Which energy recovery ventilator is best for applying to a 200 sq ft home?
drewfridley7
| Posted in General Questions on
I’m building a 200 sq ft tiny home. 10 ft ceiling that slants down to 8.5-9 ft. 8×24. I intend on getting an ERV and putting it in my bathroom at one end of the house to exchange fresh air throughout the house. Is there are specific ERV that is made for smaller spaces? Or how many CFMs should I keep an eye out for in the specs?
I’ve seen some on FB Marketplace. Any reason I should not buy a used one?
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
drewfridley7,
You may find this article useful: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/ventilation-small-home
I used Panasonic FV-04VE1 in my tiny house. Works great. Quiet. Efficient. Good value.
Panasonic does not advise (and at least one user here has had electrical problems) installing the FV-04VE1 in a moist environment (like a bathroom). Corbet did "hack" one, installing a 3" hole so the fresh air supply could be routed outside the unit, and you could likely do the same for return air. The core is not efficient on that ERV though...in the 50% range when temps approach freezing.
You should watch this tiny house series from Corbett Lunsford on Youtube. He built one as a test lab and toured the country with it.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsc2-5fAgMq51-6Gwm3m7HXjRhgt9X7RK
I would also read this article on tiny house design and build mistakes.
https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/insulation/a-troubled-tiny-house_o
I was recently in a secondary suite where the owner had installed a pair of Lunos E2 ventilators, I was a little surprised by how much noise they produce. The steady hum could drive me crazy, I would be installing them in a closet or other isolated area if it were me.
As to Lunos ventilators, watch this video from Corbett Lunsford (somebody should interview him for this site).
Spot ERV/'HRV Side Affects: Why I Avoid Lunos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TChYcSSNXrI