENOUGH to go all electric ⚡️
I watched the video hoping that the topic of kitchen exhaust would be taken care of. I want to have plenty of BTU of cooking power, but want to know how to handle getting the wok smoke and other serious air concerns handled. Thank you for the content!
Top of the line, looks like a great design in that they took everything reasonable into consideration to make a perfect unit. .75w/cfm is very efficient, it has to maintain proper cfm throughout varying SP's. Only $9.50 month at $.13/kwh.
Just 1 solar panel of 400 Watts can run this system for 10 years or more for free (after the cost of solar panels, Battery, and control system) and still have some extra energy to spare. He said this big system would use about 100 Watts, so about 2,400 Watts a day. The average day is exactly 12 hours, the power you actually get on your panels is equal to about 6 hours of full sun radiation per day. Therefore 1- 400W panel (or 4 - 100W panes for lower price but need more space) would create 400Wx6=2,400W a day. Now, this house has a great large open space for multiple arrays of solar panels systems and since his whole house is running on electricity He can practically run the entire house on solar. He does not even need a battery backup and connects the Panels to his Electric Miters and the power production would be subtracted from his Bill. In some states, if u produce more power than use they would even pay u for the extra energy u give them. Now since he lives in Texas a really hot n sunny state his power production would be even higher, so I would have a backup battery for emergencies since Texas Power System SUCKS! WHY THE F***!!! Texas is the only state in the country that is outside the National Power Grid?
10 months later, I just got a quote from my local Zehnder distributor for an upcoming basically Passive house build. Thanks again Matt for the video!! Next on the list, EAS windows.... Here we go!
In the UK you definitely have the inlet and outlet on the same wall, avoids all sorts of balance problems from the wind, not sure why you'd set it up differently - solar gain?
@Matt -->Please follow up on your next videos how this system ties in with Bathroom exhaust and more importantly dryer (heat pump system) and stove vents (separate system to some how save energy, maybe?) Great videos, keep them coming.
Matt does a minor explanation from 4:20-5:25, and the installer guy explains it at 11:20-12:00. Basically, bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen that would normally have exhausts/vents/etc will channel through the one "exhaust out" 8 inch duct that is part of the system.
@@trinity1aee So all that greasy air from the stove vent hood is going through that filter that protects the air exchanger from gunking up ? That filter would need constant changing, unless there is another filter in the range hood itself. Also, is the ERV fan going to be able to keep up with a 900cfm stove exhaust fan when it was designed for just 180cfm ? I am pretty sure a stove vent needs to be metal, so those plastic hoses are only for supply fresh air and the exhausts from kitchen and baths are all traditional metal ducts ?
Will you still be running a separate dehumidifier? I’m putting together my HVAC system for my new house construction and I’m loving your fresh air system
Matt always does this in his builds now. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t running a discrete dehumidifier as this system isn’t really intended for dedicated dehum.
@@CompCrasher86. And it isn't connected to the "H and AC" part of the air system. (A downside really - it should be plumbed right into the dehumidifier input to the recirculating ducted Reverse cycle AC.
I want to see how heating, cooling, and de-humidification is all tied into this system too. I'm not quite sure how those pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Couple things I wish you would have covered. 1.) How does it interact with your AC/Heat unit if at all. 2.) How do you handle positive and negative pressure zones in rooms. I notice your pumping air into rooms without a exhaust which would tell a novice like me that is pressurizing that room. For tight houses, I want it as balanced as possible I would think to keep from blowing or sucking air where I dont want it too. As always thanks for content and God bless.
Jeff , I think the concept is for the positive room to push air through the negative pressure rooms where you want to exhaust. Such as the bath rooms, kitchen and laundry room. So instead of one return, a house has many, an equal amount to be accurate. This would stop wind tunnel effect in poorly balanced homes. What I cannot see is can you still create AC/heat zones? I want my office to be cooler than my gal wants her craft room.
These airflows are relatively low compared to heating and cooling. The systems operate independently. And the pressure differentials between rooms are enough to change the air, but easy enough to flow around/under closed doors. Supplying fresh air to bedrooms and living rooms and extracting from wet/stinky rooms keeps the air in the whole house clean without any noticeable drafts.
Pricey but impressive, especially that cost of operating. And when you consider that you don't really have to run the a/c as much to provide dehumidification in the south, that can add up to a lot of savings.
An impressive system. I wish matt would compare the total cost of something like this versus the traditional ERV with brach ducted system and multiple fart fans in each bathroom. 10-12K plue 5-6K in labor seems like a whole lot compared to the other system that was being used.
Great information. Looks like a promising product. Would be great to see a future revision support the Matter standard. I was wondering about pleasant open-window weather. Does the ventilator still need to run then? It strikes me that there are several temperature levels where different ventilation might be desirable. There is a level where it is so pleasant, we just want the windows open and then any fan becomes unnecessary. Then there is a level where sometimes it is pleasant outside but hotter inside, even with the windows open. Then we want something to draw in air from outside perhaps simply through the windows. We don’t need energy recovery; merely need fresh air pulled in and the hot air from radiant sunlight pushed out. No need to exchange heat or humidity: simply exchange air. Does this appliance address these issues? Or am I failing to appreciate what it does in such circumstances already?
Something needs to be mentioned here - for anyone considering installing an ERV in a vented attic - you're going to want to make sure that attic is well ventilated and that ductwork well insulated. Using the regular uninstulated rigid ductwork is going to fine as long as its housed in a conditioned space. All this seems fairly straightforward, but I do feel like it may get missed if an installer or DIY person isn't considering this.
Looks like a very good system, definitely important on a house built this tight. Would love to see the TAB contractor's ( third-party , must be third party to eliminate any conflicts of interest) results when his house is completed.TAB = testing, adjusting and balancing ( it is an actual trade with certification used mainly in the commercial and industrial building industry). With the covid virus TAB technicians are in very high demand right now, the mechanical engineers for hospitals and school are currently demanding a much higher air turnover rate with more make-up air. Good for my industry ( gas utility), bad for the customer ( higher utility bills). Currently in Germany all schools are mandated to open all windows for 10 to 15 minutes every hour ( they turned the heating system off and open all windows, after 10 or 15 minutes they close the windows and turn the heating system back on for 1 hour and repeat.). I can't wait till this covid virus thing is over.
That is an awesome system. I do have a question. If say you are having a party or work is being done so lots of doors open and left open for longer than usual, could the system have a mode to run positive pressure while the doors are open? It seems to me that if you tried to go positive pressure but failed, we could assume a door or window is open and just keep the flow on. When it goes positive, switch back to balanced mode and every once in a while try to go positive pressure. This could also warn of envelope failures... Try to go positive pressure at sometime between 3 and 5 am (or whenever you expect very little activity) and if it fails several days in a row, send an alert.
Good question, James. The fans can be set to be positively or negatively balanced up to 15%. The advantages/disadvantages vary from one climate to another. Also, you can temporarily turn off either the supply or exhaust fan.
This is a great system however I have two concerns: 1 - What is the noise level at the exhaust grille? 2 - Does the Enthalpy filter actualy reduce the humidity from the incoming air? Love the show, thanks in advance for the answers and your opinion
Great system, very timely info too, been wondering about ventillation systems for tight houses in cold climate. One question, how does rangehood air get dealt with if potential oil and grease gets sucked into the system? Does the range have it's own set of filters?
@@mtscott Most hoods will have filters that catch most of the grease. But a well designed kitchen will have its own makeup air system for tho hood. It doesn't have to be an expensive set up, just a powered duct fan system that brings makeup air in around the bottom of the range. They have solenoids that turn the makeup air supply on when the hood exhaust is turned on.
This was addressed in a more recent video. The range hood is *not* connected to the ERV/HRV. Besides the oil/grease issue, there's just too much air. High flow range hoods do 600-800 cfm. Matt's ERV is under 200 cfm, so it would never be able to handle it. In his house, he has an intake fan (with filter) to balance the range hood, that's powered when the range hood is on.
MATT! You definitely need to check out the heat pump condenser clothes dryer. They are super effective and efficient and DON’T NEED VENTILATION! These help keep the envelope of the house tight and super efficient. Oh, and may I please suggest you purchase a gymbal for the camera. It will negate much of the shaky movements. When I was working on my own documentary programs as a cameraman and editor, I used one for a fashion shoot and it helped the image to stabilise greatly. Cheers from Australia mate. Keep up the good work.
@@buildshow Hi Matt, I'm in the process of self installing a heat recovery system in the UK. Your price estimates are about the same here too. I've also had a Miele heat pump dryer for 5 years in a small utility cupboard stacked ontop of the washing machine. It works billiantly but I decided to put a dedicated heat recovery extract vent in there to remove the slight tumble dryer smell of hot clothes. Even before intalling MHRV, I liked the fact that I wasnt wasting energy blowing hot air outside.
@@JamesBlazen Switzerland has outright banned vented dryers since 2012. Heatpump or electric condensing dryers are the way to go. Heating up air and then blowing it through clothes and then right outside is very wasteful.
@@buildshow Any particular reason why the kitchen exhaust isn't being integrated with your Zehnder system? I'm very curious how these ERV/HRV systems can integrate that exhaust since they typically require a substantial flow rate but only when called upon. I like the idea of one exhaust penetration for the whole house, I'm just not quite sure how that can be managed with these systems. Also, how are you managing the evaporated moisture from your heat pump dryer? I would think you would still need a vent for that. The heat pump in the dryer is only a heat source to facilitate evaporation of moisture from the damp items within it. Also,
@@buildshow even if you had a dryer vent, the q600 can adjust supply and exhaust rates in response to the dryer exhaust. by not having a dryer vent, you are putting a big humidity load in your building envelope, and the zehnder system shown does not provide humidity control. so you would have to have mechanical systems (force air conditioning and/or dehumidifier) to provide humidity control. some people go for a recirculating hood, but a kitchen exhaust is going to work better. i have a heat pump water heater and considered a heat pump dryer but concluded that it really didn't do much and was pretty much a waste of money.
you definitely don't want the kitchen hood tied to the dedicated outdoor air system. the grease and residue from cooking would gum up the ducts and the filter at the erv. you don't want the dryer vent hooked in either because the filter in your dryer does not capture all of the lint. the only things you want going into the return ducts of the doas are odors.
