Heat Recovery ventilation Vs Dehumidifier

[maroun.c]

Considering one for my tank cabinet as due to excessive evaporation I have to run exhaust ventilation to outside the house 24/7 which is increasing my heating need for to keep the tank temp. Am considering either addinga dehumidifier to the tank cabinet or maybe installing an HRV as I read many have used it successfully. Any advantages/ disadvantages to HRV VS a dehumidifier. Any idea on tehspecs needed for an HRV unit for the tank need?
I have the needed tubes in and out of the cabinet to outside, cabinet volume is around 7-8 Cubic meters and I evaporate around 2-3 gallons a day.

 

[zakstrong]

tagging along. i am nearing completion of my tank (210) in wall. i installed a bathroom ventilation fan to outside the cabinet. i wanted to put a dehumidifier in the closet behind the tank but a stand alone unit wasnt an option so i'm looking for a built in option.

what exactly is heat recovery ventilation?

 

[maroun.c]

As far as I understand it its a method to vent a room to the outside with the added function of returning the heat to the inside so basically you get rid of the humidity and recover the temperature in winter time to avoid additional heating need.

 

[Kenzy]

While I think HRS's are great, there are downsides. In order for them to remove humidity from your home the outside humidity must be lower than inside.

For an example today where I am, it's damp and overcast and I live by a large body of water. The outside humidity is at 75%, so running my HRV isn't going to do much other than bring in fresh, but slightly damp air.

In the winter time when the air is much drier here, my furnace dries the air out inside the house I run a humidifier even with a large tank in basement. Same goes with the summer, the AC removes enough moisture from the house that I really only use the HRV to bring in fresh air.

When the house is closed up in the winter Co2 builds up inside the house. Usually I can tell when to run the HRV by the ph in the tanks, when they start to drop together and all else is stable then I run it for a day or so.

So while they are great, they won't fix everything. And depending on where you live you'll find they work better for some than others. If you're in a cool dry area, they'll work the best. But in a warm humid area you won't see any benefit.

 

[maroun.c]

Thanks for the input Kenzy.
Here it is hot and humid for around 2 months in summer time.
Still in my case the HRV I'm considering will be placed in the aquarium cabinet and will take air to the outside which will be even dryer than the cabinet on the most humid days. Do yo uthink that will push the results forward?
Do you think a large dehumidifier will do a better job?