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Guide to Balanced Fresh Air Ventilation Systems for Indoor Air Quality Improvement InspectAPedia®  -     How to use balanced fresh air ventilation systems for indoor air quality Using balanced air ventilation systems for removing or keeping out indoor contaminants How to select & use heat recovery ventilator systems How to select & use energy recovery ventilation systems Best methods for cleaning & filtering indoor air

Here we discuss using balanced fresh air ventilation systems, heat recovery ventilators, and energy recovery ventilators to improve indoor air quality in homes. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. But many indoor contaminants are simply too small to see, or are not particles at all but rather gases or chemicals. See ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings

© Copyright 2010 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Balanced Ventilation Air for Improving Indoor Air Quality

As reported in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction: Balanced ventilation uses both a supply and exhaust fan to provide fresh air while keeping house pressures neutral. Linking a multiport supply system (described above) with a bathroom exhaust fan on the same switch is a form of balanced ventilation. Well suited to extreme climates, balanced ventilation provides optimal distribution of incoming fresh air and tempers it for comfort. HRFs reclaim heat from the exhaust air while ERFs, recommended for hot humid climates, dehumidify and cool incoming air. For good performance, systems must be properly installed, balanced, and maintained. Illustration Source: Recommended Ventilation Strategies for Energy-Efficient Production Homes, 1998, by Judy A. Roberson, et al., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, appearing in the text cited above. Most balanced ventilation systems, however, use a heat-exchanger to transfer heat and, with energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), humidity between the two air streams. These systems, sometimes called air-to air heat exchangers, are the most expensive option for whole-house ventilation; but, if installed properly and well-maintained, provide optimal comfort and ventilation. Depending on the type of heat exchanger, balanced ventilators are referred to as either heat-recovery ventilators (HRVs) or ERVs.

Balanced Ventilation System Controls

HRVs and ERVs are typically run continuously, but they also may be set to run 8 to 12 hours per day when people are at home. In addition, most have a high-speed mode that can be manually activated for spot ventilation of kitchens and bathroom.

Some balanced ventilation systems also use dehumidistats to automatically turn on or increase ventilation when the air reaches a preset humidity level.

Balanced Ventilation System Ducting

While a dedicated ductwork system is the best approach for HRVs and ERVs, to save money they are often piggybacked onto the home’s HVAC ductwork. In one approach, the HRV or ERV draws exhaust air from the return ductwork and feeds fresh air into the furnace’s return plenum. In a slightly better arrangement, the HVAC ductwork is used only for supply, while the exhaust side picks up stale air in bathrooms, laundry, and kitchen. Neither approach distributes fresh air as well as a dedicated duct system.

Also, since HRV/ERV fans operate at 100 to 200 cfm while air-handler fans are often sized at over 600 cfm, trying to integrate the controls, balance airflows, and provide the correct amount of ventilation air is challenging and rarely works well. The most common approach is to run the ventilation system only when the thermostat calls for heating or air-conditioning, providing too little ventilation. Heat-recovery efficiencies are also compromised, typically due to unbalanced airflows.

Balanced Ventilation System Maintenance

One drawback of HRVs and ERVs is that they require more maintenance than other ventilation systems. Numerous studies have found that many of these systems significantly under perform in the field due to both installation errors and poor maintenance.

In addition to cleaning or changing intake, outtake, and internal filters, the homeowner or service person needs to clean the core once a year or more to prevent mold and bacteria growth. It is important to follow closely the manufacturer’s recommendations. Unless the homeowner enjoys the responsibility of HVAC maintenance, the work is best handled by a professional service company.

Balanced Ventilation System Cost Effectiveness

For HRVs and ERVs to work properly and achieve the rated efficiencies, they must be installed correctly and balanced well, and the house must be very tight.

Even so, the added cost over a basic ventilation system will be recouped only in the most extreme United States climates with the highest energy costs. However, in very cold or hot climates where mechanical ventilation is needed during most of the year, the added cost may be justified by the comfort of tempered, filtered ventilation air, the effectiveness of the distribution, and the lack of pressure-related problems.

Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems - HRVs

Used primarily in cold climates, HRVs have two air streams that pass over one another in a plastic or aluminum heat exchanger.At left we show a photograph of a heat recovery ventilator. Used primarily in cold climates, heat-recovery ventilators (HRVs) pass two air streams by one another within a plastic or aluminum heat exchanger, recapturing 60 to 75% of the heat from the outgoing air stream. This unit, installed in an attic, is hung from chains to reduce noise and vibrations. Recovery of heat from the exhaust air typically ranges from 60 to 75%, if properly installed and balanced. During the summer, if air-conditioning is used, the heat transfer reverses, cooling the incoming hot air. Systems generally have exhaust ports in rooms that generate moisture or pollutants, including bathrooms, laundry, and kitchen and supply ports in bedrooms, living rooms, and other main living spaces. Because they have both supply and return ducting, HRVs provide the best distribution, exhausting air from bathrooms and other wet areas and providing fresh air to primary living space. The kitchen typically has its own range hood, so grease does not get into the HRV system. Original Best Construction Practices Guide photo source: courtesy of David Hanson, memphremagog Heat Exchangers, appearing in the text cited above.

Defrost cycle for heat recovery ventilators

In cold climate applications, a defrost cycle is required. It usually switches on at about 20°F to keep frost from building up in the core as condensation from the exhaust stream begins to freeze. Systems either recirculate indoor air or preheat incoming air to prevent freeze-ups.

Energy Recovery Ventilators - ERVs for Indoor Air Ventilation

Energy-recovery ventilators are primarily used in air-conditioned homes in hot, humid climates. They are generally recommended for climates where the cooling load exceeds the heating load and where sustained freezing temperatures are rare. Sustained temperatures below 10°F can damage the permeable core material used in many ERVs.

ERVs either use a dessicant-coated plastic wheel or a special “enthalpic” core material to move moisture (latent heat), as well as sensible heat, between the two air streams. In summer, incoming air is cooled and dehumidified. Since dehumidification is the biggest component of air-conditioning costs in humid climates, it is important to find a unit with a high TRE (total recovery efficiency) rating, indicating that it can transfer large amounts of moisture. To achieve the rated efficiencies, the units must be run at the recommended airflows.

In cold weather, an ERV will tend to humidify the incoming air, since the moisture transfer is always toward the less humid air stream. This is rarely a problem, however, since the cold incoming air holds so little moisture to begin with that the net effect of the air exchange is to remove humidity from the house.

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

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Technical Reviewers & References

• InspectAPedia.com^® - Daniel Friedman
• Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
• InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING
ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE
ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY
FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
  Health Effects of Air Pollutants
  Common Indoor Air Pollutants
  Key Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality
  Whole House Ventilation Strategies
  Exhaust-Only Ventilation
  Supply-Only Ventilation
  Balanced Ventilation
    Heat Recovery Ventilation
    Energy Recovery Ventilators
  Air Filtering Strategies
  Particles in Indoor Air - Chart
  Quick Guide to Gases
  Air-Cleaner Types
    Particulate Air Cleaner Table
  Air Filter Effectiveness
  Real-World Effectiveness of Air Cleaners
  Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants
  Radon Hazards
  Formaldehyde Hazards
  Biological Pollutants
  Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs
  Pesticide Exposure Hazards
  Lead Exposure Hazards
  Asbestos Exposure Hazards
  Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
  Combustion Appliance Contaminants
  Backdrafting Appliances
  Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants
  INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
  INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
  ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
MILDEW in BUILDINGS ?
MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS
MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE
MOLD CLEANUP COMPANIES
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure
RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
STAIN DIAGNOSIS
TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Wiley.com and also at Amazon.com. See our book review of this publication.
• Basement Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
• Crawl Space Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
• Energy Recover Ventilation Systems for Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
• Energy Savings Methods: Whole House Systems Approach, U.S. Department of Energy
• Log Homes: MInimizing Air Leakage in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
• Log Homes: Controlling Moisture in Log Homes, U.S. Department of Energy
• Log Homes: Log Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy
• Moisture Control in Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
• Moisture Control in Walls, U.S. Department of Energy
• Natural Ventilation for Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
• R-Value of Wood, U.S. Department of Energy
• Spot Ventilation for houses, U.S. Department of Energy
• Slab on Grade Foundation Moisture and Air Leakage, U.S. Department of Energy
• Straw Bale Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy
• Vapor Barriers or Vapor Diffusion Retarders, U.S. Department of Energy
• Ventilation for energy efficient buildings, Purpose, Strategies, etc.,
• Whole House Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
• Whole-House Balanced Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
• Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
• Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems, U.S. Department of Energy
• ...

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