Heat Recovery Ventilator
An ENERGY STAR certified heat recovery ventilator (HRV) uses less energy, on average, than a standard model.
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An ENERGY STAR certified heat recovery ventilator (HRV) uses less energy, on average, than a standard model.
A Heat Recovery Ventilator, or HRV unit, is a controlled ventilation system that reduces high humidity, pollutants and odours in the home by replacing stale air with fresh warm air. While most municipalities now require an HRV, and most new homes have them installed, if your home does not have one, perhaps you are wondering why it should.
An HRV unit pulls in fresh air and flushes out stale air. This means that fresh air is circulated throughout your home 24 hours a day. If you’re an allergy sufferer, this is especially important, as indoor air quality can be dramatically improved with an HRV unit thanks to a reduction of the allergens swirling around in your home.
The HRV is not a heater or a heat pump and thus it does not actually generate heat. What is does is capture and recycle heat (or cooled energy) from other sources, such as your fireplace, gas heaters, electric heaters, heat pumps, hot water heaters or boilers. Whatever the heat source, the HRV will recover the heat from the exhaust air stream and recycle this heat directly back into your home.
If you’ve ever noticed condensation on your windows, that’s a sign that an HRV unit is necessary. As mentioned above, an HRV unit works to reduce the humidity in your house all year round, meaning you don’t have to worry about the condensation causing rot or mold growth.
An HRV system will save you money and reduce your energy requirements for heating by reusing the heat that is normally lost through gaps in construction or from opening windows to circulate stale air. A HRV system is also designed to operate continuously at a low rate to minimise energy consumption.
An HRV unit is a great investment if you are looking to improve the ventilation in your home. Doing so will help protect against pollutants in the air and the condensation that can lead to costly repairs.
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