Fresh air: A quality ERV that most can afford?

Matt walks through the new smart ERV install and commission process at Luke's house. Thanks to Broan Nu-Tone for sponsoring this video! Learn more: www.broan-nutone.com/
New Results Heating and Cooling: newresultsac.com/
Ready Frame at Luke's House Video: buildshownetwork.com/contents...
Subscribe and follow my Podcast on Apple or Spotify!
Apple: apple.co/32AOwgU
Spotify: spoti.fi/3FXNg4X
Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter:
buildshownetwork.com/newsletter
To sponsor a video or advertise with us visit:
www.buildproductions.com
Want to learn more about building? buildshownetwork.com/
Build Show Network on Instagram: / thebuildshow
Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Builders FirstSource, Polywall, Huber, Rockwool & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.
www.bldr.com/
www.Poly-Wall.com
www.Huberwood.com
www.Viewrail.com
www.Rockwool.com

[@michael.phillips.vab.phill5822]

Matt, I rebuilt a 3300SF home, performed all the electrical, all the plumbing above and below the slab, spray foam insulation, all new windows and doors, drywall and flooring using your principles. I truly enjoy nerding out while watching the Build Show. By that, I learned the electrical code to bring a new buried line into house with 2-200 exterior disconnects and 2-200 amp panels inside that allows for future generator to cover most of the house from one panel, and studying the plumbing code to understand DFU requirements, used PEX and copper. I did all the work with my wife and it looks great and passed all the inspections. Thank you for your channel

[@Jor0716]

Always have to temper my expectations when Matt says "affordable"

[@216000950]

Affordable if you get it free

[@NSER164]

Haha yup

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Remember there is a shortage of workers everywhere. Think of it as finding out how big of a budget people out there have. Make those people your clients.

[@98grand5point9]

Reminds me of this old house. Budget in the early 80s for a screened porch addition was $40,000. I could have built a really nice house in my market for that.

[@peterbeyer5755]

How much are the filters and how often do they need to be replaced.

[@aaronpops4108]

I like the change of pace with systems that aren't cost prohibitive. Keep it up!

[@RagnarokLoW]

depends of where you are. Québec is definitely a very cold climate but summers are hot and very humid.

[@rodrigoserrano3984]

It would be nice if you compared all the ERV's and show the square footage or volume they can cover. What kind of quality air they are bringing in. Also the price for each unit.

[@househacker3639]

Very nice and clean install! Great job!

[@colinbateman8233]

That’s a pretty reasonable price and good to see

[@cleko89]

Thank you for not flexing this. And actually doing quality work

[@adriancarey7848]

Merry Christmas Matt

[@curtcmiller]

Thank you for the explanation of erv/hrv. That was the best explanation I have heard yet. Humidity or just heat.

[@paul8699]

I'm trying to fit an ERV in my remodel budget right now. This is a very relevant video.

[@williamdavies1977]

same

[@WilliamPozo]

Matt! Great video. Can you do a video one day on ERV+Vent in a hot humid location? I would like to build my own home and struggling to understand vapor control vs air stopping especially here where we build with masonry and not plywood. Whats the right assembly in a masonry home? Super tough!

[@lookup9078]

Fantastic! Thx.

[@outbackwack368]

Thanks, Matt. I'd be curious how loud the airflow is in & out of the vents. Also, what's the difference between the ERV and the "recirculate" mode on my Lennox system? I hate loud HVAC! Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

[@ethanml33]

I know a lot of these videos are sponsored, but I'd like to know the big differences between this and say the Zendher and what you are getting by buy the more expensive.

[@joshtheld]

Efficiency and an integrated distribution system.

[@lapseofeternity]

I just went through this for my new build (owner/builder) in SF Bay Area. The Zehnder system with 5 supplies and 7 returns was priced at $16k including freight. The broan ERV 75% was less than $1500. Then we ran regular R6 ducts with Fantech MGE registers. The way one sales guy explained to me was that Zehnder was the cadillac. Its a unified system which comes with own ducts and is > 90% efficient. But the system is easier to install and you save on labor. Its great for really tight houses. I went with Broan 160CFM75% asthe labor quotes were identical on both systems. The time to run the traditional ducts was the same (now that I have looked at installation of both broan and Zehnder) Zehnder had more CFM but for my 3100sqft house with a dedicated makeup air and separate exhausts in bathrooms, Broan was plenty. It also has the auto balancing feature too which (if it works) would be nice. My understanding is that if you are looking to squeeze out as much efficiency as possible, Zehnder is king. Otherwise, Broan works the same functionality wise. I haven’t commissioned the system yet.

