Heat Recovery Ventilations (HRV)

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Thinking about a heat recovery ventilator for your home? Call 4 Seasons Victoria first

Stale, moisture-saturated indoor air can wreak havoc on your health and pocketbook. Until recently, this hasn’t been a common problem, because older, draft-prone homes have always leaked air naturally. However, new and recently renovated homes tend to have a tighter envelope to save energy. This is a ripe environment for mold and mildew fed by routine activities like cooking, cleaning, and bathing, aggravating allergies and other health issues. The solution is to exchange the moisture-rich indoor air with dry, fresh, outdoor air. But how to do it without wasting heat or drawing in polluted or pollen-heavy air?

The answer is a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV), a technology that has been used in commercial buildings for 40 years, but is now catching on big with North American home owners. The biggest advantage of an HRV over a traditional exhaust fan or open-air vent is the ability to transfer 70 to 80% of the heat from the stale outgoing air to the incoming fresh air. An added bonus is the ability to filter the incoming fresh air, allowing allergy suffers to shut windows in the pollen-heavy Spring and Summer months while still getting fresh air. Not only do you reduce mold issues and improve air quality, but you also save money on your heating bills. Here are some of things you’ll want to consider with an HRV:

To work correctly, HRVs should balance the fresh air entering your home with the stale air going out. Doing this will prevent a low or high pressure situation, which can cause big problems. For instance, if you have too much air being expelled (a low pressure situation), fireplace or furnace exhaust can be sucked back into the home, as could cold air from the outside, which is both expensive and unsafe. Similarly, if too much air comes in (high pressure), warm air may be forced into the walls and attic creating new moisture and mold issues. Each year, you should have your system checked for proper air balance. Questions? Contact one of our friendly HRV experts for answers.

Retrofit your existing home

Even if you don’t have a forced air furnace, it isn’t hard to retrofit your existing home with an HRV. The ductwork is typically smaller than a forced air duct system, and can be installed inside or outside wall cavities. With a forced air system, we can use the existing ductwork to minimize costs. Contact us for complimentary HRV home evaluation.

You can earn thousands in rebates from the federal and provincial governments when you purchase energy-saving devices like HRVs. But the qualification process can be confusing and complex. We’ll always make sure your equipment matches so you’ll avoid nasty surprises. Give us a call to get the ball rolling.

Like other home appliances, HRV manufacturers require regular maintenance to keep warranties valid. It’s a good idea to have you HRV serviced annually to ensure proper air balance, humidity levels, clean ducts and filters, and prolong system life. Our worry free annual maintenance packages protect against breakdowns and expensive emergency repairs. You’ll also get priority treatment, should any issues occur. Enroll now and relax.