@@paperwait9611 You make a good point about dryer lint. That would inevitably build up in the ducts, except the Zender duct tubes appear to have a smooth surface finish and the interface with the manifolds also appears quite smooth. The manifold boxes could be problematic though. Not only is there particulate in the dryer vent air but also a lot of moisture and don't forget heat. In the summer time you would not want to transfer that heat to your supply air which an ERV/HRV would do; you'd be fighting your AC system with your ventilation system. The moisture transfer could also certainly be problem if you don't already have a dehumidifier in the system. Like you said an ERV is not a dehumidifier, unless of course the exhaust air has a dew point lower than the incoming air, then the core would condensate...there is a degree of humidity control inherent to an ERV since enthalpy accounts for both sensible and latent heat. Regarding the kitchen vent, presumably regardless of direct vent or tie in to a residential DOAS (i.e. ERV/HRV) a grease filter should be present. Recirculation vents do not adequately manage odor, smoke, or steam... they have very little benefit at all frankly. That said most kitchen exhaust hoods call for 150-400CFM would could be equally just as large as the ventilation needs of the house. So do you upsized the DOAS to include the kitchen or accept the needs for another vent? Kind of seems like you really need three vents to avoid any problems Kitchen, Dryer, rest of the house. Problem is the DOAS would need to compensate for the Dryer and the Kitchen exhaust with supply air, so you'd still need some kind of tie in or dedicated direct air inlets for those areas, but then you lose efficiency by not tempering that makeup air.
Any BAS with door switches and motion sensors will accomplish this for you. HVAC controls and window blinds are also common in a BAS. Some DIY guys are using raspberry PI’s to accomplish this rather than expensive tridium/niagra proprietary programming and controllers.
TJ Challstrom Humidity sensor won’t close when you just want to take a shit in the toilet. Make up air would have to be balanced with the same cfm as the fart fan. Wouldn’t want to create negative pressure in the space and pull more air away from the other zones. None of the other duct runs have motorized dampers on them. Constant speed fan at the ERV.
TJ Challstrom all you need is a thermostat with a cap tube connected to the hot water line to control the fan. The water line heats up when hot water is used thus turning on the fan anytime the bath water is used. Low voltage to. Add a 15 minute time cut off delay and it will run 15 minutes after shower is stopped. You’ll never have to worry if someone forgot to turn on the exhaust fan again. It’s simple
More questions: make up air for a big vent hood? And if we upgraded our 2013 ERV, do we just remove and plug the existing bathroom fans and exhaust system?
I got 1200CFM Kitchen Vent Hood... have yet to install a MUA yet... Does this system compensate for that or is an extra MUA still required? I also use fireplace in winter... so sometime the smoke is terrible in bad burn. Another headache... However, I do like this system.
@@MrTiger0002 - The short answer is No. A 1200 CFM hood should have an exhaust duct of at least 10 inches (12 inches is preferred). That means you'd need a minimum 10" MUA duct. In reality, you'll want the MUA duct to be larger (much larger) to cut down on the inflow air velocity and noise. Both of these base values are larger than the entire EVR system supply capacity. The same would apply to a gas furnace. don't use conditioned air to feed the fire, run an outside supply for the furnace and keep the entire combustion process separated from the living space.
@Matt Risenger: You mentioned no ventilation penetrations, which is good, except for the Kitchen. Kitchen gases don't just include moisture, but hot grease/oils which break-down into esters that act like paint, they can gum up your ERV/HEV exchanger membrane in no time. Unless you have extreme filtering, don't vent anything in the kitchen to your ERV/HEV (or HRV). Just look at the pipe behind your old range hood and you'll get an idea about how ineffective range hood filters are. I don't know about Texas code, but it's probable that just using an HEV or HRV, even at max output to vent kitchen, may violate code. The cases I've seen in California do with following exception: Cooking appliance that is in accordance with UL 710B for reduced emissions where the grease discharge does not exceed 2.9 E-09 ounces per cubic inch (oz/in3) (5.0 E-06 kg/m3) where operated with a total airflow of 500 cubic feet per minute (cfm) (0.236 m3/s). Frankly most home kitchen range hoods don't meet code in California, but this is one of those areas where the inspectors are allowed a lot of leeway. Hope this reaches you in time.
yes - microwave with built in "ventilation" are a joke. I put a real hood in over my cooktop an the difference it makes is amazing. And it's not that big a deal to crack a door to get enough makeup air when it's on high. I probably should have some sort of a make up fan but I'm not staying in this house long term and I certainly won't get the investment back. Having sold houses in the past when moving most people are beyond clueless when it comes to infrastructure - all they care about is move in ready :p
According to Matt, there’s no need for bathroom fans anymore. Apparently there’s an on demand “boost mode” to evacuate the bathroom air. He’s also gone full electric so he doesn’t need a kitchen hood either. I must admit, I’m really intrigued by this kind of a system. I really want to know how much electricity usage per month Matt’s house will be when all is done.
PLUMBING VENT SYSTEM consists of 1 main 3-4"stack usually through the roof for passive air intake for wastes and water flow leaving home via sewer or septic. For obvious reasons, it is totally separate from AIR Ventilation.
@@bryce4071 That would be for an exhaust fan in the laundry room not for the clothes dryer itself. The amount of heat, moisture, and lint in the dryer exhaust would overwhelm the system very quickly and would be a disaster. While they did not specifically get into the dryer exhaust, that would have to be run separately to exhaust directly to outside air. The Zehnder system would presumably take care of the makeup air needs when the dryer was in operation.
I’m actually surprised to learn people have exhaust vents in laundry rooms. If its all being taken care of by the dryer exhaust, why? Or is it humidity from the washer maybe?
I'm really impressed with this house. This is clearly the future. You only showed the air supplies though. What about the exhausts? On another note: Have you thought about complete energy self-sufficiency all year round with solar panels and a hydrogen storage system? That would certainly be the icing on the cake.
Love seeing these systems you showcase Matt! Is there anyone that does this type of channel for us northern viewers? I'm in Central Canada with extreme temp swings. We can go from -40f plus windchill in the winter, to 95f and humidex pushing 110 in the summer.... I'm still trying to figure out why we live here.
Matt says he found out about this from his trip to Canada in the video, in three different parts of the video. So yes. You could try living in the soon to be next Brazil, that failed nation state just south of Canada, they say the weather is better there, but no one can say for how long.
Awesome unit, How will this regulate the amount of hot air vs cold air when it's unwanted? if the weather is hot i doubt you want warm air coming in then it's butting heads with your HVAC?
was waiting and waiting for the talk about the exhaust fan in the kitchen does that air get recycled out the unit - if it does how are you trapping the grease particles.
Yeah I need to watch this one again. It’s a lot to take in. Can someone remind me, will this system address a high CFM kitchen exhaust hood or would a make-up unit also be needed?
Good question, Anthony. This system is going to be running balanced at 180 cfm. It's total capacity full tilt is just a bit over 350 cfm, so that extra 170 cfm of capacity is probably not enough to provide the make up air for the "high CFM" kitchen exhaust hood you're describing. I believe Matt is planning for a dedicated dampered make-up air solution for his kitchen exhaust hood.
That was my question as well, not to mention I've cleaned exhaust hoods in houses before and it's not just clean moisture that travels through, I'm not sure I'd want an ERV to handle it.
@@buildshow what are your thoughts on active makeup air systems like the ones made by Fantech? Also - is using a gas range not feasible in a Passive House if we balance the range hood with an active makeup air system?
This is great. I have so many questions because of how fascinating and unfortunately uncommon the tech is in today’s homes. What’s the maintenance? Does the core need to be cleaned? Is that prefilter going to get overloaded? I’m thinking pollen vacuum on the side of your house. You run multiple duct runs to each room to set your max airflow and then you fine tune it with the registers? When flow hood the register, won’t the self adjusting throw off all the other registers you just adjusted? If its in boost for somebody taking a shower won’t every other room be boosted as well? Whats the strategy to prevent a “draft” feeling from the cooler fresh air? Here in the north the outside air can be 70* cooler in peak winter. Will airflow between intake and exhaust rooms be enough to open/close doors? I love the approach you’re taking here and I hope it takes off. I can’t wait to see this integrate with smart home and IoT products.
I wonder how long semi-permeable membranes in ERVs will last - in a jacket some break down within 5-10 years. A HRV has more durable partitions - but no vapour permeability
Pretty sure the core needs to be replaced at some point also. Typically you can vacuum them at least, but unsure if that can be done with this one? I expect the core to be expensive to change.
The core should be removed and cleaned every year. Vacuum the edges and run fresh water through it (warning, though, not all ERV cores are water washable like this one). Our filters should be checked like almost all filters on a quarterly basis. Yes, the Luna diffusers provide adjustment to compensate for the varying duct lengths. There can be a couple iterations of adjust registers, but the fact that this Q600 ERV adjusts automatically to maintain the total flow helps make the process a lot easier. Yes, boost is for the entire system (there's no "zoning"). High heat recovery and relatively low airflows are sufficient to avoid cold drafts. Yes, the airflows in each room are usually low enough to move freely around/under a closed door.
Great improvement over all those individual vent fans, and holes. I'm curious about the dryer vent, kitchen hood and the air conditioning. Are they integrated into this system somehow, or are they stand alone? Also it would be nice to see how you get from the attic to the master bath and master bedroom on the first floor. Great videos! The more I watch, the tighter my house gets (and more expensive). I would like to see videos of how your associates, Wade & Jake, and even Steve apply these designs and equipment in zone 5 construction. I'm building in NJ so it's a little different than Austin. Thanks!
