Replies

1. 
   emma_vt | Oct 19, 2021 11:35am | #1

   I couldn't get anyone to give us a quote for a Minotair at all (vermont) - so you're ahead of the game. Ultimately it's a super niche product with a very few installers - all of whom are up to their eyeballs with non-niche work - so they can charge whatever they want. We ultimately moved away from the idea because we were worried about being able to find someone to service it.

2. 
   rondeaunotrondo | Oct 19, 2021 11:41am | #2

   Thanks Emma. What did you end up installing?

1. 
   emma_vt | Oct 19, 2021 08:56pm | #5

   We’re going with a Renewaire ERV, quote is about $10k installed (but not in yet). Additionally we’re getting two small mini splits to address cooling. Conceptually the Minotair would’ve solved a lot of problems for us, just didn’t pan out.

3. 
   jonny_h | Oct 19, 2021 04:21pm | #3

   For what it's worth, I just got a quote of $8500 for the unit by itself, with a 3-4 month lead time -- I contacted ECO AIR in Pennsylvania as they were probably the closest dealer to me, and they replied quickly, so try them if you're still interested -- at that price, I'm not!

1. 
   rondeaunotrondo | Oct 19, 2021 05:57pm | #4

   Thanks Jonny, I think you have to get it through your local distributor. Looks like the prices have gone up like everything else. What are you going to do instead?

1. 
   jonny_h | Oct 20, 2021 09:48pm | #6

   I have no idea! Don't worry, I still have at least, like, 2 days to figure out my entire HVAC system ;)

   Seriously though -- In terms of things like the Minotair, I haven't found anything at a reasonable cost -- the CERV is a bit better but still north of 5k for the unit, the Ephoca VHP is north of 7k, and Messana hasn't responded to my inquiry. That leaves me selecting from a range of standard HRV / ERV systems. My worry, of course, is dehumidification -- we have fairly long, humid shoulder seasons (think cool, rainy springs and falls), where air conditioning isn't really needed -- so it seems I'm on the road to a standalone dehumidifier. One HVAC contractor I talked to suggested adding resistance electric heat coils on a ducted mini-split, serving double duty as backup heat and electric reheat for better dehumidification -- it's a shame mini-splits don't really do hot gas reheat. I've also thought of putting a hydronic coil inline with my HRV fresh air inlet, and another at the HRV fresh air outlet, and putting together my own system using chilled and/or heated water for dehumidification and keeping the HRV from needing recirculation defrost cycles.

1. 
   Trevor_Lambert | Oct 21, 2021 12:02am | #8

   Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Minotair and CERV have inline heat pumps, rather than a dehumidifier. If that is the case, it won't dehumidify the air any better than a minisplit.

1. 
   jonny_h | Oct 21, 2021 12:20am | #9

   Correct, they have air-to-air heat pumps instead of an air-to-air heat exchanger -- this allows more dehumidification than you'd get with just a passive heat exchanger, since you can cool the fresh air supply below interior room temperature (and thus condense out more moisture before delivering the air). I think the benefit compared to a mini-split is that you're dehumidifying the ventilation air at the source, and that the amount of cold air you're introducing is relatively small and unlikely to overcool the space, while the mini-split would need to run colder and cycle on and off in order to achieve equivalent dehumidification when there's not much sensible load. (The Messana ATU contains a passive heat exchanger core as well as a stack of various hydronic and refrigerant coils depending on the model, and can dehumidify, heat, or cool delivered air independently.)

4. 
   AlexPoi | Oct 20, 2021 10:45pm | #7

   Steel prices are up 200% this year. It's probably why the price has increased so much. Might be lower in 2022.

1. 
   rondeaunotrondo | Oct 21, 2021 09:38am | #10

   Thanks AlexPoi, I’ve yet to see anything in HVAC “come back down.” Everything seems to remain up.