HELP—–Recommendations/cautions for air exchangers?
We are building a passive solar house in northern Minnesota, 15 miles from the Canadian border. We are making it as green as we can -with super insulation, Serious windows & Innotech doors. The shell is done & now we are buying a air exchanger — the local installer has recommended a Venmar H.E.1.8 —— 115 to 197 cfm rate of airflo, 2 washable foam filters, Limited Lifetime warranty of core (Polypropylene) with 5 year warranty parts & 94% efficiency — that is the only brand he sells/installs.
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> I looked at the company’s website online, then started looking at other sites, some of which have concerns about Venmar products. There have been motor failures, motor replacements,fires & concerns about the product efficiencies, particularly with Fasco Motors. There have been problems with the company not responding to customers problems.
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> I have been looking online for some ratings or recommendations of systems, rather than the manufacturers sites, but don’t see any ratings? Do you have any recommendations or cautions about Venmar or any other makers of air exchangers????? ANY help would be greatly appreciated. We need some advice!!!! Thanks!!!
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Ann,
Venmar is a long-established manufacturer of HRVs, with many satisfied customers. They've had their share of maintenance issues over the years, but as far as I know, the company has learned from these incidents.
In my article, HRV or ERV?, I made the following recommendation:
"If energy efficiency is your most important criterion — and I believe it should be — choose either the UltimateAir RecoupAerator 200DX ERV (which draws 40 watts to deliver 70 cfm, or 1.75 cfm/watt) or the Venmar EKO 1.5 HRV (which draws 24 watts to deliver 49 cfm, or 2.04 cfm/watt)."
If you can afford European equipment, you might want to consider installing an HRV from Zehnder. They are very quiet, very efficient -- and expensive.
I have a couple of the Venmar HRV's which we chose over the Ultimateair model, based puerly on operational noise, as one is placed in a pantry closet behind our kitchen so we wanted to minimize the assocaited noise. Our other one in is a secluded mechanical room so noise not so much an issue. So far (1 1/2 years) they both have worked flawlessly.
We just received a Venmar EKO 1.5 HRV. It appears to by lined with some sort of plastic that has a chemical smell. Any one else experience this? Will this smell go away?