poor richard
New Member
Posts:14
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| 11 Feb 2010 12:48 PM |
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I am building a simple, smallish SIPs house with a HRV. My wife is an avid cook and has her heart set on a cooktop with real flame. This would have to be propane at our location. I am leery of any unvented combustion going on inside our envelope. I love the lady and want to make her happy, but keeping us alive and healthy counts for something too.
What's it gonna take to make this work? Would a normal vent hood create a negative pressure in the house leading to combution problems? Is there some way to provide makeup air? I am not too concerned about losing some heat while cooking as the time such a system is running wouldn't be that long and our climate is not all that severe anyhow. |
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eric anderson
Basic Member
Posts:158
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| 11 Feb 2010 02:42 PM |
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You will deffinitely need a range hood. The range hood has quite a bit of CFM usualy 2-400 cfm on high. It will cause negative preasure in a tight house, and you will need some method of preasure equalization. It could be a simple as a vent with an electrical damper tied in to the range. You could also just get in the habit of opening a door.
In my house I can't start the woodstove without first opening the door a crack if I have the range fan or the dryer on. Once I have a good draft on the woodstove, it overcomes the negative preasure. It won't overcome the dryer and range vent at the same time. The HRV also helps equalize the preasure.
One of my projects next year is to add a return air vent to the house so it does not depreasurize so much. That way when I am a bonehead and forget to crack the door open, the house does not fill with smoke (Which I have done twice now this winter)
IF your heating source is closed combustion and you don't have a woodstove or fireplace, I might not worry about it.
cheers
Eric |
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poor richard
New Member
Posts:14
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| 11 Feb 2010 05:36 PM |
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Posted By eric anderson on 11 Feb 2010 02:42 PM
You will deffinitely need a range hood. The range hood has quite a bit of CFM usualy 2-400 cfm on high. It will cause negative preasure in a tight house, and you will need some method of preasure equalization. It could be a simple as a vent with an electrical damper tied in to the range. You could also just get in the habit of opening a door.
In my house I can't start the woodstove without first opening the door a crack if I have the range fan or the dryer on.
Ah, the dryer too . . . I hadn't thought about that. the damper/vent setup sounds like the plan. Thanks! |
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cmkavala
Veteran Member
Posts:2009
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| 11 Feb 2010 08:58 PM |
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If a gas dryer is used it is a code requirement to have an ouside fresh air source |
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Chris Kavala
info@southernsips.com
1-877-321-SIPS |
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poor richard
New Member
Posts:14
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| 12 Feb 2010 12:07 PM |
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Posted By cmkavala on 11 Feb 2010 08:58 PM
If a gas dryer is used it is a code requirement to have an ouside fresh air source Thanks. Actually, I think I'll stick with electricity for that and the water heater, as it's only $.062/kwh where I'm building. I will have a sealed combustion propane fireplace, for ambience and backup heat. (The neighbors tell me the cheap electricity has been known to go out for extended periods). Do you think the negative pressure from the dryer venting might cause a problem with the fireplace, such that a the makeup air vent for the cooktop should go on with the dryer as well? |
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eric anderson
Basic Member
Posts:158
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| 12 Feb 2010 02:51 PM |
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Dryers can vent ~150 cfm so can be on the same order as the range fan on low setting. It probably can have a impact on the propane fireplace. It is a problem in my house.
eric
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Bigrig
New Member
Posts:53
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| 12 Feb 2010 07:58 PM |
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If it is a direct-vent fireplace (drawing combustion air from outside) would it really be affected by a slight negative house pressure? It should already be sealed to prevent combustion gasses from entering the building. Also, make sure the fireplace does not require a blower to supply the combustion air. If your power is out it obviously will not work. As my current house design has the exact same issues (except the dryer, planning on using a condensing washer/dryer) I will also have to give this some thought. |
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2highcover
New Member
Posts:7
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| 05 Mar 2010 10:26 PM |
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With electrical rates as low as that, has your wife considered induction? There is alot of excellent information at www.theinductionsite.com. Induction has the sensitivity and instant ajustability of gas without the unburned gases or excess heat into the kitchen. it does require pans which can be magnetized, but many of the better lines work well. Just a thought. |
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rpatterman
New Member
Posts:8
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| 07 Mar 2010 06:22 PM |
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Before you make a final decision on the cooktop, have your wife try an electric induction cooktop.
Lots of serious cooks that insist they can only cook on a real flame, change their minds when they try induction.
They are not cheap but the cost is offset if this is the only use of gas and you can do away with the whole propane setup. |
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Dana1
Veteran Member
Posts:1438
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| 11 Mar 2010 09:57 AM |
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Posted By rpatterman on 07 Mar 2010 06:22 PM
Before you make a final decision on the cooktop, have your wife try an electric induction cooktop.
Lots of serious cooks that insist they can only cook on a real flame, change their minds when they try induction.
They are not cheap but the cost is offset if this is the only use of gas and you can do away with the whole propane setup.
Not to mention, at 6.2cents/kwh electricity will be far cheaper than propane, in most N. American markets. |
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poor richard
New Member
Posts:14
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| 15 Mar 2010 10:57 AM |
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Thanks everyone for your responses. I just had a talk with the wife about this. Her response was very straightforward.
"I'm not replacing all my pots and pans" |
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eric anderson
Basic Member
Posts:158
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| 15 Mar 2010 01:23 PM |
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Keep in mind that power is not always available. When an Ice storm hits, most propane cooktops will still work. Induction, not so much. You can of course get a backup generator, but it is an expensive proposition. I am a big fan of wood stoves and propane cooktops. If I am warm and can cook dinner, I can go a few weeks without power.
Cheers,
Eric |
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Volleyball
New Member
Posts:50
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| 11 Jul 2010 11:14 PM |
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For a cook, nothing replaces a flame. The trick is how do you work it into your design. How would you guys feel about eliminating all your home windows, and fireplaces too? You guys are way low of range hood air flows. Mine is 300, 600, 1200. Problem is the MUA ventilators are commercial and pricey.
My plan is to put in an ERV instead of an HRV for some of the makeup air. But when the fan goes on med or high, it is simple to crack a window. It helps to clear the air faster |
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cmkavala
Veteran Member
Posts:2009
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| 12 Jul 2010 06:12 AM |
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Posted By Volleyball on 11 Jul 2010 11:14 PM
My plan is to put in an ERV instead of an HRV for some of the makeup air. But when the fan goes on med or high, it is simple to crack a window. It helps to clear the air faster won't wor, k make up air units provide positive air pressure, ERV's do no, t they exhaust at the same rate they intake |
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Chris Kavala
info@southernsips.com
1-877-321-SIPS |
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Volleyball
New Member
Posts:50
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| 14 Jul 2010 08:38 AM |
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Now I was told that HRV don't but ERV do. Just not to the extent of my blower on high. May have to do some research |
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