Is the Zehnder vent system not connected with the Mitsubishi Air Conditioning/Heat system? Can you do a video on how this all comes together please, Thanks.
Hey Matt, could you make a video that shows how this will integrate with your Mitsubishi heat pumps? I am not understanding fully, is there an air-handler and rigid ducting, or is *this* your ducting? Thanks so much for your videos, I am definitely implementing this in our build.
This ERV is installed independent of the home's HVAC system. So it does not integrate. Quote from Zehnder "It is essential that the ventilation and HVAC systems are separate and do not share ductwork. This ensures proper airflow rates and energy efficiency". So basically the homeowner will be paying about 2X.
@@skmetal7 That's exactly what the ERV does. Look up how it works. I'm no expert here, merely a residential homeowner who has looked into the benefits of one and decided it wasn't worth it for my house and climate.
Hi Phillip. Matt's is probably around 50 cubic feet. The system size will depend on the layout of the house (# of bedrooms/bathrooms, etc.), not just the square feet. If you can visit zehnderamerica.com and click on "Request a Quote" you can upload a pdf of your floor plan (just sketch it out and scan if if you don't have it already). Our team will put together a system design and detailed quote.
impressive product, hopefully, they will engineer a more compact system for the Chinese market. I don't think my 250m2 apartment has the equipment room to fit an amazing system like this.
It’s a great video really liked it, it’s answer so many questions about ventilation, I only have one what about kitchen stove venting. Hope you cover that question soon.
Great episode, only thing you didn't cover was how the life expectancy and guarantees compare to the alternatives. e.g. Typical bath fan lasts what 5 years so long term costs are probably lower for Zehnder?
@@BrianKrahmer 10-12k is just the equipment package. If I know anything about hvac it's that the labor is usually 1 to 2x the equipment price. Hence the 30k
@@jl9678 if you're willing to pay 20k to install a system like that, drop me a line. i'll fly over from europe just to do that. at a labor rate of $100/hr, you're talking 5 weeks of work. i'd be disappointed if i couldn't install that system in less than a week. i'd honestly estimate 3 days
Great explanation. Question. I understand that if it's a hot day and I'm exchanging the AC air inside for fresh air, which is hot, it will recover some of the cooling. It doesn't seem to make sense to hook up bathroom exhaust fans (hot shower) and laundry dryer vent as those will most likely be hot air.
Hi Jay. The hot shower scenario is so intermittent and relatively short term and it's a relatively small amount of hot, humid air when compared to the air volume of the entire house being exchanged 24/7. Your comment is valid, but we think that short blip of heat gain is a small price to pay for the positive impact on Indoor Air Quality that comes from continuous, uninterrupted bathroom ventilation.
How well do these systems work with cooking fumes / oil particles produced while cooking? How about laundry dryers? Obviously can't just vent that inside the house, especially if it's a gas dryer. Also how about the moisture produced by bathrooms, could that lead to mold/moisture issues in the ducts? Lots of questions and while the idea of an airtight home and clean air sound great - still giving me a lot of pause. Also how do the costs add up? Sure there's that extra "$5k-12k" on the system itself (forget if that included labor or not), but there's also the upkeep. Ok, that's 100w used at all times with the fans running? That's like $113/yr just in energy for that. PLUS he said to check/change filters every quarter (those look like special filters... I'm sure those costs add up too). And how long do we expect these units to last? 15 years? 30 years? Longer? While it may make a heating/cooling bill a little cheaper and the house a little more comfortable and healthy to live in, the pure math just doesn't seem to add up to me. How much of a difference in the HVAC bill would we even expect with all this extra insulation and airtightness? If it IS indeed more expensive in the long run, it would be good to know how much $ I'm paying to achieve this level of physical comfort and air quality.
Add some solar and over 20 years the costs go away - then we may need to replace the solar - at costs equivalent of a new AC unit. (Thinking about it - HVAC will likely never have a similar warranty to solar panels, so the solar is probably a better complement to "zero net cost")
Good points, Colin. An ROI could be estimated using specific flow rates and temperature differentials as long as you're comparing it to the same ventilation rate using bathroom fans (have to compare it to something). We have examples of this we could share with you. But the reality is that most homes are very poorly ventilated, making the ROI on heat/energy recovery difficult. And beyond that, attempts are now being made by health researchers to quantify the lost productivity and medical costs that can be traced back to poor indoor air quality. Should that be part of the ROI?
@@christophersmith1894 . Indeed. Historical metrics will likely show a net cost (with conventional power) with overcomplicating HVAC. -A simple gas burner in a tin shed probably beats any sealed, insulated, controlled-ventilation McMansion. Comfort -that's subjective -spend what you want on being comfortable. What you describe as "poorly ventilated" is actually poorly sealed yes no cost saving untill the envelope is "controlled"-freely passively ventilated, whenever and wherever the wind blows. Poorly ventilated is an Icebox with the lid on.. have a laugh. It gives me a chuckle too.
Questions: Sending range hood exhaust through the ERV? Would yhemat grease mess up your ductwork? Sending bathroom exhaust through ERV? Wouldn’t that be retaining unwanted moisture inside the house? Thanks in advance for your responses.
Speaking of emergency power... are you going to have your panel setup to have a gen-set run all these critical systems when the power is out from utility? Also, would be installing a permanent natural gas gen-set?
Matt, I love the content of your channel. I used to build Passive Houses in the northeast. We used Zhender HRVs all the time - they are great products. I'm so glad to see this content getting out to a broader audience. Now for the constructive criticism - you've GOT to get your camera person a steady cam or gimbal system. I'm getting motion sick with all the fidgeting and adjusting (I've noticed this on other videos too, especially if there's a tour or "let's move around and see this house" component). I mean this with only the best intentions. I love your videos, but nausea is no fun!
Range hoods can not be exhausted through an HRV/ERV potential for a very dangerous situation. Hood fans can be paired with a powered makeup air system... I believe Matt has so video regarding this situation
I love the concept and efficiency of this system, but hardlyb raises a good point. All your eggs are in one basket now. A super tight house won't bring in much O2 when the power is out. Is there a battery backup option?
20:20 Is there a plumbing switch that can sense the shower is on? Therefore automatically turn on the exhaust fan in the bathroom? I had this idea a while back and just waiting to purchase my first home.
I haven't done it yet, but I wonder if using a Flo by MOEN, maybe it can detect the shower pulling water and then use a 3rd party control system to use FLO data to activate.
I install HRV here in Quebec, the cheapest one with install start at around $3000CAD and maybe $3500CAD for a ERV. I think this system is expensive but I like the fact that it auto-balance, your system at $15-20000USD installed is quite expensive but maybe its meant for people with deep pockets, you can usually sell your stuff at higher price to those :o
Where do you get your supplies, from?! I was planning on a retro-fit into an older house here in Quebec, built in 1985, that the guys installed an Air Exchanger in the Attic! I have been looking around to find either someone to give me a cost run down or DIY this thing, but can only find the box store HRV/ERV's and they don't look tempting at all!
@@FelipeSQ04 entry level hrv from venmar, aldes, lifebreath, any hvac company can install those at around 3000. The suppliers doesnt sell to normal people but at Canac, you can get the nektra and its basically a lifebreath
@@SpecialKthx Thanks a lot, I had read that some places only sold for hvac companies, so I thought it made sense to confirm with you. Will try to go through the Renovert program to make this change, since right now the air exchanger in my home is in the Attic just pushing winter cold air inside :D Thanks a bunch!
@@FelipeSQ04 I suspect you have a asthon or a venmar econo/pro If you have a 2 story house it will be more complicated but a 1 story with basement not finish or with removable tiles will be easier. You might have to sacrifice a corner of a closet tho.
Matt, in Canukistan our building code calls for a 'principal fan switch', usually located in a hallway or other common area. It's linked with a bathroom exhaust fan, usually the largest CFM unit, and fires a relay in parallel with that fan when either switch is turned on. This relay closes terminals R and G in the furnace through a jumper. Every time that particular fan is used in the bathroom, which is several times per day, or someone uses the principal fan switch, the house has air changes exchanges. We usually use timers for one or both. Is the air feeling stale? Just hit the 30 minute button on the principal fan switch.
Hi Matt, I have questions. I love this system and wanted one forever!! 1) So your dryer and kitchen vent do not vent to the outside? What about cooking grease and dryer lint? I would think you would still want venting to the outside for those. How are you cleaning those particular contaminates 2) In your experience would this system eliminate dust like a clean room? Could you do a test on this once you get the system up and see what level of dust and pollen accumulates inside your home. 2b) In your experience, does HEPA filter systems added to HVAC system remove dust and pollen at an effective, almost clean room like level. I would love to see an episode surrounding these questions. Thanks.
I second this.. I'm also interested in your kitchen vent set up. I was thinking of just having a smaller hood vent and fan for an induction cook top but if I can avoid it with a system like this then thats a massive plus. I want my house to have minimal vents due to being in a wildland urban interface (high fire zone). For the dryer I'm thinking of having a vent installed for future proofing but sealed and use a heat pump dryer. I'm curious if you are doing the same. Thanks!
The air from the bathrooms and laundry/kitchen is exhausted. It’s not recycled but replaced with fresh air that goes to the bedrooms and public spaces.
I just installed a Multistack ERV in Manhattan for a new 8 unit building, built to passive house and LEED standards. Amazing indoor air quality thus far and low energy costs.
I made the mistake of putting the intake and the exhaust fittings of my air to air heat exchanges on the west side under soffits 10 feet apart. In Massachusetts the predominant air is from the west. When the weather outside is windy it blows untreared air right through the exchanger. This means cold air in winter and hot air in summer BLAST right through the exchanger into my house vents. Make sure you tell people to avoid intake and output from prevailing wind side of house.
4:56 good you went higher than that, as this seemed low compared to equivalent Norwegian building code requirements of minimum 15 cfm per planned sleeping place and 0.065 cfm/sf for living areas.
Yes, I wanted to make a similar remark, but your standards were even higher. Explains why I enjoyed my sleep so much in our long term stay apartment in Norway.
Probably best to get a heat pump dryer, then all of the lint is caught in internal filter at the door and most of the moisture condensed to a drain connection.
@@nordlands8798 . Condensing dryers have not been popular in warm places (in my exp) - as the premium price over a non condensing unit for no additional benefit -proviso- you/one can vent the moisture outside. If "Code" limited maximum number of "envelope penetrations" -or monetised (penalties) bad construction methods then choice of appliance type could be weaponised in the push for "PassivHaus" /"ZeroNet" (kidding)
kadmow Sure the heat generated could be more of an issue if you need AC, but with heat pump dryers it is not that much really. As more people buy them they also get cheaper, here the heat is no issue most of the year so almost all dryers are condensing, and now even most mainstream models have heat pump.
Good product. My service was the worst in my 50 year business career. I am sure your service and commissioning was good because this was advertising for Zehnder with some free product. How dependable are your recommendations when you are paid with free product?
Pretty accurate information Matt. Good job. Please note one important item. In the north it's so dry in the winter, people suffer from nose bleeds and static electricity so we humidify our homes and commercial buildings. As a result there is a lot of latent heat stored inside and we absolutely use ERVs. They are probably just as important or more than the south because of our high delta T from outside to inside. I thought I would share this info with you.
"𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳...𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴"
That depends on where "in the north" you're talking about. Much of New England/the Mid Atlantic or the Pacific NW states have pretty high average humidity in winter(often over 70% in the morning). The average humidity in Chicago is actually highest from December through January. When I still lived in NJ my dehumidifier ran year round as did the one in my grandparents home near Newark NY. Humidity levels are influenced far more by things like terrain, altitude, large nearby bodies of water(Lake Michigan or Ontario for example) and other factors than they are simply by latitude.
@@CzechSixTv that's relative humidify Einstein. Go back to school pal.
@@CzechSixTv Chicago's highest dew point ever recorded was 83°F on July 30, 1999
@@CybekCusal It obviously wouldn't make sense comparing extremes such as 100% humidity at -20 in Fargo to 60% humidity at 45 degrees in Atlanta simply because the measurements were taken during the same season or even month. I'm talking about humidity levels at similar temperatures.
It doesn't matter how you slice it. 65-70% average humidity on a 30 degree day in Chicago or a 35 degree day in Seattle means there is physically more moisture in the air than there is at 56% in Amarillo TX or 50% in Sedona AZ at the exact same temps.
That humidity difference is why 30 degrees in Chicago is absolutely biting compared to 30 degrees in those areas of the southwest I mentioned. It finds its way into poorly sealed older homes in those areas, lingering in wall cavities/basements/crawlspaces, condensing when temps drop at night leading to problems down the road.
Does that winter humidity compare to Mobile Alabama, Nawlins or other gulf coast cities at any time of the year? No, but few places in the US would. What do Seattle, Chicago or Boston have in common with those gulf coast cities though that Amarillo, Sedona or Death Valley don't? Immediate proximity to giant bodies of water that stay warm for some time even after the air temps start dropping.
When comparing apples to apples, latitude only plays a small part in humidity levels.
@@CzechSixTv what you say is incorrect. You are going to hurt yourself. HVAC isn't your thing. Dew point represents the moisture content, not relative humidity. Go play with Legos.
I can upvote for him. In China, even though it is better now due to many efforts, but a lot of family started to installing fresh air systems when renovating due to the bad outdoor air quality. The trend started about 5 years ago, and I think it probably going to become a trend in the US due to wild fires each year... We live in north cal, and we are most definitely going to install one next year.
Now that is a well thought and engineered system, I really like not having to have all the extra exhaust fans,penetrations,ducting,wiring,whining to turn on the fan!,and bugs. Great Vid Thanks
Just installing 10 normal point of use exhaust fans and ducting in a house that size will run you $2K (for the cheap stuff builders love to install) plus the headaches that come with it.
Hi Matt
fun fact from Poland. By code, min ventilation rate is 0.5 house volume per hour, however when designing good ventilation, people often recommend 1 house volume per hour.
Great channel. I've learned a lot about building from your channel and you got me interested in the topic. Thx 😁
Matt, thank you. About to build my own super tight house, and this i clearly the equipment to use. Glad it was a long video, so we had time to absorb it all.
I liked the little black boxes with facts...very nice touch. Only mis spoke information was on the bedroom co2 sensor, it will not ramp up the bedroom, it ramps the entire system in all rooms as there is no zone flow capabilities. Flawless presentation other than that one mis spoke, covering/touching all the bases.........excellent job, excellent system !
Shawn, you are absolutely correct. Thanks. There is no "zoning" on this ERV air distribution system. We did review this together after filming, but the note got missed in the editing.
Ballpark prices, I'm so proud of you. Thank you.
Ballpark numbers was the difference between “the average homeowner could never afford these high end products” to “hey I’m an average homeowner maybe I could save up towards that”. Gotta change the stigma!
I’m breaking ground in a month, I like the idea of this. However I bet Matt’s HVAC would cost me over $40k. I need sponsors.
@@markseamans4682 I will sponsor you.
@@jgoody7467 haha!
@@markseamans4682 way over $40k. It would likely be $50k+ plus builder P&O and Supervision. So $65-$75k. I spoke to a builder recently who put in a very similar system on a job to this, but this is even higher end.
Matt, you nailed it when you brought up wildfire smoke and filtration. Thanks! We're so tired of breathing crap air every summer in CA.
Using your videos to inspire my build up here in Canada :) thanks for the great FREE videos!
Thanks!
Great video - thanks. Concerning shower-room users forgetting to push the 'boost' switch - the MVHR (aka 'HRV') I'm installing (VentAxia Kinetic BH) here in England has an inbuilt humidity sensor so that the unit goes into 'boost' mode automatically for a selectable time whenever the humidity in the extract air rises. There may also be others that have that feature. One can also wire the light-switches in those wet rooms (via isolators) back to the MVHR so that it runs in 'boost' mode all the while those lights are on.
Love all your Videos, Big..."FAN" of your HRV Videos, Placed an Intellisense in my house through watching you. Thanks buddy,hope your home is all buttonedup and benefitting from your experiences, take it easy
I'm sold, was basically going to do something similar, but this is the nicest kit I have seen. I'm a mechanic, and complete user friendly kits are the only way to go. I'm not sure I can afford to get the system right away, but I'm going to put it in my plans, and implement it when funds arise
Great video. It's awesome when the questions you have floating around in your head, are gradually answered throughout the video. So rare for presentations like this.
Please do a video this detailed when you install the heating and cooling system you plan on using!
Matt, we start construction on a Passive House in September 2024 in WI. Trying to contact a Zehnder dealer for product and installation. You have a great channel.
I would strongly advise to think about the pipe cleaning right away : avoid tight 90 deg turn and regular acces to inlet pipes. Otherwise you might start to have allergy problems after 5 years. I m hvac engineer from Belgium.
How do you clean the semi-flexible ducting?
Giles B they are smooth inside duct cleaning machine for small ducts
Filtration and Maintenance ever 3 months at the HRV/ERV will help keep the supply air clean
@@Floreypottery thanks, I've got a few 90 degree bends but mostly on the extract ducts.
You cant get mold because of the MERV13 filtration at the entry point and than MERV15 on top of that.
adding this to my ICF plans. Works absolutely perfect with ICF and solving some of the issues there. I planned on a multizone split A/C and heat, or ideally Geotherm if it is possible for the eventual location and my budget. This system is really simple and makes a lot of sense. Frees up planning in so many other ways it pays for itself.
Amazing stuff! I appreciate your honesty and openness shown in these videos documenting the "how-to" and the "why" of different technologies implemented into your house. Here in Europe, we also have certified passive houses and even premium passive ones with top energy-saving solutions such as CLT panels used in the assembly of exterior walls, floors, partition walls and roofs walls, passive house doors, passive triple-pane windows with weather-based electrically controlled blinds, wired/wi-fi weather stations with humidity, air pressure and light sensors, green energy from photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, integrated smart meters and KNX-based protocols for remote monitoring and controlling of a variety of appliances such as the geothermal heat pump, ventilation units, room temperature sensors, hydronic systems such as subfloor heating and radiant cooling ceilings, wall-mounted smart switchers and app-based interface for ambient light scenarios, CAT 7/8 structured cabling for connected IoT devices and much much more...there is a growing worldwide tendency to build smart and even energy self-sufficient premium passive residential properties, office buildings, schools, kindergartens and the like....I would love to see some of these smart house solutions integrated into your project. Stay healthy and keep up the good work!
Dude I've never liked build shows on tv your videos are so much more informative than any of that shit!
I like that this system works independently from the other equipment. So you could use this if you have a ductless mini split system.
They all have option to be installed independently
This is extremely interesting. Such high level engineering. I followed along and understood everything as explained until we got to the proton nebulizing surface area exchange rate cross flow efficiency counter flow combobulator
This reminds me of an episode of this old house with the camera shots and conversation setup
I was thinking the same.
However, TOH would have added a light to the dark attic and had smoother camera movements, I was getting nauseated from the shaking.
like fake news etc lol
That’s the point
I love watching this next level stuff, and it was clear that Matt was like a kid in a toy store watching this guy demo it
33:26 While some may be concerned about the Zehnder cost set up (or operating costs - which are really not bad at 2.4Kw/ per day) I can see the Zehnder system taking place of additional mini split units that would have otherwise been needed throughout the house. So yes, this unit costs a bit more, but the HVAC bill is going to be half!
edit kWh - Energy rather than power. NB. This isn't an AC unit - it is additional, for air quality, rather than "comfort".
