TwinFresh Comfo 32 CFM Power 5 in. Single-Room Energy Recovery Ventilator
I just took ownership of the first HRV to be sold at Home Depot. I love it.
Price $475
Extra stuff I learned about it:
1. The 16cfm mode (perfect for a 2 person bedroom) is only 0.3 sones at 4 watts. Almost inaudible.
2. Low speed is 8cfm (the one person setting) is 0.1 sones which is TOTALLY inaudible.
3. It can cycle on humidity if desired. That is, it will come on when the humidity reaches 40%RH (low), 50% (medium), or 60% (high). When the humidity drops below the setpoint, it shuts off.
4. It pretty much is a ripoff of the Lunos design, but I don’t know if the design is patented anyway.
It’s not synchronized like the Lunos but I believe synchronization is unecessary, and actually
reduces the total house airflow.
5. The US distributor, Zoltan, will give a quantity discount, which gets it down to a price I can justify in new construction spec homes and rentals.
6. The exterior vent cover is an elaborate, good lookin, bomb proof fabrication of stainless steel.
Questions:
Anyone have any field experience with it?
Does anyone have concerns with the air change strategy or the design?
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Replies
Note: It may be considered an ERV. At 16 cfm, however, the distinction is meaningless. And wintertime freezeup is impossible with a regenerative design like this.
Not sure if there are any patents on these designs, but they aren't new. At a minimum, the concept was discussed by William Shurcliff in his books on ERV's/HRV's from the early 1980s.
Funny that we were discussing exactly that a few weeks ago ...
This is a Lunos ripoff , even though the desing could be general, this one was directly derived.
Not necessarily a bad thing ( for others than Lunos brand owner )
Do you know how long it has been out for in usa ?
Will be interesting to monitor,
as with the Lunos units, the installation cost saving + the start price is very attractive.
I did not see any test certificats on the spec pdg ..has it been tested ?
Jin,
That's right, in that discussion I was predicting that a Lunos type fan could be sold for $150. https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/great-ventilation-debate-live-aci-conference
Now that I have a unit in my hands, I'll admit that $150 would be optimistic because of all the features that are required. I forgot to mention the Twinfresh has a high quality, relatively tight, powered damper.
Twinfresh is nearly at the needed price point between $300 and $400 in quantity.
I haven't seen any 3rd party testing on it. All we have is the manufacturer's claim of 91% max. efficiency at 32F, which is even better than what Lunos claims. I also don't know when the product was introduced, but I found it through a mention here on GBA.
More issues worth discussing:
One unit set to 32cfm for the main living area should be sufficient for most homes. A timer for that one would make sense.
Leaving the bedroom doors open all day and evening might eliminate the need for a main area unit, however.
My hesitation is that the home company is in Ukrainia.
http://www.ventilation-system.com/cat/
I like the solar powered version for single room ventilation. Ventus/Twin Fresh claims to be more efficient than Lunos but I asked the company for independent data and they referred me to Home Depot.
I doubt it is a copy of Lunos, more likely just later to enter the North American market. There are other European E/HRV's like this that are not available here due to electrical system difference and distribution challenges. Foreigners can't just open a store in the US.
Response to Flitch Plate:
I'm also very concerned about the supply chain. Home Depot is a great supplier, but they can be very fickle with their in store product.
I hope an American manufacturer will get going on a knockoff. Domestic automated production can theoretically drive the price down much further.
Kevin,
It looked to me like you could wire multiple twin-fresh modules up to one controller, and by doing so achieve the same coordinated action that the Lunos has. Did I miss something, or is this indeed possible?
Response to Joshua,
Great question. People familiar with Lunos will likely demand that feature.
But I did a quick thought experiment on the issue:
In a Pretty Good House (PGH), total airflow would be nearly double if the two fans are "fighting" each other instead of synchronized. That's because a PGH isn't nearly tight enough to prevent these fans from pushing and pulling 64 cfm through its walls and ceiling.
Q. But isn't all that flow is coming through cracks in the house?
A. Yes.
Q. Doesn't that affect the amount of heat recovery?
A. Probably not, because the materials in the walls act as a regenerative heat exchanger when subjected to a cycling air flow regime.
Q. Isn't that 64 cfm going to cause problems in the walls?
A. No. It's only 64 cfm. In a PGH, that much air cruises through whenever it gets slightly windy. But when it's forced and cycled, at least you get that fresh air where you want it (bedrooms), when you want it (while sleeping).
so does this mean we should synchronize them?
Kevin,
It appears that they don't have to demand that feature, it is already present. While the units sold by HD may not have capability to be installed in "networks" apparently you can power 2 or more units from one control box, and hence pair them into "suppliers" and "extractors" whose roles reverse every 70 seconds. See http://www.ventilation-system.com/cat/618/ for more info.
One more question for Kevin,
Is it possible you could take a picture of what comes in the box from HD? Also, you mentioned a distributor, Zoltan, but googling isn't turning them up, any chance you could post their contact info?
Josh
Zoltan Bodor [email protected]
http://www.pinrepair.com/arcade/zoltan.htm
Hey Kevin,
A bit late to the conversation but have you experienced any issues with the TwinFresh? I am too, considering buying it.
+1
They are available in Europe for ~250€, which is a very attractive price.
if using one or two twinfresh, how do you ventilate the bathroom?