Replies

1. 
   ahneedhelp | Mar 25, 2004 11:05pm | #1

   Before messing around with basement ventilation, etc., I would consider enclosing the boiler and running a properly sized freshair supply duct for the boiler room/closet.

1. 
   GIZMO | Mar 26, 2004 11:01pm | #2

   Thank you for response.

   I am not trying to ventilate or prevent carbon monoxide from the flue.

   I am more interested in ventilating the basement without a down draft on the flue.

   Enclosing the boiler will restrict airflow to the boiler which I am not trying to do.

   I am interested in information on air to air heat exchangers.

   I found an advertiser on fine homebuilding HVACquick which has units by fantech

   Any comments

1. 
   ahneedhelp | Mar 26, 2004 11:34pm | #3

   re - Enclosing the boiler will restrict airflow to the boiler which I am not trying to do.

   -----

   that's not what i was suggesting.

   i also mentioned, in addition to enclosing the boiler, also to provide outside air source to the enclosed room.

   if the boiler is in the middle of the room, run a supply duct.

   if against the outside wall, it's less work.

   others will perhaps chime in.

   i'm merely suggesting you consider this issue alongside addressing the basement ventilation.

1. 
   GIZMO | Mar 29, 2004 08:20pm | #4

   Noted thanks;

   boiler area is enclosed with seperate outside air source. As suggested this is a common source of CO which has resulted in a series of tragic deaths on Long Island, New York.

2. 
   TLRice | Mar 29, 2004 09:39pm | #5

    For a stand-alone supply of fresh, semi-conditioned or conditioned outside air, there are several options. One is the heat recovery ventilator (HRV) and the energy recovery ventilator (ERV). An HRV is a simple air to air heat exchanger and a set of fans in a box that provide supply and exhaust, maintaing a neutral pressure in the space. An ERV is the same, but with the capability to transfer latent as well as sensible energy (i.i. moisture). Renewaire, Greenheck, Carnes are the commercial grade manufacturers I know of that make small (i.e. less than 500 cfm) units. There are residential specialties out there in this category.

   AprilAire and Honeywell, I believe, offer residential versions. There are others, such as Skuttle, EnvironAire. I know nothing of the products other than their in the market.

   Depending on where you live, you will want to add a hot water coil to bring the air temp up to 80 or 85 degF in the winter. Adding cooling can be done, but you'd be better off cooling the space separately.

   Personally, I like the Renewaire brand for a residential applicaltion.

1. 
   DavidThomas | Mar 30, 2004 01:13am | #6

   If your basement is humid all year round (many are) an HRV will help even more than an ERV.  But either would help. 

   My HRV was about $1000 and uses 4 6-inch ducts.  Fresh air from outside, fresh, pre-heated (pre-cooled in summer) air to inside, stale out out of house, stale air to outside.  In the smaller volume of a basment, any sized unit would make a big differnce.David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska