Heat Recovery Ventilators

Heat recovery ventilators (HRV)s are essential for preserving the heat in our homes and maintaining good air quality. This is particularly the case in newer homes. We are developing new and better ways of sealing up our homes to make them more energy efficient. It is important to improve the energy efficiency so we use less energy and thus reduce the carbon foot-print. The most significant disadvantage to an air tight energy efficient home is air quality. In our older draftier homes there is a constant change of air. Fresh cold air seeps in through any holes or cracks in the lower portion of the building. The warm heated air looks for any gaps or cracks to leak out of in the upper portions of the structure. Although this provides a steady flow of fresh air, it is a very inefficient method. The air quality is effected by a number of factors. New homes will have unusually high levels of volatile organic compounds (voc)s. This is due to the off-gassing from finishes and paints on walls and flooring. Vinyl floors, carpeting and the multitude of glues, calking etc. all off-gas, especially when newly installed. That new smell we appreciate, is in fact the of-gassing of chemicals that are harmful to our health. New electronics products and toys contribute to off-gassing of VOCs as well. Another factor effecting air quality can be dust mites and dander from pets. All this particulate matter floating around in the air of our homes can be damaging to our health. It is suggested that it contributes to the increase of asthma. Added to this is increased levels of carbon-dioxide caused by our breathing, using up the oxygen and replacing it with carbon-dioxide This can result in a feeling of tiredness.. A good HRv will keep a steady flow of fresh air coming into the home. It is continually removing some stale air and filtering out the harmful minute particles. A system can recover up to 95 percent of the heat leaving the building. They can also be set to regulate the humidity as well. It is critical to maintain these units properly. The manufacturer will provide instruction for frequency and method of cleaning filters etc.

return to Green Construction return to Home Page heat recovery ventilators