[@CompulsoryDemocracy]

What everybody above has said. It's like Pretty Good House vs. PASSIV HAUS standards.

[@aorange999]

We have had this Broan running for 2 years and every day I am thankful we didn't pay the extra $15000 to install the Zehnder. We are in a close to passive house but weren't looking for any certificates. I have co2 sensors all over the 2400 sq ft house and never exceed 750 ppm with a full house of guests. Relatively quiet, works well and highly recommended but If I had a blank check build I would have opted for the Zehnder system.

[@CompulsoryDemocracy]

@@aorange999 I will be commencing my own Broan Ai100 this spring. Re purposing my forced air ducting to ERV , with HVAC being Ductless HP.

[@uticatechclub923]

Thank you guys! Beautiful work!!! Which exhaust fans must be kept? Cloth dryer? Kitchen?

[@95dodgev10]

Thanks to living in the midwest i need a utility room the size of a small house and enough duct work for a motel to take advantage of all the tech available these days. Between hvac (hoping to go geothermal), a dehumidifier for summer, humidifier for winter, and an erv would be nice too. A couple days ago i was getting static shock like crazy. Opened up my thermostat app and it was only 27% on the main level and 30% in the basement. Summer time will be 70%+ easily. But my house needs a lot of work because "leaking like a sieve" would be an improvement for my house.

[@DannySauer]

These shows and their concerns about the "humid" South... We get all the humidity of the south (easily 90+% for months), along with legitimately frigid cold. Today it's warmed up to about 5F, and I'm looking at a humidistat about four feet from a room humidifier showing 26% right now. I'm not exactly sure why I live here now, after typing that comment. 🤣

[@95dodgev10]

@@DannySauer yep midwest gets the best of both worlds. Stupid humid and hot in the summer and freezing cold, high wind, and low humidity in the winter. Almost impossible to build the "perfect" house according to buulding science. You either try to keep moisture in or keep it out, try to keep it warm or keep it cool. Or you build something thats just ok at everything. Black roof can be helpful in the winter but bad in the summer. Tinted windows can be good in the summer but less ideal in the winter. It goes on and on.

[@mitchdenner9743]

Glad your showing this , I purchased this just haven't installed it yet.

[@auwtomoton]

Can you please make a video about maintenance of the long tubes? What about when they fill up with dust, how do you clean them out? Thanks!

[@yosefkarash8173]

Hey. Thanks for the video and for all of the great content that you share. My biggest question on erv's is that from my experience erv's come with pretty low rated merv filters and don't have the option to upgrade to a hepa and carbon filter. My erv in particular is a Honeywell and I whenever there's smoky air outside we smell it throughout our house because of the erv. When I spoke to Honeywell customer service they said that there's no option to get better filters that fit this erv and even if we were to create our own in line filter box they were concerned that it would choke the erv. Any suggestions? Thanks

[@jasonschlegel4027]

I ended up purchasing the Broan AI HRV. It's ordered and shipping now. Thank you for the informative post.

[@TT-il5jt]

how did it go? cost to install?

[@jasonschlegel4027]

@@TT-il5jt works great. Quiet.

[@johnstewartrichards5922]

The Most Interesting Man In The World also does HVAC ERV installations of course he does that too!

[@Tom-pc7lb]

Stay thirsty my friend. Lol

[@PhilScordato]

Matt called him Nacho too... I had to rewind and listen to it again haha.

[@michaelyhan4062]

Hi Matt good job can you also talk about Rheia comfort Ac with a broan system .

[@RedHeadKev87]

Thanks for this option to keep a house comfortable. Are there regular costs like replacing filters or maintenance and if often?

[@emo65170.]

I had to comment on the great mastic work back there.

[@jayworley1583]

Goodman just came out with a Side Discharge 1.5-5T inverter heat pump. Can't wait to see what the price is. With a right sized inverter / variable speed heat pump, I just don't understand the need for a dedicated, supplemental dehumidifier unless you live in FLA USA.