@@kadmow I know that an ERV system is for air quality. My point is that when you have such an efficient air distribution system such as this Zehnder ERV, you eliminate the need for additional mini split units throughout the home because this system will continually distribute air around the house.
@@JamesBlazen I understand that. Matt has already stated that he will be utilizing mini split heads in his home. My only point was that this Zehnder system offsets the cost of installing mini splits in; say, every room, which I've done. Next time, I would consider the Zehnder option and save the cost of at least half the mini splits. The bonus is getting the fresh, filtered, heat recovered air that the ERV provides. (A requirement anyways on a house that is under 1.0 ACH.)
@@JamesBlazen Energy recovery. That includes heat and A/C
looks like a dream house to me - i suppose my dad would be a little skeptical of a fan and plastic tubes for that price but for me i'd nerd out on it
Would have been beneficial for them to discuss the kitchen exhaust and how the makeup is being handled. This is only the "fresh air makeup system" This really needs to work in conjunction with the rest of the HVAC system. Hopefully that can be covered in another show. Total cost is going to be significant.
no kitchen exhaust in this house. Induction cooktop, so it's not needed. He just puts a return grille in the kitchen as part of this ventilation system instead
@@kevinmacnichol7692 Even without gas cooktops, I'd still want additional kitchen exhaust to handle smoke and smells from cooking.
@@kevinmacnichol7692 An air return in the kitchen is a code violation by the way. And the need for a kitchen exhaust is not based on the type of cooktop but rather for the heat and moisture that is generated as well as the occasions burned food when the cook is not paying attention. Or are you just trolling with the obvious misstatements?
@@BubbleOnPlumb tell that to all the crappy luxury apartment units. Staring at the return vent in the kitchen right now.
Fantastic video. In a future video could you go over how you will manage your dryer? Venting, make up air, special location if any, special door/windows if any, etc?
Matt, curious about some things on this system. What is the monthly electric cost? What is the average filter replacement cost? How would this system work if you wanted to have a fireplace in your house? How would the possible smoke effect the system or would it damage the system?
40 watts/h. Yes if your ofen has a secondary wir from outside by pipe. And normal Filter need 2 20€ /pair
Matt Risinger, thanks for sharing this! I appreciate your dedication to clean indoor air. That Gas appliances add the possibility of carbon monoxide is reason ENOUGH to go all electric ⚡️
Gas heating is far far cheaper than electric and likely more environmental too depending on the source of your electricity
As someone who lived through 13 broken ribs and 2 collapsed lungs... I can relate. Extra holes SUCK
In situations like this, it's hard to know if they suck, or if they really blow! 😁
I watched the video hoping that the topic of kitchen exhaust would be taken care of. I want to have plenty of BTU of cooking power, but want to know how to handle getting the wok smoke and other serious air concerns handled. Thank you for the content!
Top of the line, looks like a great design in that they took everything reasonable into consideration to make a perfect unit. .75w/cfm is very efficient, it has to maintain proper cfm throughout varying SP's. Only $9.50 month at $.13/kwh.
Just 1 solar panel of 400 Watts can run this system for 10 years or more for free (after the cost of solar panels, Battery, and control system) and still have some extra energy to spare. He said this big system would use about 100 Watts, so about 2,400 Watts a day. The average day is exactly 12 hours, the power you actually get on your panels is equal to about 6 hours of full sun radiation per day. Therefore 1- 400W panel (or 4 - 100W panes for lower price but need more space) would create 400Wx6=2,400W a day. Now, this house has a great large open space for multiple arrays of solar panels systems and since his whole house is running on electricity He can practically run the entire house on solar. He does not even need a battery backup and connects the Panels to his Electric Miters and the power production would be subtracted from his Bill. In some states, if u produce more power than use they would even pay u for the extra energy u give them. Now since he lives in Texas a really hot n sunny state his power production would be even higher, so I would have a backup battery for emergencies since Texas Power System SUCKS! WHY THE F***!!! Texas is the only state in the country that is outside the National Power Grid?
@@nicolascardillo7615 an average day on my planet (called earth) is 24 hrs…
I have literally been waiting for this video!!! Thank you!
10 months later, I just got a quote from my local Zehnder distributor for an upcoming basically Passive house build. Thanks again Matt for the video!! Next on the list, EAS windows.... Here we go!
In the UK you definitely have the inlet and outlet on the same wall, avoids all sorts of balance problems from the wind, not sure why you'd set it up differently - solar gain?
I am a son of a house-builder and I can tell you :" I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS".
@Matt -->Please follow up on your next videos how this system ties in with Bathroom exhaust and more importantly dryer (heat pump system) and stove vents (separate system to some how save energy, maybe?) Great videos, keep them coming.
It doesn't tie in. It completely replaces any bathroom exhaust fan.
@@retartedfreak Does it also replace the exhaust fan in the kitchen or is this separate?
@@wkellander i would think it is separate. IDK 100%.
Matt does a minor explanation from 4:20-5:25, and the installer guy explains it at 11:20-12:00. Basically, bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen that would normally have exhausts/vents/etc will channel through the one "exhaust out" 8 inch duct that is part of the system.
@@trinity1aee So all that greasy air from the stove vent hood is going through that filter that protects the air exchanger from gunking up ? That filter would need constant changing, unless there is another filter in the range hood itself. Also, is the ERV fan going to be able to keep up with a 900cfm stove exhaust fan when it was designed for just 180cfm ? I am pretty sure a stove vent needs to be metal, so those plastic hoses are only for supply fresh air and the exhausts from kitchen and baths are all traditional metal ducts ?
Really love the video, the explanation is very easy to understand and follow through! Thank you Matt!!!
Will you still be running a separate dehumidifier? I’m putting together my HVAC system for my new house construction and I’m loving your fresh air system
Same question here.
Matt always does this in his builds now. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t running a discrete dehumidifier as this system isn’t really intended for dedicated dehum.
Of course, he is putting all of HVAC+D separate hahaha.
@@CompCrasher86. And it isn't connected to the "H and AC" part of the air system. (A downside really - it should be plumbed right into the dehumidifier input to the recirculating ducted Reverse cycle AC.
I want to see how heating, cooling, and de-humidification is all tied into this system too. I'm not quite sure how those pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Couple things I wish you would have covered. 1.) How does it interact with your AC/Heat unit if at all. 2.) How do you handle positive and negative pressure zones in rooms. I notice your pumping air into rooms without a exhaust which would tell a novice like me that is pressurizing that room. For tight houses, I want it as balanced as possible I would think to keep from blowing or sucking air where I dont want it too. As always thanks for content and God bless.
Jeff , I think the concept is for the positive room to push air through the negative pressure rooms where you want to exhaust. Such as the bath rooms, kitchen and laundry room. So instead of one return, a house has many, an equal amount to be accurate. This would stop wind tunnel effect in poorly balanced homes. What I cannot see is can you still create AC/heat zones? I want my office to be cooler than my gal wants her craft room.
These airflows are relatively low compared to heating and cooling. The systems operate independently. And the pressure differentials between rooms are enough to change the air, but easy enough to flow around/under closed doors. Supplying fresh air to bedrooms and living rooms and extracting from wet/stinky rooms keeps the air in the whole house clean without any noticeable drafts.
Pricey but impressive, especially that cost of operating. And when you consider that you don't really have to run the a/c as much to provide dehumidification in the south, that can add up to a lot of savings.
We love you Matt! I recommend your videos to all my friends.
Thanks Pete!
An impressive system. I wish matt would compare the total cost of something like this versus the traditional ERV with brach ducted system and multiple fart fans in each bathroom. 10-12K plue 5-6K in labor seems like a whole lot compared to the other system that was being used.
Great information. Looks like a promising product. Would be great to see a future revision support the Matter standard.
I was wondering about pleasant open-window weather. Does the ventilator still need to run then?
It strikes me that there are several temperature levels where different ventilation might be desirable. There is a level where it is so pleasant, we just want the windows open and then any fan becomes unnecessary. Then there is a level where sometimes it is pleasant outside but hotter inside, even with the windows open. Then we want something to draw in air from outside perhaps simply through the windows. We don’t need energy recovery; merely need fresh air pulled in and the hot air from radiant sunlight pushed out. No need to exchange heat or humidity: simply exchange air.
Does this appliance address these issues? Or am I failing to appreciate what it does in such circumstances already?
Great video Matt. Glad to see these really great systems getting the attention they deserve.
Matt, could we have another episode on "Dryer Venting"? I am interested in how you are doing this. Following your build.
Really liked everything/all of this - great job Matt! I learned so much. Thanks buddy. .. & Chris of course!
Matt is like a proud father.
Something needs to be mentioned here - for anyone considering installing an ERV in a vented attic - you're going to want to make sure that attic is well ventilated and that ductwork well insulated. Using the regular uninstulated rigid ductwork is going to fine as long as its housed in a conditioned space. All this seems fairly straightforward, but I do feel like it may get missed if an installer or DIY person isn't considering this.
Thank you Matt. Good job. Have a blessed and safe week to you and your family.
Looks like a very good system, definitely important on a house built this tight. Would love to see the TAB contractor's ( third-party , must be third party to eliminate any conflicts of interest) results when his house is completed.TAB = testing, adjusting and balancing ( it is an actual trade with certification used mainly in the commercial and industrial building industry). With the covid virus TAB technicians are in very high demand right now, the mechanical engineers for hospitals and school are currently demanding a much higher air turnover rate with more make-up air. Good for my industry ( gas utility), bad for the customer ( higher utility bills). Currently in Germany all schools are mandated to open all windows for 10 to 15 minutes every hour ( they turned the heating system off and open all windows, after 10 or 15 minutes they close the windows and turn the heating system back on for 1 hour and repeat.). I can't wait till this covid virus thing is over.
I have been a fan of your videos for a while now; but to hear you mention God just makes me want to watch you all the more!
That is an awesome system. I do have a question. If say you are having a party or work is being done so lots of doors open and left open for longer than usual, could the system have a mode to run positive pressure while the doors are open? It seems to me that if you tried to go positive pressure but failed, we could assume a door or window is open and just keep the flow on. When it goes positive, switch back to balanced mode and every once in a while try to go positive pressure. This could also warn of envelope failures... Try to go positive pressure at sometime between 3 and 5 am (or whenever you expect very little activity) and if it fails several days in a row, send an alert.
Good question, James. The fans can be set to be positively or negatively balanced up to 15%. The advantages/disadvantages vary from one climate to another. Also, you can temporarily turn off either the supply or exhaust fan.
This is a great system however I have two concerns:
1 - What is the noise level at the exhaust grille?
2 - Does the Enthalpy filter actualy reduce the humidity from the incoming air?
Love the show, thanks in advance for the answers and your opinion
Great system, very timely info too, been wondering about ventillation systems for tight houses in cold climate. One question, how does rangehood air get dealt with if potential oil and grease gets sucked into the system? Does the range have it's own set of filters?
Great question. I wondered the same myself. Surely there has to be a seperate system with a damper.
@@mtscott
Most hoods will have filters that catch most of the grease.
But a well designed kitchen will have its own makeup air system for tho hood. It doesn't have to be an expensive set up, just a powered duct fan system that brings makeup air in around the bottom of the range. They have solenoids that turn the makeup air supply on when the hood exhaust is turned on.
This was addressed in a more recent video. The range hood is *not* connected to the ERV/HRV. Besides the oil/grease issue, there's just too much air. High flow range hoods do 600-800 cfm. Matt's ERV is under 200 cfm, so it would never be able to handle it. In his house, he has an intake fan (with filter) to balance the range hood, that's powered when the range hood is on.
Does the dryer exhaust connect to the ERV system or is there just an exhaust port in the laundry room?
MATT! You definitely need to check out the heat pump condenser clothes dryer. They are super effective and efficient and DON’T NEED VENTILATION! These help keep the envelope of the house tight and super efficient.
Oh, and may I please suggest you purchase a gymbal for the camera. It will negate much of the shaky movements. When I was working on my own documentary programs as a cameraman and editor, I used one for a fashion shoot and it helped the image to stabilise greatly. Cheers from Australia mate.
Keep up the good work.
Actually I’ve been testing a Miele heat pump dryer and it’s pretty amazing. Perfectly dry clothes. 45 min run time. No vent to the outside!
I have a Bosch electric condensing ventless dryer. Works great, love not needing a vent.
@@buildshow Hi Matt, I'm in the process of self installing a heat recovery system in the UK. Your price estimates are about the same here too. I've also had a Miele heat pump dryer for 5 years in a small utility cupboard stacked ontop of the washing machine. It works billiantly but I decided to put a dedicated heat recovery extract vent in there to remove the slight tumble dryer smell of hot clothes. Even before intalling MHRV, I liked the fact that I wasnt wasting energy blowing hot air outside.
James Gleason because extra venting work equals cost of equipment and builders time! All saved by not having to need to vent a dryer.
@@JamesBlazen Switzerland has outright banned vented dryers since 2012. Heatpump or electric condensing dryers are the way to go.
Heating up air and then blowing it through clothes and then right outside is very wasteful.
I would like to see how the dryer vent is hooked in. I am also curious how the kitchen fan vents through it.
I’ll have a separate system for the kitchen exhaust. I’m using a heat pump dryer so I won’t need a vent
@@buildshow Any particular reason why the kitchen exhaust isn't being integrated with your Zehnder system? I'm very curious how these ERV/HRV systems can integrate that exhaust since they typically require a substantial flow rate but only when called upon. I like the idea of one exhaust penetration for the whole house, I'm just not quite sure how that can be managed with these systems. Also, how are you managing the evaporated moisture from your heat pump dryer? I would think you would still need a vent for that. The heat pump in the dryer is only a heat source to facilitate evaporation of moisture from the damp items within it.
Also,
@@buildshow even if you had a dryer vent, the q600 can adjust supply and exhaust rates in response to the dryer exhaust. by not having a dryer vent, you are putting a big humidity load in your building envelope, and the zehnder system shown does not provide humidity control. so you would have to have mechanical systems (force air conditioning and/or dehumidifier) to provide humidity control.
some people go for a recirculating hood, but a kitchen exhaust is going to work better.
i have a heat pump water heater and considered a heat pump dryer but concluded that it really didn't do much and was pretty much a waste of money.
you definitely don't want the kitchen hood tied to the dedicated outdoor air system. the grease and residue from cooking would gum up the ducts and the filter at the erv. you don't want the dryer vent hooked in either because the filter in your dryer does not capture all of the lint. the only things you want going into the return ducts of the doas are odors.
@@paperwait9611 You make a good point about dryer lint. That would inevitably build up in the ducts, except the Zender duct tubes appear to have a smooth surface finish and the interface with the manifolds also appears quite smooth. The manifold boxes could be problematic though. Not only is there particulate in the dryer vent air but also a lot of moisture and don't forget heat. In the summer time you would not want to transfer that heat to your supply air which an ERV/HRV would do; you'd be fighting your AC system with your ventilation system. The moisture transfer could also certainly be problem if you don't already have a dehumidifier in the system. Like you said an ERV is not a dehumidifier, unless of course the exhaust air has a dew point lower than the incoming air, then the core would condensate...there is a degree of humidity control inherent to an ERV since enthalpy accounts for both sensible and latent heat.
Regarding the kitchen vent, presumably regardless of direct vent or tie in to a residential DOAS (i.e. ERV/HRV) a grease filter should be present. Recirculation vents do not adequately manage odor, smoke, or steam... they have very little benefit at all frankly. That said most kitchen exhaust hoods call for 150-400CFM would could be equally just as large as the ventilation needs of the house. So do you upsized the DOAS to include the kitchen or accept the needs for another vent? Kind of seems like you really need three vents to avoid any problems Kitchen, Dryer, rest of the house. Problem is the DOAS would need to compensate for the Dryer and the Kitchen exhaust with supply air, so you'd still need some kind of tie in or dedicated direct air inlets for those areas, but then you lose efficiency by not tempering that makeup air.
Matt, can’t you use a motion sensor to activate the bathroom fan that activates the countdown power?
Any BAS with door switches and motion sensors will accomplish this for you. HVAC controls and window blinds are also common in a BAS.
Some DIY guys are using raspberry PI’s to accomplish this rather than expensive tridium/niagra proprietary programming and controllers.
TJ Challstrom Humidity sensor won’t close when you just want to take a shit in the toilet. Make up air would have to be balanced with the same cfm as the fart fan. Wouldn’t want to create negative pressure in the space and pull more air away from the other zones.
None of the other duct runs have motorized dampers on them. Constant speed fan at the ERV.
TJ Challstrom all you need is a thermostat with a cap tube connected to the hot water line to control the fan. The water line heats up when hot water is used thus turning on the fan anytime the bath water is used. Low voltage to. Add a 15 minute time cut off delay and it will run 15 minutes after shower is stopped. You’ll never have to worry if someone forgot to turn on the exhaust fan again. It’s simple
Excellent episode, great information! Thanks!
More questions: make up air for a big vent hood? And if we upgraded our 2013 ERV, do we just remove and plug the existing bathroom fans and exhaust system?
I got 1200CFM Kitchen Vent Hood... have yet to install a MUA yet... Does this system compensate for that or is an extra MUA still required? I also use fireplace in winter... so sometime the smoke is terrible in bad burn. Another headache... However, I do like this system.
Why not hook up to existing fans? You can probably even remove the motor and just leave the grill/shell of it
@@MrTiger0002 - The short answer is No.
A 1200 CFM hood should have an exhaust duct of at least 10 inches (12 inches is preferred). That means you'd need a minimum 10" MUA duct. In reality, you'll want the MUA duct to be larger (much larger) to cut down on the inflow air velocity and noise. Both of these base values are larger than the entire EVR system supply capacity. The same would apply to a gas furnace. don't use conditioned air to feed the fire, run an outside supply for the furnace and keep the entire combustion process separated from the living space.
@@valkyriefrost5301 Thank you. Confirms my thoughts.
What have you done regarding possible RADON mitigation..I realize the ERV may fill that bill depending on amount of radon, if any is present.
@Matt Risenger: You mentioned no ventilation penetrations, which is good, except for the Kitchen. Kitchen gases don't just include moisture, but hot grease/oils which break-down into esters that act like paint, they can gum up your ERV/HEV exchanger membrane in no time. Unless you have extreme filtering, don't vent anything in the kitchen to your ERV/HEV (or HRV). Just look at the pipe behind your old range hood and you'll get an idea about how ineffective range hood filters are.
I don't know about Texas code, but it's probable that just using an HEV or HRV, even at max output to vent kitchen, may violate code. The cases I've seen in California do with following exception: Cooking appliance that is in accordance with UL 710B for reduced emissions where the grease discharge does not exceed 2.9 E-09 ounces per cubic inch (oz/in3) (5.0 E-06 kg/m3) where operated with a total airflow of 500 cubic feet per minute (cfm) (0.236 m3/s). Frankly most home kitchen range hoods don't meet code in California, but this is one of those areas where the inspectors are allowed a lot of leeway.
Hope this reaches you in time.
Thank you for that...good info.
yes - microwave with built in "ventilation" are a joke. I put a real hood in over my cooktop an the difference it makes is amazing. And it's not that big a deal to crack a door to get enough makeup air when it's on high. I probably should have some sort of a make up fan but I'm not staying in this house long term and I certainly won't get the investment back. Having sold houses in the past when moving most people are beyond clueless when it comes to infrastructure - all they care about is move in ready :p
Matt is not venting the kitchen hood through the ERV. You're correct...we DON'T do that! ;)
Fascinating. How does the plumbing vent system connect? I am always struggling with all the bathroom fans and other holes in the house.
