airflow meter for hrv balancing

Espoo

Hi All
Can someone tell me where I will get an airflow meter to balance a hrv system
please? I'm using 5 inch diameter discs.

Cheers

nailer8

Pretty sure they just use a normal handheld Anemometer

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Wind+meter&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Do-more

I think you will need a hot wire anemometer.

I have just purchased this one myself.

The probe can be inserted into the duct.

It's also much more sensitive than the type that nailer8 linked too and can be used for leak detection when air tightness testing as well.

Espoo

Thanks all
Do-more did you balance a hrv system with your device?

Espoo

Do-more

Espoo wrote: »

Thanks all
Do-more did you balance a hrv system with your device?

Espoo

I've only ordered it this week, it hasn't arrived yet and I won't be ready to commission my HRV for another 4-5 months so I'm afraid I can't give you any feedback.

I intend to use it to help with my air tightness first.

Espoo

Interesting. Good idea. Yes I could do with checking my air tightness first too. Might get back to you soon to see what you think of the device.

Cheers
Espoo

Do-more

I will give you what feedback I can when I get it, it's currently sitting in Shanghai airport and it's expected to be delivered to me at the end of next week.

I have read a blog that it can detect even tiny air leaks. Once I have finished my air tightness taping I intend to de-pressurise the house with a 12v car radiator fan so that I can detect any leaks with this and a smoke pen prior to doing the blower door test.

Espoo

Great thanks
Best of luck with it.

Do-more

The anemometer arrived yesterday, here's a photo with a small Nokia phone beside it for scale.



It's quite small but the probe tip is wider than many others I have seen (thanks to a protective cover around the probe which can be closed to protect the probe when not in use)



Fine for commercial ducts where you have little hatches to insert the probe through, but I'm not sure how that is going to work when taking measurements at the cowls in a domestic HRV system.

BTW it was stopped by (Swedish) customs for inspection but they seem to have accepted the enclosed invoice which declared it as a commercial sample with a value of US$28 as they didn't request any documentation from me and no charge was made, Irish customs would probably request a payment receipt, they seem to be applying charges to everything these days.

sas

Yeah, when I saw your photos was wondering how you're supposed to use that with a domestic HRV but as I'm no expert I didn't comment.

The guy that commissioned mine had one of the fan type instruments connected to a plastic cone which covered the entire ceiling cowl.

Do-more

sas wrote: »

a plastic cone which covered the entire ceiling cowl.

That's an idea, thanks.

Condenser

You should really have got a vane anaemometer like this http://www.testo.co.uk/online/img/products/normal/regular/highres/0560_4170_03.jpg

Are you sure yours is genuine. What was it doing in Shanghai? Testo are a German company with their UK arm serving Ireland

Do-more

Condenser wrote: »

You should really have got a vane anaemometer like this http://www.testo.co.uk/online/img/products/normal/regular/highres/0560_4170_03.jpg

Are you sure yours is genuine. What was it doing in Shanghai? Testo are a German company with their UK arm serving Ireland

There is German warranty documentation with it, but it's possible it's fake.

From a little research I just need a lenght of pipe of know diameter to place over the cowl as in the photo above and place the probe into the middle of the pipe.

Condenser

Do-more wrote: »

There is German warranty documentation with it, but it's possible it's fake.

From a little research I just need a lenght of pipe of know diameter to place over the cowl as in the photo above and place the probe into the middle of the pipe.

I buy alot of stuff off testo. If you go to the Testodirect.co.uk website you'll see the 405-v1 that you just bought. They're 107 ££'s plus vat and from experience they don't drop from that price unless you're buying thousands of euros worth.

Try the pipe though its worth a shot.

Espoo

Just reading the comments there. Yes the one with the funnel would seem to be the real deal. Just looking at prices, Should one expect to pay in the region of €400-€600 for one of these? Correct me if I'm wrong.
As mentioned its worth a shot at trying the pipe with that one though. Chat later.

Do-more

Condenser wrote: »

Try the pipe though its worth a shot.

I can't see why it won't work, all you are doing is extending the duct (I'll use about 1.5m so I should get a reasonably stable flow after the cowl) and taking the reading in the extended duct.

Testo do in fact sell a cone adapter for the hot wire anemometer which is 190mm diameter and designed for low flows, I will use a pipe diameter less than that so should be fine.

Condenser

Espoo wrote: »

Just reading the comments there. Yes the one with the funnel would seem to be the real deal. Just looking at prices, Should one expect to pay in the region of €400-€600 for one of these? Correct me if I'm wrong.
As mentioned its worth a shot at trying the pipe with that one though. Chat later.

Yes I use one in commisioning. The funnels were actually more expensive than the anemometer itself. You could always buy just the vane anemometer and use a pipe to channel the flow as Do-more is doing.