[@samTollefson]

I just built and installed a homemade system with two 6" in-pipe fans and a 12x12x8 core of used but clean political signs that captures and returns some of the energy of my conditioned air. I used only 12' of 6" duct in my utility room with the intake and outflow through the wall into my screened porch, and an intake and outflow into the dining room near the A/C return so the fresh air gets conditioned before being sent into the other rooms. I wired both fans into a router speed control and used it to adjust the fans so I keep the CO2 levels in the 600 to 800 ppm range; no fancy computer stuff is needed. If I feel I need help with the range, I can buy a CO2 controller ( usually used in greenhouses with costs of $115 to $200)) and set the target CO2 levels I want that will automatically turn the system on and off. The whole thing cost me about $200, I did have to buy a 4x8 sheet of plasticore from a box store as I didn't have enough political signs. If everything else is quiet and you are close to the dining room wall, you can hear a low wiring sound from the fans, but it is not really noticeable.

[@thecrippledstud]

As a builder with fresh air being brought into the home untreated, the main complaint is the air is running all the time and it’s cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Logical to me. But when I approached the HVAC company they recommended an ERV but my building science guy said go with a whole house dehumidifier. What’s the pros and cons with these two?

[@CarlKettler]

HVAC + D + H .... Northern climates can get down to 30% humidity in the winter .... need to ADD moisture in the winter.

[@davidpowers8232]

The register boxes shown in the video are not for the standard round grilles commonly used for ventilation systems. Would love to know what is being used if anyone knows?

[@D2O2]

I am curious as to how IRC 1505.4.4 is going to be met for a single bathroom without dampers as the flow will be divided across all the exhausts.

[@richgey1]

Loose the background music, please 🙏.

[@paulrey27]

The cold north need the ERV to keep the humidity IN the house in the winter. HRV will dry it out, maybe dangerously so.

[@CMCraftsman]

Here in VT it’s necessary to have an HRV to get rid of warm moist air inside the house so the windows don’t condense in winter from snoring in the bedroom all night

[@jhealy3110]

Curious about how you or your contractors would set up a house in areas like out west here where we can be inundated by wildfire smoke for up to a couple of weeks?

[@donpritt5160]

Have 2 zones with Broan units, had to replace both coils after 5 years and out of warranty.

[@larryallen8523]

Matt, do you have a suggestion for an HVAC System planner in the San Antonio area? House was completed in 1997 and had never really cooled or heated evenly. I have a large non-conditioned typical Texas attic. Basically means it is totally inefficient. I would like to make changes and need a good planner not an appliance salesman. :) Thanks for your feedback.

[@coolguy0211]

So how does it work with a clothes dryer or vent hood? Will this allow more air to be drawn in than it is pulling out?

[@rhettwoodc]

Is there an ERV to use in a tiny home that has just a mini split as HVAC?

[@carrabellicusp]

Is the dehumidifier tied to the erv or stand alone and what ductwork if any is used very vague

[@networkingdude]

Stand alone. Nothing can be inline on an hrv/erv other than intake air preheater. In this install it may be integrated with the return air on the heat pump.

[@shawnd567]

Bought a fantech HRV for $500. Works great!

[@martiruda]

mate, You can't compare an hrv to a stiebel or zendher box. They are worth every single cent :)

[@Simon-vs6su]

How do you like the broan compared to the panasonic as a budget friendly erv?

[@arturreef8117]

what about any fumes or any gasses from outside , how to filter that?

[@nwsvndr]

What model is this and where can I buy it? Thanks!

[@allthingsgrowing]

Hey Matt, or anyone for that matter. Can someone tell me if you can use an erv in conjunction with a mini split system? Yes, I know it's a ductless system.

[@piratemakers]

what's your take on adding humidity ? In Canada (Quebec), I had to stop my HRV system, and even there, the house is between 32% to 38% humidity ! I need more !

[@engineer1692]

ERV would help retain humidity. Sounds like you need a while house humidifier like most houses in Canada.

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

Get some plants and water them. One natural way that has been proven to improve indoor air quality is to have plants inside. There are numerous experts that will tell you which plants are best, but adding green growing plants is an easy way to help increase the humidity. An average house can hold 1 to 5 gallons of water in the air at any one time. This is evident when running dehumidifiers and getting 1 to 3 gallons of water per day out of humid houses. To humidify your house you may need to put in 1 to 5 gallons of water per day. That is a lot of humidity! Growing up running a humidifier in a house, we could add 2 to 4 gallons a day. While a humidifier is an option, a simpler cheaper option is plants. If you added four large house plants (something with a 3 to 5 gallon base bucket, and a plant or fern that was 2 to 4 feet tall, putting one in each of four rooms, you would likely need to water them every week. Watering them once a week adding 1 gallon of water to each plant, would add about 1/2 gallon of water per day to your air. My guess is this would increase your house humidity about 10%; of course it all depends on air exchanges in the house.

