Adding a damper is a big investment
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/volu...er-5-in/911792
$2.54 @ Home depot!
Mind you thats for a 5in, you'd need to measure your ducting and buy the appropriate size (normal would be 6in). Installation is dead easy, just need access to a joint or the end of the pipe. As long as you can get into the pipe you just drill a small hole for the bolt part, slip the damper in and tighten the wing nut and you're done. Tons of how to's online.
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Originally Posted by BigNumbers
Not exactly correct. my make up air is controlled by a damped blower motor. it turns on whenever any fan on the house is turned on - bathroom fan, range hood, furnace, etc... This is the best and most cost effective solution. an HRV does the same - it closes when not running, and turns on when you need it to (ie: any fan in the house is turned on)
My house's (builder-installed - so not my idea!) current solution is the most cost effective, IMO - you get the dampening of the cold make-up-air with lots of the benefit of an HRV (except it brings in cold air still, not nice, room temperature outside air like an HRV does)
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Adding an inline blower fan (~$150 for a standard 100cfm Broan one) along with wiring that fan in circuit with every fan & vent in house is not really the most cost effective option. Unless that is done @ construction, its damm near impossible to add, and would be pricey even then.
Cheapest would be to ensure all the cold ducting is well insulated an a $3 damper is added on the makeup air.
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Originally Posted by Komskies
So, cost effectiveness is definitely a big concern for me. Not sure I want to spend the $500+ for an HRV if there is a cheaper solution. When you say your builder-installed solution, were you talking about that damper valve attached to your cold air intake? Do you know where I could purchase one of those?
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Even adding an HRV (or inline blower, or a $3 damper) might not solve your issue, remember even if you have the best HRV or an inline fan, any of the ducting running from the outside up to the point of the HRV is still going to be as cold as the outside, so you kinda have the same problem regardless, hence, insulation.