According to Matt, there’s no need for bathroom fans anymore. Apparently there’s an on demand “boost mode” to evacuate the bathroom air. He’s also gone full electric so he doesn’t need a kitchen hood either. I must admit, I’m really intrigued by this kind of a system. I really want to know how much electricity usage per month Matt’s house will be when all is done.
@@sirwnstn still need a vent hood over a range top - going induction only avoids CO2, not steam, cooking oils etc that vents need to exhaust
ArthurDentZaphodBeeb Good point! Let’s see how Matt solves that problem.
PLUMBING VENT SYSTEM consists of 1 main 3-4"stack usually through the roof for passive air intake for wastes and water flow leaving home via sewer or septic. For obvious reasons, it is totally separate from AIR Ventilation.
On the dryer vent, how do you keep it from clogging your filters with lint?
It's not connected to the Zehnder - only air to the room -
ArthurDentZaphodBeeb but he mentions the exhaust from the laundry room and how its connected.
@@bryce4071 That would be for an exhaust fan in the laundry room not for the clothes dryer itself. The amount of heat, moisture, and lint in the dryer exhaust would overwhelm the system very quickly and would be a disaster. While they did not specifically get into the dryer exhaust, that would have to be run separately to exhaust directly to outside air. The Zehnder system would presumably take care of the makeup air needs when the dryer was in operation.
I’m actually surprised to learn people have exhaust vents in laundry rooms. If its all being taken care of by the dryer exhaust, why? Or is it humidity from the washer maybe?
This would be a heat pump dryer. Smaller and more expensive than a conventional dryer.
Phenomenal video! Thanks for this and so many other highly informative contributions.
I'm really impressed with this house. This is clearly the future. You only showed the air supplies though. What about the exhausts?
On another note: Have you thought about complete energy self-sufficiency all year round with solar panels and a hydrogen storage system? That would certainly be the icing on the cake.
See 13 minute mark in video, he discusses exhaust.
I was thinking about the same thing, but you'll have those exhausts at each bath, range hood and whatever else you need vented.
Love seeing these systems you showcase Matt! Is there anyone that does this type of channel for us northern viewers? I'm in Central Canada with extreme temp swings. We can go from -40f plus windchill in the winter, to 95f and humidex pushing 110 in the summer....
I'm still trying to figure out why we live here.
Matt says he found out about this from his trip to Canada in the video, in three different parts of the video. So yes.
You could try living in the soon to be next Brazil, that failed nation state just south of Canada, they say the weather is better there, but no one can say for how long.
Awesome unit, How will this regulate the amount of hot air vs cold air when it's unwanted? if the weather is hot i doubt you want warm air coming in then it's butting heads with your HVAC?
Nice system, I would need to know if this would substitute (aid) for radon mitigation so I would nor need to add another fan system?
was waiting and waiting for the talk about the exhaust fan in the kitchen does that air get recycled out the unit - if it does how are you trapping the grease particles.
Matt answered in another post - no that dirty air ( and, strangely - makeup) - is separate.
Yeah I need to watch this one again. It’s a lot to take in. Can someone remind me, will this system address a high CFM kitchen exhaust hood or would a make-up unit also be needed?
Good question, Anthony. This system is going to be running balanced at 180 cfm. It's total capacity full tilt is just a bit over 350 cfm, so that extra 170 cfm of capacity is probably not enough to provide the make up air for the "high CFM" kitchen exhaust hood you're describing. I believe Matt is planning for a dedicated dampered make-up air solution for his kitchen exhaust hood.
@@christophersmith1894 thanks for the reply Christopher. Good info. Much appreciated.
Can this really handle exhaust from a high cfm range hood? Does it negate the need for a make up air source for a range hood?
No way
That was my question as well, not to mention I've cleaned exhaust hoods in houses before and it's not just clean moisture that travels through, I'm not sure I'd want an ERV to handle it.
No. I have a separate system for exhaust at my kitchen range that will also have a make up air system
@@buildshow can you do a video on it please
@@buildshow what are your thoughts on active makeup air systems like the ones made by Fantech? Also - is using a gas range not feasible in a Passive House if we balance the range hood with an active makeup air system?
This is great. I have so many questions because of how fascinating and unfortunately uncommon the tech is in today’s homes.
What’s the maintenance? Does the core need to be cleaned?
Is that prefilter going to get overloaded? I’m thinking pollen vacuum on the side of your house.
You run multiple duct runs to each room to set your max airflow and then you fine tune it with the registers?
When flow hood the register, won’t the self adjusting throw off all the other registers you just adjusted?
If its in boost for somebody taking a shower won’t every other room be boosted as well?
Whats the strategy to prevent a “draft” feeling from the cooler fresh air? Here in the north the outside air can be 70* cooler in peak winter.
Will airflow between intake and exhaust rooms be enough to open/close doors?
I love the approach you’re taking here and I hope it takes off. I can’t wait to see this integrate with smart home and IoT products.
I wonder how long semi-permeable membranes in ERVs will last - in a jacket some break down within 5-10 years. A HRV has more durable partitions - but no vapour permeability
Pretty sure the core needs to be replaced at some point also. Typically you can vacuum them at least, but unsure if that can be done with this one? I expect the core to be expensive to change.
The core should be removed and cleaned every year. Vacuum the edges and run fresh water through it (warning, though, not all ERV cores are water washable like this one).
Our filters should be checked like almost all filters on a quarterly basis.
Yes, the Luna diffusers provide adjustment to compensate for the varying duct lengths.
There can be a couple iterations of adjust registers, but the fact that this Q600 ERV adjusts automatically to maintain the total flow helps make the process a lot easier.
Yes, boost is for the entire system (there's no "zoning").
High heat recovery and relatively low airflows are sufficient to avoid cold drafts.
Yes, the airflows in each room are usually low enough to move freely around/under a closed door.
Christopher Smith thanks for taking the time to answer.
Great improvement over all those individual vent fans, and holes. I'm curious about the dryer vent, kitchen hood and the air conditioning. Are they integrated into this system somehow, or are they stand alone? Also it would be nice to see how you get from the attic to the master bath and master bedroom on the first floor. Great videos! The more I watch, the tighter my house gets (and more expensive). I would like to see videos of how your associates, Wade & Jake, and even Steve apply these designs and equipment in zone 5 construction. I'm building in NJ so it's a little different than Austin. Thanks!
Is the Zehnder vent system not connected with the Mitsubishi Air Conditioning/Heat system?
Can you do a video on how this all comes together please, Thanks.
Hey Matt, could you make a video that shows how this will integrate with your Mitsubishi heat pumps? I am not understanding fully, is there an air-handler and rigid ducting, or is *this* your ducting? Thanks so much for your videos, I am definitely implementing this in our build.
This ERV is installed independent of the home's HVAC system. So it does not integrate. Quote from Zehnder "It is essential that the ventilation and HVAC systems are separate and do not share ductwork. This ensures proper airflow rates and energy efficiency". So basically the homeowner will be paying about 2X.
@@sitechca70 How does this not suck all the heated or cooled air out of the rooms and send it outside?
@@skmetal7 That's exactly what the ERV does. Look up how it works. I'm no expert here, merely a residential homeowner who has looked into the benefits of one and decided it wasn't worth it for my house and climate.
@@skmetal7 just look at the whole video, it is explained.
This is an awesome system. I don't have an attic. How many cubit feet of space do I need for this system in a 5,000 sf home?
Hi Phillip. Matt's is probably around 50 cubic feet. The system size will depend on the layout of the house (# of bedrooms/bathrooms, etc.), not just the square feet. If you can visit zehnderamerica.com and click on "Request a Quote" you can upload a pdf of your floor plan (just sketch it out and scan if if you don't have it already). Our team will put together a system design and detailed quote.
impressive product, hopefully, they will engineer a more compact system for the Chinese market. I don't think my 250m2 apartment has the equipment room to fit an amazing system like this.
lol 250m2 is huge, this is probabaly made in china already.
It’s a great video really liked it, it’s answer so many questions about ventilation, I only have one what about kitchen stove venting. Hope you cover that question soon.
Coming soon. Separate system for kitchen exhaust and make up air
Great episode, only thing you didn't cover was how the life expectancy and guarantees compare to the alternatives. e.g. Typical bath fan lasts what 5 years so long term costs are probably lower for Zehnder?
Nope, didn’t cover my passive solar home in CA!
I was just thinking that. 30k system to save $20 a month and replaced after a few years? First world solutions
@@jl9678 where did you come up with 30k? he mentioned 10k, but that is for a pretty large house
@@BrianKrahmer
10-12k is just the equipment package. If I know anything about hvac it's that the labor is usually 1 to 2x the equipment price. Hence the 30k
@@jl9678 if you're willing to pay 20k to install a system like that, drop me a line. i'll fly over from europe just to do that. at a labor rate of $100/hr, you're talking 5 weeks of work. i'd be disappointed if i couldn't install that system in less than a week. i'd honestly estimate 3 days
Great explanation. Question. I understand that if it's a hot day and I'm exchanging the AC air inside for fresh air, which is hot, it will recover some of the cooling. It doesn't seem to make sense to hook up bathroom exhaust fans (hot shower) and laundry dryer vent as those will most likely be hot air.
Hi Jay. The hot shower scenario is so intermittent and relatively short term and it's a relatively small amount of hot, humid air when compared to the air volume of the entire house being exchanged 24/7. Your comment is valid, but we think that short blip of heat gain is a small price to pay for the positive impact on Indoor Air Quality that comes from continuous, uninterrupted bathroom ventilation.
How well do these systems work with cooking fumes / oil particles produced while cooking? How about laundry dryers? Obviously can't just vent that inside the house, especially if it's a gas dryer.