[@jagslion3]

I just got a quote from Zendler for $12,424 because of your recommendation, I guess I will now look at this one,

[@virgil3241]

So basically for new builds only, or a gut?

[@Michael-de8jb]

I have to point out here they had application of ervs and hrvs in the north versus the south backwards. He was saying in the south where it's hot and humid you want to remove some of that moisture from the air, which means you'd want an hrv since it dehumidifies as well. In the north you want an erv because it can transfer the moisture to the fresh air stream and keep humidity inside when it is cold and dry outside.

[@Michael-de8jb]

@The_KZbin_Critic explain. I'm sure I don't

[@capt_bry]

hi. i have an open cell foam insulation house and it has a stale air odor in the upstairs bonus room. we live in the houston area. do you have any suggestions about an erv installation company?

[@jamesmarotta5650]

Has anyone thought about using ERV with a ground to air heat exchanger to keep a Southern house cool? Any thoughts

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

This is an interesting idea. Earth Tubes have been used, for cooling air, one of their biggest issues is mold as a result of condensation from warm air inside of the earth tubes. If you do this, make them big enough (24inch pipes) and in such a way they can be easily cleaned. An ERV might solve this mold problem. You might also have a mold problem in the ERV! I think the ultimate answer for this is the DIY minispilt. These new inverter units are super cheap about $1,000, and super efficient. (SEER 20+). Cooling costs in the south with a decent to good unit should run $1 to $2 a day on an average house. (This assumes you have average three bedroom house, shade trees planted on the south side of the house to naturally shade it, decent insulation, proper thermal mass and mild use of AC. I figured out seasonal cooling costs for several southern houses last year and cooling costs were only about $100 a year. In short it averaged a dollar a day in electricity through June, July and August, with just a little use in May and September. To be fair HVAC depreciation on a unit is significant. A cheap low end (Goodman) HVAC system will cost $5,000 and run for 10 years. With that cost, straight line depreciation on the HVAC unit is about $1.50 a day. Let's just suppose one can take an ERV and ground tubes and make a system that can handle half of the cooling load on a house. That means you save $50 bucks a year in coolings costs? Who cares? How much are you going to spend in time effort and capital. It is just not worth it. One of the big things in HVAC's is most HVAC guys always want to sell a big expensive high capacity unit that can always do 100% of the heating and cooling for a house. The smarter way to do it, is to insulate the house well, cut down the need for heating and cooling, then install a cheap high efficiency system that takes care of most of the needs. Then have additional cheap capacity for the absolute extremes. An Additional window air conditioner, or a propane fireplace and or a Baseboard heating are examples of the very cheap, additional capacity that you are probably almost never going to need to use. However, on those super hot day you do need them they will be handy. Propane fireplace can also heat the house in a winter power outage and does not have monthly costs of a natural gas hookup. I would love to see these ERV units get cheaper. Since they are basically, just plastic, and a couple of fans, they could get down into the $100 price point. Something small with computer fans, should be able to made for very little.

[@DaleKlein]

Didn't see dust screens to protect the core?

[@nedunonnyp704]

Hello, I Have Broan B150E75NT AI Series. I'm using the Independent T1 Install Setup. When Exhausting/Supplying from/to more than One Area/Room/Locations, How do you maintain Suction/Supply Air? I Have noticed a Significant drop in Air Suction from Exhaust and Decrease in Supply Air when I "Tee" in to more than One Area. The 6in Ducts drastically drops the air movement after I "Tee" Off into Any Location. How do You Overcome this?

[@woodrowwilliams1812]

I’d like you to cover maintenance on the ERV especially the core. Actually show it being done.

[@tjr14777]

Here’s their maintenance video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXWqgX2Pitqln5o

[@4philipp]

Great to see some smaller and more budget friendly models. One of my concerns is always running costs. According to the label shown in the video, this unit run at 120Volt, and 5.6amps. So about 672 watt. If we assume it uses only 50% on average over 24hours, that’s 336watt or 8kwh per day. Numbers like these are important if we consider a solar/battery system as a backup or even go completely off grid. All electric systems should put such numbers at the cover page of their brochures. Energy costs vary, but a systems design specs remain constant

[@tjr14777]

Looks like it uses 35 watts at 65 CFM from their spec sheet. That may be the max amp draw.

[@4philipp]

@@tjr14777 that would be even better. 1/10th my assumption. I took a screenshot from the video to read the label to get some numbers. Both our numbers would be important though. We need to know the max load our electrical system needs to be able to handle, even if running loads are lower. But at 800 wh for the day, that is quite reasonable.

