Heat Recovery Ventilation - HRV's
The most underrated, not talked about, essential piece of eco kit you can install !
Typical bathroom extraction fans just suck out the warm moist air straight outside, and of course cold air rushes in through every other nook and cranny to replace it, leaving the rest of your house a bit colder.
HRV's warm the incoming cold air with the outgoing warm air, saving a fortune on heating, this is also works if its hotter outside - cooling the incoming hot air with the outgoing cool air. The heat stays were it is and the cold stays were it is without any need for switches or controls.
Typical bathroom extraction fans just suck out the warm moist air straight outside, and of course cold air rushes in through every other nook and cranny to replace it, leaving the rest of your house a bit colder.
HRV's warm the incoming cold air with the outgoing warm air, saving a fortune on heating, this is also works if its hotter outside - cooling the incoming hot air with the outgoing cool air. The heat stays were it is and the cold stays were it is without any need for switches or controls.
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HRV's
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You need to make the house air tight as possible. Not easy in a older house.
If you are truly committed to zero carbon, fires are a thing of the past but if you're still clinging to your wood stove / open fire, block the relevant vents and chimneys temporally when not in use. Stuff a stuffed plastic bag up the pipe when not in use.
- Block your chimneys.
- Block air bricks.
- Block trickle vents in double glazing.
- Block / draft exclude any path for air in or out of your house.
- Keep windows and doors shut especially on very hot days ! Why ? - because HRVs tend to keep the heat/cold where it is, so a cool house stays cool in the summer !
If you are truly committed to zero carbon, fires are a thing of the past but if you're still clinging to your wood stove / open fire, block the relevant vents and chimneys temporally when not in use. Stuff a stuffed plastic bag up the pipe when not in use.
Heat Ventilation Air Conditioning - HVAC
These units are much more expensive as they are basically a HRV with incorporated heating and cooling.
More here -
https://sustainability.energy/heat-recovery-ventilation-system-pros-cons/
More here -
https://sustainability.energy/heat-recovery-ventilation-system-pros-cons/
Too much glass Too much south facing glass looks great ! - but will have the undesired effect of over heating in full sun & loosing heat rapidly in winter. This means you will be Heating and Cooling continuously just to maintain a constant temperature, and hence using unnecessary fuel / electricity.
This house has roughly 5x6 = 30 Sqr meters of glass front. In full sun it could absorb 30kW of heat, the equivalent of 10 powerful electric fires. Rather than Air Conditioning, simple shading should be used and requires no energy input. This can be done with strategically placed trees or blinds. Heat waves During normal hot sunny weather I generally just draw the curtains to shut out the sun. During the UK 40.3c heat wave I used loft foil insulation on the OUTSIDE of my large bay window. Why on the outside? Because the glass gets very hot if on the inside, & is liable to crack.
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