Mechanical Ventilation System: A Quality Option for Your Home's Air

Proper home ventilation is essential for maintaining healthy indoor air quality. While both heat recovery ventilators and energy recovery ventilators are available, understanding their advantages and disadvantages will help you make an informed decision.

If you want to ensure superior ventilation in your home, mechanical ventilation is an option worth considering. This type of ventilation includes two main systems: heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERVs).

Generally speaking, mechanical ventilation systems use heat recovery to warm incoming outdoor air before distributing it throughout the home, while extracting stale indoor air through a network of ducts.

The Different Types of Ventilators

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs)

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is particularly effective at removing excess moisture from your home during the heating season.

Because of how it operates, this ventilation system tends to dry out indoor air more during winter than its counterpart. For this reason, it is generally the preferred option for small to medium-sized homes with four or more occupants. These conditions typically contribute to higher indoor humidity levels.

However, using an HRV can be more challenging during summer, when high outdoor humidity levels can enter the home. As a result, your air conditioning system may need to work harder, potentially leading to higher cooling costs compared to using an energy recovery ventilator.

Although this unit is the more expensive of the two options, it can be a worthwhile long-term investment due to its durability. Its aluminum core is designed to be permanent and therefore does not normally require replacement.

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Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)

An energy recovery ventilator (ERV), on the other hand, is more efficient in homes where indoor humidity levels are relatively low during the colder months. During winter, this ventilation system removes less moisture from indoor air than an HRV. It is therefore particularly suitable for larger homes with three or fewer occupants, as these conditions generally result in lower indoor humidity levels.

This type of ventilation system recovers energy associated with moisture, giving it greater energy efficiency than its counterpart. During summer, it also offers the advantage of limiting the amount of outdoor humidity entering the home. This can reduce air conditioning costs by approximately 10%.

However, it is important to note that an ERV may have a shorter lifespan than an HRV, as its core may need to be replaced every 10 to 12 years.

Recommendations

Certain general recommendations apply to both types of ventilators. First, it is recommended that you operate your ventilator continuously at a low speed, as air exchange is generally more effective when the system runs consistently.

When using household cleaning products, increase the ventilation speed to help remove airborne pollutants. If your home is newly built, it is also recommended that you operate the ventilator at a higher speed during the first season after construction. New building materials can release higher concentrations of indoor air pollutants.

Similarly, homes with a large number of occupants may require higher ventilation settings to maintain adequate indoor air quality.

Finally, it is essential to ensure that your chosen ventilator's energy performance has been tested at temperatures as low as -25°C.

Essential Ventilator Maintenance

To ensure your ventilator operates efficiently, regularly check that the outdoor air intake and exhaust vents are free of obstructions. Inspect the ventilation grilles and clean the filters every two months. Filters can generally be cleaned using a mixture of water and mild soap.

Annual maintenance should include vacuuming accessible ductwork and removing dust from the fan blades. You should also thoroughly clean the compartment containing the heat recovery core using water and mild soap, following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions. Finally, pour warm water into the condensate drain to ensure it is not blocked.

Every five years, have a contractor certified by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) calibrate the ventilator's airflow. During the same visit, the contractor should also inspect the electrical system. Expect to pay approximately $400 to $600 for this work.

An Important Consideration

It is essential to choose a ventilator certified by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI). This certification confirms that the selected model has undergone laboratory testing, helping ensure the manufacturer's stated performance and energy-consumption figures are accurate.

Cover photo: Google