[@jeesjees2]

A personal family. I like how you americans do the work-family separation so effectively.

[@gdot9046]

I thought that was odd too

[@markstipulkoski1389]

Oh no! I saw a damper in the duct work! After having to climb up in my attic so many times to free up a stuck damper, I swore I would never allow one in my house.

[@Krunch2020]

Ha Ha! First principles. If it fails get rid of it. Complexity is the enemy of reliability. It seems to me like the A/C unit should incorporate the dehumidifier and ERV. Remember the clock/radio? The iPhone has a clock, radio, stereo, camera, navigation, Rolodex, file cabinet, fit bit, heart monitor, and much more. Why do we have to dedicate an entire floor of the house to this equipment?

[@markhoffman]

You have to balance the air

[@markstipulkoski1389]

@@markhoffman Not impressed with a house with insulation wrapped ductwork running through an unconditioned attic. In a high humidity climate like Florida, moisture condenses on the foil and can drip down on your blown in insulation. Moisture can get on the damper shaft, causing corrosion that interferes with movement. Air can be balanced without active dampers that will eventually fail.

[@markhoffman]

@@markstipulkoski1389 That area will probably be encapsulated. So they won’t sweat.

[@macthemec]

@@markhoffman if your system is seized properly you don’t have to, design your sustem aroubd .03 static instead of .2

[@tonyblaze4887]

Unfortunately, it is not possible to purchase Broan ERVs in Canada. :-(

[@lancebowler7381]

Venmar, in Canada, makes this unit, I think.

[@dannylayton1106]

Matt, I so appreciate your drive for superior products and thank you for opening my perspective to better building practices. I will say that in seeking a better build for my current home I chose Lowe's Premiere Contractor at a cost of $175k. What a fiasco and lesson learned! My wife and I chose this as we entered our retirement age to prepare for what lie ahead in our golden years and was raped by Lowe's. By God's grace we haven't filed lawsuits, have corrected many horrible mistakes such as 4' holes in our ceiling to seal airflow, obliterated HVAC duct systems and a endless list. However yes they made the blue room- blue, their standards. I am now concerned that our attic is grossly overtaxed and we are still using 60s insulation. Can ANYONE direct me to a reputable source to tackle a conditioned attic, which will probably include replacing 60s rafters for better HVAC equipment enclosure. Currently spending $300-400 per month on utilities for a 2800 sq ft home. We had hoped by using a nationally known entity this would have been addressed in our retirement years. Please, I need wise guidance. Thanks again and have a Happy New Year for all of you guys out there building better homes for people.

[@coolbydesign]

I have installed a handful of these Broan AI series, very nice units, very simple start up and balancing. Realistic price for this application with proper installation; rigid pipe dedicated ducting, advanced controller and deluxe humidity sensing 'boost' switches in bathrooms $10 -12k. I could see $5-6k with a chinsy flex duct installation with no auxiliary controls maybe. I am disappointed that there i no way to independently set CFM for the supply and exhaust fans to positively pressurize the house.

[@joshtheld]

Broan does offer the ability to independently set CFM for supply and exhaust through their LCD wall control for the AI series. It just can’t be done from the unit itself to my knowledge.

[@coolbydesign]

@@joshtheld I did figure out how to set the CFM independently, you have to do it at the integrated control on the ERV. I called Broan tech support, and the technical representative told me CFM couldn't be adjusted independently. Broan, if you are reading this train your tech support staff!

[@gavinb5990]

Do you have any videos that go over ventilation for bathrooms? Obviously there will be very warm moist air so how do you handle that in an airtight home? Thanks

[@WswRefrigeration]

68% I read

[@stevecrawford6958]

this applies for bathrooms.

[@Zorlig]

When you say "obviously" you follow it with something that isn't necessarily as true as you think. It's not a big issue though and good installed have other ways to control humidity so one is just getting worked up for no real reason

[@sparksmcgee6641]

When he says it removes vent fans, you duct the air from the bath fans to this unit and out of the house.

[@PhilScordato]

@@sparksmcgee6641 I don't think they are installing fans in the bathrooms... just a duct and grill. The Broan unit is what is pulling the air out of the bathroom not a standard fan pushing the air to the Broan erv. Though I do wonder if installing a standard fan and ducting it to the erv would essentially be your boost mode when you flip it on ? Or how the sizing, design, and airflow would work with a setup like that.

