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Ventilation

Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV): To minimize air infiltration and thus maximize energy efficiency, this house was built with a very tight skin. The plywood shell was glued to the studs and plates, then covered with 2" of rigid insulation, and then the entire house was wrapped in Tyvek with taped seams. Window and door edges were caulked on the outside and filled with foam on the inside. Compressible foam was put in the gap between the concrete foundation and the plates. The gypsum wallboard corners were taped, even behind the crown molding.

These practices maximize energy efficiency, but they can lead to stale air and excessive humidity when all the windows are closed during the winter. The heat recovery ventilator (HRV) in the attic provides a way to exhaust the stale hot air at the top of the entry hall through a heat exchanger to preheat the incoming fresh air. The preheated fresh air is fed into the air conditioning duct work to bring fresh air to the whole house. The HRV is controlled by a humidistat mounted on the landing at the top of the stairs. In winter, if there is condensation on the inside of the windows or the air smells stale, set the air supply control to min and adjust the condensation control until the humidity starts to disappear. Turn the fan off in summer.

Kitchen: The Wolf range in the kitchen can produce a great deal of heat, as well as odors. The Futuro Concorde 48" hood provides up to 940 CFM at 3.2 sones to quickly and quietly remove heat and odors.

Bathrooms: Each bathroom has one or two Panasonic fan-light combination units for ambient light and ventialtion. These fans were all put on occupancy sensors with a twenty minute delay.

  • Main Floor Master Bathroom #1 150 CFM FV-15VQL4
  • Main Floor Master Toilet #1 30 CFM FV-05VFL2
  • Upstairs Southeast Bathroom #2 60 CFM FV-08VQL4
  • Upstairs Southwest Bathroom #3 70 CFM FV-08VQL4
  • Upstairs Master Bathroom #4 140 CFM FV-15VQL4
  • Upstairs Master Toilet #4 30 CFM FV-05VFL2
  • Powder Room #5 30 CFM FV-05VFL2
  • Office Bathroom #6 60 CFM FV-08VQL4
  • Guesthouse Bathroom 70 CFM FV-08VQL4