Air-to-air heat exchanger is a good solution to the problems of modern homes, which are practically air tight and not able to ventilate the air well. As these kinds of home can become very humid or stuffy inside, installing an exchanger at home is really recommended as it will bring fresh air into the building.
Installing an air-to-air heat exchanger is not a difficult task that any average homeowner can do it in only a few hours with no special tools required. Read the followings to know how.
First of all you need a suitable location to install the exchanger. Typically, basement or utility closet where other heating and air-conditioning equipment installed is the best place to install the unit. It should be mounted at least 8 inches from the floor to allow proper clearance for the condensation drain plug. Do not forget to find an area near a drain or plumbing outlet as well, so you can route the drain plug of the unit.
Connect a 3/8-inch inside diameter rubber hose to the drain plug on the bottom of the air-to-air heat exchanger. Make sure the hose is long enough to reach the area you are going to drain water to. Slide the hose onto the plug then tighten a hose clamp around the connection with a flat edge screwdriver. As for the other end of the hose, place it in a utility sink near a drain.
To install vent hoods, measure and mark an area on the wall for each opening of the vent hood. Spaced the two vents at least 48 inches apart, the one which aimed for fresh air intake should be placed minimum 72 inches from any dryer or furnace vents. Create a pilot hole in the wall with drill, then with a reciprocating saw, cut an 8-inch hole in the wall. Attach the vent hood over the hole on the outside wall using a screw, as for the pipe connector screw it to the inside wall.
Connect the main air supply trunk to the exchanger with two galvanized pipe as the air duct and a dampener installed in between. For the first pipe, connect one end to the air supply duct for the homes heat and air unit, and the other end to the dampener. As for the second pipe, connect one end to the other end of the dampener, and the other end to the top left port of the heat exchanger. With the air line set like this, old air from the home will be blown away into the exchanger.
Connect the main air return line using two galvanized pipe to connect the line to the heat exchanger, also with a dampener in between. Use the first pipe to connect the dampener to the top port on the right side of the exchanger, while the dampener and the air intake of the homes heat and air unit should be connected by the second pipe. This line allows fresh air delivered to the home.
Connect the fresh air intake with one galvanized pipe as the air duct for the fresh air intake. Connect one end of the pipe to the bottom left port of the exchanger, while the other end routed to the hood vent that was created for the air intake.
With one galvanized pipe, connect the stale air return vent; one end must be connected to the bottom port on the right side of the exchanger, while the other end routed to the remaining vent hood on the wall.
Connect the wiring for the dampeners, which come with 24 VAC transformers. Find the lead wire and connect it to the transformer, then plug it into the transformers output on the thermostat for the heating and air system. This way, the dampeners will be engaged automatically. Next, plug in the power cord to start operating the air-to-air heat exchanger.
Different from dehumidifier, rather than absorbing humidity from the air, air exchanger is only aimed to keep the healthy flow of fresh air inside and outside of the house. However, if you need a dehumidifier unit to keep the humidity level of your home or basement, Danby DDR7009REE should make a great option.
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