[@StereoMike06]

How do these work if you have a horribly polluting neighbor who is always burning a very smelly fire. Stepping outside is like stepping into a burned building, and I would not want that coming into my house. I know ERV's have some filtering, but I doubt it would turn the air which is like a coal fired power plant, into a spring meadow.....

[@jeffpetric]

Question: If you're pulling fresh air in from outside, what if the "fresh" air is not so fresh? People burning wood for heat, skunks walking by or hit by a car, etc.? Does this unit, or any unit, have some method of removing these contaminants?

[@woodrowwilliams1812]

I just turn mine off until the situation passes.

[@nwsvndr]

It has a MERV filter but I don't think any filter is going to take out a skunk smell, for example.

[@HDTV92]

Activated carbon filter removes odor

[@RogerWilsonTodd]

I thought you used Panasonic ERVs. Am I wrong??

[@JeffMackler]

Efficiency? I think I remember from your Zendher video that those are 90%ish. What are the Broan?

[@compasteedee]

It doesn't matter because European standards and American standards for HRV's are done very differently. American standards only require the core's efficiency to be tested and verified, however in European testing standards the whole unit's efficiency needs to be factored. The difference is that you can have a very efficient core, but an inefficient and poorly insulated complete unit, ( like in the American testing standard). But if you test the unit as a whole, the efficiency is more accurate to it's actual performance. So an American HRV and an European HRVv with the same efficiency rating do not have the same performance.

[@Zorlig]

Their documentation says 72%. What makes the difference is the core, you can see this one is a square while the more expensive competitor has a middle counter flow section.

[@Ironrodpower]

@@compasteedee yea power is cheap here as we never counted on our mortal enemy to supply us gas... So efficiency not nearly as important 🙂

[@MartyHuie]

I am building a 2000 square-foot home using ICF 100% off grid required. In the mountains of North Carolina climate zone likely six needing to be efficient with power yet also cost, if it means adding a few extra solar panels in order to get different power consumption May a valid alternative. I got an estimate from zendher and it’s about $10,000 for the unit and ductwork stuff not installation. I’m wondering what this would cost for my home

[@Zorlig]

@@MartyHuie you can run the numbers on the btu difference. It isn't much, maybe 100 watts extra on a heat pump

[@bobduncan6417]

If an ERV stopped working and there wasn't a fancy app or alarm that came with it, how would you know and would it be dangerous in a tight home?

[@CMCraftsman]

Only if the wife ate tacos

[@antonyllamocca1635]

can you install this in a tiny home... i want this unit in my home... i dont care about the price?

[@multipotentialite]

What's an alternative that's available in Canada?

[@lancebowler7381]

Venmar.

[@multipotentialite]

@@lancebowler7381 Where do you buy them?

[@lincolnrock9158]

Thermo acoustic heat pumps and coolers is the only way.

[@m1st01]

Wait, was it just noted taking stale air from the bathrooms and moving them to the bedrooms? Eh, is this what I really want? I imagine moisture changes, but smells? Smoke from 🔥 in the kitchen? Chemicals in mudrooms?

[@lukemarks9132]

The stale air is exhausted to the exterior. The fresh air air is pumped to the bedrooms. The air is tempered by the ERV

[@m1st01]

@@lukemarks9132 😀shows my lack of ventilation experience

[@dedblow]

What should be done when outdoor air quality is unhealthy, for example, with wild fire smoke every summer that seems to bet worse?

[@peterxyz3541]

For a personal home of a builder, I’m surprised that walls aren’t thicker

[@randomrazr]

Are hrvs inferior to ervs

[@yonseienglish]

I have a Broan unit in Ithaca NY and it’s horrible at ventilating bathroom. Boost is hardly noticeable in its effect. It only blows in fresh air - not evacuating moisture. Also, these “smart” WiFi unit controllers DID NOT WORK and needed to be swapped out for “dumb” hardwired controllers. Broan’s software was faulty.

[@boeing757pilot]

Thanks for that info. I prefer "dumb systems" that are hardwired. These "smart" systems are problems waiting to happen...

[@98grand5point9]

Matt, you need to learn about hy dry. No need for add on equipment. Improves dehumidification without auxiliary equipment.

[@cindystokes8347]

Hey I just remembered I sent a contact form to new results. No results from that contact form yet. Hmmmm.

