Home ventilation is a critical function that impacts the efficiency of other heating and cooling equipment, comfort and air quality.
Typically, homes have relied on natural ventilation through open windows and leaks in the home. However, more and more homes are tightly sealed, which contributes to reduced energy losses but little fresh air moving about. That’s where mechanical ventilation systems enter the picture.
Ventilation systems operate to bring an equal amount of air into and out of the home using fans. Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) are an example of a mechanical ventilation system that is ideal for colder climates. It has a threefold purpose:
- Create airflow conditions that lead to maximum efficiency.
- Enhance comfort by controlling temperature.
- Improve air quality by moving bad air out of the home and good air in.
The core of the HRV’s technology is the way heat transfers. Whenever outgoing and incoming air pass through the HRV, the heat transfer component begins to work. The systems extracts heat from the outgoing air (air that is exhausted) and uses it to heat the incoming air. In the summer, the heating unit takes the heat out of the incoming air and transfers it to the outgoing air.
In general, an HRV can re-use 70 to 80 percent of the heat that is present in the exhausted air to pre-heat or cool the air coming into the home. As a result, the home’s HVAC systems, such as a furnace, don’t have to work as hard to heat the air.
HRV systems also work to impact indoor air quality because they’re designed to exchange the entire home’s air supply over a period of a few hours. In addition, sensors detect any increase in humidity (from the shower or kitchen, for example) and will cycle on the HRV to address it.
Mechanical ventilation systems can make your life indoors more pleasant. Working with heating and cooling systems, they enhance efficiency, provide comfort and create good indoor air quality. Arpi’s Industries is happy to answer ventilation questions and address any other home comfort concerns you may have.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Arpi’s services Calgary, Alberta. To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.
