FAQ 5B

How do heat and energy recovery ventilators work?

While today’s energy-efficient homes do a great job of keeping heated or cooled air in, they also seal in stale, recirculated air. A ventilating system solves the problem of stale air by bringing fresh air into tightly constructed homes without wasting precious energy. HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATORS recover heat energy during the heating season; ENERGY RECOVERY VENTILATORS recover both heating and cooling energy year-round.

Fresh air is drawn through a pre-filter and into the ERV core where humidity is drawn out. Heating or cooling is transferred into the fresh air which is then distributed throughout the home. Indoor air stays heated or cooled while stale air and humidity, particularly from areas such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms, are exhausted.

Every home contains a certain amount of unhealthy gases from a variety of sources — building materials, the earth under your home, your heating and cooling system, and even people, who breathe out carbon dioxide. The easiest way to get fresh air into your home, of course, is to fling open a window. The problem is that you lose expensive heated or cooled air in the process.

A ventilator allows your home to "breathe" by bringing healthy, fresh air inside in a controlled way. Before it removes stale air from your home, it also recovers much of the heat or cooling energy through the use of a heat exchanger. Then, it transfers that heat or cooling directly to the fresh outdoor air it draws in. Best of all, the ventilator does this without ever mixing the two air streams. The incoming air stays fresh. And you maintain your heating or cooling system’s energy efficiency.

Carrier ventilators are controlled by a convenient wall-mounted control unit, and have three comfort modes. The recirculation mode recycles indoor air continuously and exchanges air only when humidity exceeds the desired level. This setting allows homeowners with baseboard heat to enjoy the advantages of a forced-air heating system. In the continuous mode, the unit replaces indoor air with fresh outdoor air 24 hours a day. The intermittent mode provides the greatest economy, with the unit turning on only when humidity levels exceed the desired level.

Making a ventilator part of your home comfort system is like being able to open a window in every room even on the hottest or coldest days ... without the drafts, the humidity or the high energy costs. It’s literally a breath of fresh air.