[@gsneff]

Using an ERV to remove the high moisture content air from a bathroom after a shower is just increasing the humidity level of the bedroom where it dumps the fresh air into isn’t it? The ERV is designed to make the incoming air the same moisture level as the outgoing air and despite it being humid outside that bathroom air will have even higher levels, wouldn’t it? Would it not be better to run a HRV in series with the dehumidifier instead? You don’t add to the moisture as you dry out the bathroom and you get the incoming air dehumidified.

[@av1204]

I have said thus and no one will ever give you a straight answer

[@shermanpotts2440]

Sure, that would be the case for that half an hour a day that you shower. But all that other time of the day, it's making your dehumidifier not work as hard.

[@Zorlig]

In a cold climate you want the humidity, so it's a plus. It all depends on the climate. The ideal implementation actually involves changing the core from erv to hrv and back depending on the season. If the outdoor air is hotter it might absolutely have more humidity than the shower, look at the psychrometric chart to tell.

[@GoCoyote]

An ERV does not make the incoming air the same humidity as the out going air, it only transfers or "recovers" a percentage of the humidity (up to ~70%). It is a somewhat self regulating system, since the greater the difference in humidity between the incoming vs the outgoing air, the more moisture will be transferred, until the incoming air humidity is ~equal to the outgoing air. But if there is little difference in humidity between incoming and outgoing air, no moisture can be transferred. If your in a reasonably dry cold winter area, you will be glad of all the humidity one can keep inside. Even if the incoming air is temporarily more humid from the shower (never an issue on my system that I could notice), it will soon be back to normal by the system running for a few minutes after the shower ends. This is very climate and system dependent, and where a knowledgeable (not all are) HVAC installer can help. If you live in a climate with dry cold winters and damp summers, one would generally use an ERV to return the humidity to the living space in the winter, and keep the house dry during the summer. If you are in a damp winter and dry summer environment, one may wish to have a HRV, or one can swap the core between an HRV and an ERV depending on the season if one lives in areas of damp winters and damp summers, or dry winters and dry summers. The controllers are becoming computerized systems that only used to be available to large commercial systems, and can monitor all the building needs for ventilation and humidity control so that you can just set and forget, and the system will do the rest. The bathrooms will have humidistats that turn the system on when needed, and the return air will be monitored for the amount of humidity, and the system will then engage humidity controls as necessary (if a part of the system). Real sophisticated systems have the ability to raise or lower humidity as needed, but most homes don't require them.

[@paulrey27]

@@GoCoyote this is a fantastic comment and I can't up vote enough. This should be pinned to the top. The video unfortunately just scraped the surface, but also dropped a couple bad comments that I think are detrimental to learning about these systems.

[@josephdtarango]

The medical grade erv has been discontinued 😞

[@dlorien7306]

Buildings have always been places where we seek protection from other people & animals, water, and temperature. Something about having to now also protect ourselves from outside air and/or toxic inside... air!... is a little sad. I understand the improvements in energy efficiency that we need from erv... for all the empty spaces in our mansions while we drive our energy-guzzling vehicles across all the razed forest land that now has a well-lit mall or amusement park.

[@vadimesharak726]

New cycle for well known technology but proudly labeled AI. It works perfectly without any AI labeling that we need to double cap on top...

[@DannySauer]

As a software engineer working on AI software, I'm pretty confident they're stretching the term there based on what it's actually doing. 😂

[@vadimesharak726]

@@DannySauer , as a software engineer I can state it is just more sophisticated way to collect telemetry...

[@goldistocks609]

What about CO2?

[@trp2413]

By sponsored, he means Broan gave it to him

[@Bart-dg6qv]

ERV is the obvious thing for well insulated house. But this video is a one long advertisement.

[@Deep_Divers]

Thanks for the video, Matt. Comment not aimed at the video. These building codes are out of control. First, they force you to make your house airtight which costs a significant amount of money, materials, and time, including the blower test that is required by a qualified tech at a hefty price. Then realizing we are going to now suffocate, the code requires you to install a system that uses electricity, requires constant maintenance, and costs a significant amount to install to bring in fresh air because we made the house so tight. Am I the only person who thinks this is insane! And I definitely don't want to hear the crap about how this air is better than the air that leaks in on houses built before these requirements.

[@agisler87]

No one is going to suffocate. You can still open a window. I don't think it's insane though I don't think building codes should be a requirement.

[@Deep_Divers]

@@agisler87 lol. I think you missed the point. You can't get an occupancy permit on a new home unless it passes a blower test. At a certain level on the blower test you have to install the air exchanger. These things are all required by the IRC building code. Do you understand how many thousands of dollars it costs to make the house airtight, install the blower, and do the test? You aren't allowed to just open a window. You would have to have an alarm for high CO2 levels. Get up, open the window, wait for levels to drop, and then shut the window. That would be absurd. Try building a house and then you will understand better.

