[Greenbuilding] One more question on AC

Tue Jul 9 16:11:14 CDT 2013

Maybe on a regular air handling unit you could install the ERV to feed the fresh air intake.

Rob Vadurro, AIA
Park Architect
New Mexico State Parks
1220 South Saint Francis Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505-476-3383
505-476-3361 fax

From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Gennaro Brooks-Church - Eco Brooklyn
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2013 2:56 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] One more question on AC

Combing ERV/HRV and cooling is a huge question. Does anyone have experience with a new system where you can plan for the ductwork? In that can could you install large ducts and run the ERV and some sort of cooler in the same ducts? In that case I think it may be better to find some inline cooling system instead of jerryrigging a minisplit to work inline?

Gennaro Brooks-Church
Director, Eco Brooklyn Inc.
Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA
www.EcoBrooklyn.com<http://www.EcoBrooklyn.com>
22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231

On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 2:03 PM, Lynelle Hamilton <lynelle at lahamilton.com<mailto:lynelle at lahamilton.com>> wrote:
Hi John

Thank you so much for this.  I'd never planned to install AC, so admittedly paid no attention to ducting.  The first two years here were fine, but the last two have been oppressively humid.

I'll look at the Fujitsu.

My HVAC guy is recommending two systems, as the house is about 2000 sq ft, but it's the great room that's the problem....only 900 sq ft., so the model you suggest may just do the trick.

Lynelle

On 08/07/2013 10:59 AM, John Straube wrote:
It takes about 400 cubic feet per minute of airflow to deliver a ton (12 000 Btu/hr 3.5 kW) of cooling in normal systems.  You can reduce this to maybe 350 but at this flow rate you risk frost building up on the coldest part of the coil, which spreads until the coil is a block of ice.
It is difficult to find commodity AC systems under 1.5 tons, so minimum ducting is usually for 600 cfm, and 2 tons with 800 cfm is far more common.  600 cfm can also deliver about 30 kBtu/hr of heating BTW, so a nice normal minimum.
Given than an HRV is unlikely to be designed for much more than 100 cfm, the short answer to your question is "NO, not with normal systems"
Minisplits are available that are smaller and have variable output that drops to only 3000 or 4000 Btu/hr, but most are not compatible with ducts.  Even the ones that are available for ducts are assuming ducts that are larger than normal and thus have less pressure drop than normal systems.
I have a very similar situation that you do.  I dont need much cooling, if any at all, but the humidity is a huge issue. I have a dehumidifier running in the part of my basement that is not insulated under the slab (built 1960) and that helps but does not solve the above grade part of the house.

For your house , I think it really is best to find a central spot near the open area where you can install a ductless mini-split.  I am installing a Fujitsu ASU12RLS2 system based on experience with several projects and hundreds of other home installation.  This unit can run down to about 3000 Btu/hr and should therefore provide little cooling and a lot of dehumidification.  Will see.  Other houses, not as efficient as mine, have used this and very similar units, and found it worked very well.  It will cool your house however unlike a dehumidifier, so you will have to "live with" temperatures that are a few degrees cooler than now if you want the RH down to 50% (where you should be targeting).

On 2013-07-08, at 10:47 AM, Lynelle Hamilton <lynelle at kos.net<mailto:lynelle at kos.net>> wrote:
Can I run AC through the HRV ducting I already have?  I don't like the look or noise of mini splits, so am looking for any other option.  My HVAC guy says that an AC unit will freeze up, as the HRV ducts are too small.  I did have one run through similar HRV ducts in my old home without problem, however.

Does anyone have any experience with such a configuration?  I've googled, but came up empty.

Should add that I don't need much cooling....it's the humidity that's the problem.  House is well insulated and sealed. However, I'm on the water so humidity gets to 80% in the house unless I run a dehumidifier. Running it raises the heat in the house 8F and doubles my hydro bill--hardly green.

Many thanks!

Lynelle
--
*/"Life is an experience and an opportunity. The meaning comes from what we decide to do with the opportunity that is given to us."--Bernie Siegel/*

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