Also how about the moisture produced by bathrooms, could that lead to mold/moisture issues in the ducts? Lots of questions and while the idea of an airtight home and clean air sound great - still giving me a lot of pause.
Also how do the costs add up? Sure there's that extra "$5k-12k" on the system itself (forget if that included labor or not), but there's also the upkeep. Ok, that's 100w used at all times with the fans running? That's like $113/yr just in energy for that. PLUS he said to check/change filters every quarter (those look like special filters... I'm sure those costs add up too). And how long do we expect these units to last? 15 years? 30 years? Longer?
While it may make a heating/cooling bill a little cheaper and the house a little more comfortable and healthy to live in, the pure math just doesn't seem to add up to me.
How much of a difference in the HVAC bill would we even expect with all this extra insulation and airtightness?
If it IS indeed more expensive in the long run, it would be good to know how much $ I'm paying to achieve this level of physical comfort and air quality.
Add some solar and over 20 years the costs go away - then we may need to replace the solar - at costs equivalent of a new AC unit. (Thinking about it - HVAC will likely never have a similar warranty to solar panels, so the solar is probably a better complement to "zero net cost")
Good points, Colin. An ROI could be estimated using specific flow rates and temperature differentials as long as you're comparing it to the same ventilation rate using bathroom fans (have to compare it to something). We have examples of this we could share with you. But the reality is that most homes are very poorly ventilated, making the ROI on heat/energy recovery difficult. And beyond that, attempts are now being made by health researchers to quantify the lost productivity and medical costs that can be traced back to poor indoor air quality. Should that be part of the ROI?
@@christophersmith1894 I'd say so.
@@christophersmith1894 . Indeed. Historical metrics will likely show a net cost (with conventional power) with overcomplicating HVAC. -A simple gas burner in a tin shed probably beats any sealed, insulated, controlled-ventilation McMansion. Comfort -that's subjective -spend what you want on being comfortable.
What you describe as "poorly ventilated" is actually poorly sealed yes no cost saving untill the envelope is "controlled"-freely passively ventilated, whenever and wherever the wind blows. Poorly ventilated is an Icebox with the lid on.. have a laugh. It gives me a chuckle too.
I figured it was your boyfriend
Questions:
Sending range hood exhaust through the ERV? Would yhemat grease mess up your ductwork?
Sending bathroom exhaust through ERV? Wouldn’t that be retaining unwanted moisture inside the house?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Speaking of emergency power... are you going to have your panel setup to have a gen-set run all these critical systems when the power is out from utility? Also, would be installing a permanent natural gas gen-set?
this is an important question. I'd like to know the answer as well.
Not sure ERV/HRV is a critical system, just open a window.
Matt, I love the content of your channel. I used to build Passive Houses in the northeast. We used Zhender HRVs all the time - they are great products. I'm so glad to see this content getting out to a broader audience.
Now for the constructive criticism - you've GOT to get your camera person a steady cam or gimbal system. I'm getting motion sick with all the fidgeting and adjusting (I've noticed this on other videos too, especially if there's a tour or "let's move around and see this house" component). I mean this with only the best intentions. I love your videos, but nausea is no fun!
it's better than the audio normalization :)
Do you still use a separate range hood or does that tie in to the HRV as well?
Range hoods can not be exhausted through an HRV/ERV potential for a very dangerous situation. Hood fans can be paired with a powered makeup air system... I believe Matt has so video regarding this situation
Naaaaa man. What’s the worst that could happen. Straight weld up some grease duct and call her good bud!! Whats ASHRAE???
Matt, Thanks for the informative videos ...... I learn a lot from them.
So what happens when the power goes out during the night? You wake up with a low 02 headache?
Open a window. The house has plenty of volume for the unit to be off and not build up CO2 levels. It’s tight but not Zero air exchanges
Just wait.. he'll be getting tesla batteries next with some solar panels.
I love the concept and efficiency of this system, but hardlyb raises a good point. All your eggs are in one basket now. A super tight house won't bring in much O2 when the power is out. Is there a battery backup option?
@@buildshow Okay. Glad you gave it some thought. It seems like a great house.
@@DuncanCunningham yes, but only is sponsored...
20:20 Is there a plumbing switch that can sense the shower is on? Therefore automatically turn on the exhaust fan in the bathroom? I had this idea a while back and just waiting to purchase my first home.
I haven't done it yet, but I wonder if using a Flo by MOEN, maybe it can detect the shower pulling water and then use a 3rd party control system to use FLO data to activate.
Robert Steich look for a fan with a humidity sensor. I forgot who makes them.
I install HRV here in Quebec, the cheapest one with install start at around $3000CAD and maybe $3500CAD for a ERV. I think this system is expensive but I like the fact that it auto-balance, your system at $15-20000USD installed is quite expensive but maybe its meant for people with deep pockets, you can usually sell your stuff at higher price to those :o
Where do you get your supplies, from?! I was planning on a retro-fit into an older house here in Quebec, built in 1985, that the guys installed an Air Exchanger in the Attic! I have been looking around to find either someone to give me a cost run down or DIY this thing, but can only find the box store HRV/ERV's and they don't look tempting at all!
@@FelipeSQ04 entry level hrv from venmar, aldes, lifebreath, any hvac company can install those at around 3000. The suppliers doesnt sell to normal people but at Canac, you can get the nektra and its basically a lifebreath
@@SpecialKthx Thanks a lot, I had read that some places only sold for hvac companies, so I thought it made sense to confirm with you. Will try to go through the Renovert program to make this change, since right now the air exchanger in my home is in the Attic just pushing winter cold air inside :D Thanks a bunch!
@@FelipeSQ04 I suspect you have a asthon or a venmar econo/pro
If you have a 2 story house it will be more complicated but a 1 story with basement not finish or with removable tiles will be easier. You might have to sacrifice a corner of a closet tho.
@@FelipeSQ04 you also can check www.epurair.com/en/products/. They are Quebec based company and produce good quality residential ERVs.
Matt, in Canukistan our building code calls for a 'principal fan switch', usually located in a hallway or other common area. It's linked with a bathroom exhaust fan, usually the largest CFM unit, and fires a relay in parallel with that fan when either switch is turned on. This relay closes terminals R and G in the furnace through a jumper.
Every time that particular fan is used in the bathroom, which is several times per day, or someone uses the principal fan switch, the house has air changes exchanges. We usually use timers for one or both.
Is the air feeling stale? Just hit the 30 minute button on the principal fan switch.
Hi Matt, I have questions. I love this system and wanted one forever!! 1) So your dryer and kitchen vent do not vent to the outside? What about cooking grease and dryer lint? I would think you would still want venting to the outside for those. How are you cleaning those particular contaminates 2) In your experience would this system eliminate dust like a clean room? Could you do a test on this once you get the system up and see what level of dust and pollen accumulates inside your home. 2b) In your experience, does HEPA filter systems added to HVAC system remove dust and pollen at an effective, almost clean room like level. I would love to see an episode surrounding these questions. Thanks.
I second this.. I'm also interested in your kitchen vent set up. I was thinking of just having a smaller hood vent and fan for an induction cook top but if I can avoid it with a system like this then thats a massive plus. I want my house to have minimal vents due to being in a wildland urban interface (high fire zone).
For the dryer I'm thinking of having a vent installed for future proofing but sealed and use a heat pump dryer. I'm curious if you are doing the same.
Thanks!
@ 11:22 why do I want to recycle air from my bathrooms or kitchen ?
The air from the bathrooms and laundry/kitchen is exhausted. It’s not recycled but replaced with fresh air that goes to the bedrooms and public spaces.
@@buildshowvideo explain it in a different way !! anyways for the total price isn't worthy. thanks
Can you show the ERV's performance with a psychometric chart?
Yes. Feel free to reach out via our website zehnderamerica.com and we can show you an example.
I just installed a Multistack ERV in Manhattan for a new 8 unit building, built to passive house and LEED standards. Amazing indoor air quality thus far and low energy costs.
I made the mistake of putting the intake and the exhaust fittings of my air to air heat exchanges on the west side under soffits 10 feet apart. In Massachusetts the predominant air is from the west. When the weather outside is windy it blows untreared air right through the exchanger. This means cold air in winter and hot air in summer BLAST right through the exchanger into my house vents. Make sure you tell people to avoid intake and output from prevailing wind side of house.
keep in mind that if is man made it can be fix !!
4:56 good you went higher than that, as this seemed low compared to equivalent Norwegian building code requirements of minimum 15 cfm per planned sleeping place and 0.065 cfm/sf for living areas.
Yes, I wanted to make a similar remark, but your standards were even higher. Explains why I enjoyed my sleep so much in our long term stay apartment in Norway.
How does the system handle dryer exhaust? I currently have two lint traps on my dryer exhaust and I still get lint getting past the second trap.
The system vents from the dryer room, not the dryer.
Put a HEPA filter in the dryer flue and all problems go away - just clean it regularly.
Probably best to get a heat pump dryer, then all of the lint is caught in internal filter at the door and most of the moisture condensed to a drain connection.
@@nordlands8798 . Condensing dryers have not been popular in warm places (in my exp) - as the premium price over a non condensing unit for no additional benefit -proviso- you/one can vent the moisture outside.
If "Code" limited maximum number of "envelope penetrations" -or monetised (penalties) bad construction methods then choice of appliance type could be weaponised in the push for "PassivHaus" /"ZeroNet" (kidding)
kadmow Sure the heat generated could be more of an issue if you need AC, but with heat pump dryers it is not that much really. As more people buy them they also get cheaper, here the heat is no issue most of the year so almost all dryers are condensing, and now even most mainstream models have heat pump.
Good product. My service was the worst in my 50 year business career. I am sure your service and commissioning was good because this was advertising for Zehnder with some free product. How dependable are your recommendations when you are paid with free product?