[@agisler87]

@@Deep_Divers You seem to miss the point where I said building codes shouldn't be a requirement, this would infer permits wouldn't be needed. I will further add to that there shouldn't even be licensing laws. So I'm fine with you building the worst house you can imagine. Your original comment seemed to imply people will suffocate when the electricity goes out. Most people know right away when they lose electricity. Your fear of an airtight is baseless. But I know change can be scary for some. I'm building a house right now as the GC. I know exactly what I'm talking about.

[@kristensorensen2219]

#317👍🤔sounds important but in a 1960s house like mine it leaks enough air we get plenty. It just is drafty and costs more to heat. I get to control the flow into each room with the vent from the HVAC system manually. Humidifier in the bedroom for sleep time. Too much equipment!! I love my all tight grain old growth timber home! No OSB or plywood here!!

[@tysleight]

Having thought about this alot, we have 5 steamy showers a day( teenagers) and the bathroom fans are 80 cfm so that is about 10K CF. Currently it is near zero and summers are often mid to upper 90s. The house was built in 1905 and leaks some air so I wonder would it be better to pressurize it with clean warm/cool air or just suck in the wild air probably from the crawl space. The ROI is difficult to justify as our home's total energy cost is $125 a month year round.

[@rolly5457]

@@tysleight What are you doing that your energy cost is so low? spill your secrets.

[@matthewbono3273]

Mines about the same, energy is cheap in the Midwest I guess, for now anyway.

[@paulrey27]

@@matthewbono3273 misconception. Our energy rates have increased. Indiana, specifically, used to be one of the cheapest but is now solidly in the middle of the pack.

[@jayworley1583]

Fantec ATMOS 150e @ $900 seems like a better deal.

[@josephrapoza6453]

We are building house so tight now we have to bring in fresh air. In 20 years when all these systems fail or home owners don't want to repair them houses are going to grow mold and the problem will be 10 fold. I agree with r21 and r49 but I just don't see. Remotes battery's. Home owners are not savy enough to fix anything.

[@greencutsguelphlandscaping7980]

LOL it might cost 3000 installed or it might be double

[@joseepena8553]

Too bad for the duckboard....air flows through hard pipe much better

[@sr2291]

Why would anyone want freezing cold "fresh air" blowing on them in the winter?

[@jeffpetric]

s

[@greg3391]

Do you still have fart fans in the bathroom or does this unit (or others like this) take their place?

[@ponchosancho7710]

He did a great job because he wasn't the cheapest estimate! The cheapest option always will get ya burned everytime!

[@johnborton4522]

Yes, less than a minute in and I had to redefine "affordable".

[@j.m.15]

So... Did anybody catch him call Ignasio a new name? Calls him NACHO directly.. Dude didnt even notice

[@MrJramirex]

Pretty much all Ignacios go by the nickname Nacho. Dude didn't notice because he gets called both names daily.

[@jimallen8238]

Yeah, like someone named Robert wouldn't even notice someone calling him Bob. Same deal. It's a very common nickname for Ignacio.

[@Anavllama]

Glad you noted up front its sponsored. If Luke really was your friend and truly cared about the quality of air his family breathed day in and day you would have pointed him to Cerv2 by Build Equinox. Just sayin........ truth!

[@johnwhite2576]

Hah - 5,000 for a separate ducted system ? Installed ? That’s ten grand JUST for the hard pipe system.

[@arielmatinez]

Artificial Intelligence? Really? Lmao 😂 as a software engineer i know thats just a marketing strategy

[@DStek42]

"Take a Zoom call in my truck for 30 minutes... with the engine running." Come on... don't sit in your car idling for half an hour.

[@FJB2020]

Why?

[@monokheros5373]

bloody noses because the air is so dry is no fun... ERV for when the air is so cold it cannot snow

[@sladeoriginal]

we cant trust installs for stuff like that around Montgomery AL. All the builders around here still build like its 1970 plus we just have day laborers and meth heads on jobsites.

[@Krunch2020]

One reason I left the trades. Lunchtime talk includes “When was the last time you were in jail?”

[@macgyver03ga]

“I been building like this for 45 years… if it aint broke don’t fix it” 🤣😂🤣

[@brenpark]

Bro, leave your truck running for 30 mins just so you can have fresh air?! Smh.