In order to maximize your house's indoor air quality and consequently your health, you should take every opportunity when the outdoor conditions are comfortable (for example at night) to run your air exchanger.
Run your air to air exchanger in the winter months and turn it to standby in the spring, summer, and fall. You should still press your fan button control in all times of the year to remove that surge of moisture when we bath or shower, but the air exchanger itself will be fairly dormant during the summer months.
The exchanger really should not run more than 20 minutes out of the hour as you are causing the furnace to have to run to heat the cold outside air you are drawing in. A better way to keep air fresh is to allow the exchanger to run 20 minutes but keep fan in on position on furnace to keep circulating air.
By setting it between 80-100 (100 is better) you're ensuring it won't make the home more humid.
As long as you are using your air conditioner, switch off your air exchanger. To keep your home's air fresh in the summer, consider turning off the AC at night when the temperature outside is cooler and opening the windows to complete a manual air exchange.
Some people believe that HRV systems should only be used in the winter, while others think that they should be used all year long. Technically, neither answer is wrong. That said, we suggest using your HRV system anytime all of your windows and doors are closed.
The cooler indoor air cools the heat exchanger core, which subsequently cools the incoming warm outdoor air. This results in less reliance on your air conditioning system, translating into lower energy usage.
During seasons when your windows and doors are closed (winter, and summer if air conditioned), the HRV should be set to operate continuously on low speed with the option of going to high speed as the need arises.
An air exchanger should not make your house cold if it is functioning correctly. It is designed to exchange indoor air with outdoor air without significantly affecting the indoor temperature. If your house feels cold, it could be due to other factors or an issue with the system that needs to be addressed.
Not only does it require electricity to run the air exchanger, but the air the exchanger brings into your house must be brought up to temperature. This may require that more electric is used to cool your building or that more fuel is also required for heating.
Regulate humidity: Air exchangers eliminate excess moisture, which helps keep your home comfortable—not too humid and not too dry.
Signs of a Properly Functioning Air Exchanger
Stable Indoor Humidity Levels: One of the main roles of an air exchanger is to regulate humidity levels. If your indoor humidity is stable and within a comfortable range (between 30% and 50%), it's likely your air exchanger is functioning correctly.
While everyone's home comfort preferences will vary, we recommend a dehumidistat setting between 35 and 45 percent for Summer.
Run Continuously at a Lower Speed
One strategy is to run your air exchanger continuously at a lower speed, providing a constant exchange of indoor and outdoor air. This method can be effective in maintaining good indoor air quality and preventing rapid fluctuations in humidity and pollutant levels.
In winter and cold weather. As a general rule, when it's cold outside make sure the recirculation button is switched off! The air-recirculation button is best to use alongside your AC during warm weather. During cooler weather it doesn't have many benefits and can even be detrimental.
If your furnace blows cold air, check the air filter and vents. If the filter is clear and each vent enough space, call for a furnace repair. Otherwise, you run the risk of a breakdown or cracked heat exchanger.
Yes, air exchangers do work in the winter. In fact, they are even more critical during these colder months. Here's why: Improved Indoor Air Quality: During winter, homes are often closed to keep the cold out, which can result in stale and poor-quality indoor air.
The purpose of these air exchangers are to provide fresh air into the air system along with dehumidifying the existing air to ensure your home isn't creating mold growth. These systems also clean the existing stagnant air inside the home, allowing fresh air to move around freely.
By continuously circulating fresh air throughout your home, an air exchanger can help prevent the conditions that allow mold to thrive. Eliminating Contaminants: Air exchangers also help reduce the concentration of airborne contaminants, including mold spores, by replacing stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
The answer depends on your home's air conditioning system, your ERV wall control, the outdoor temperature and, most importantly, the outdoor relative humidity. As a rule of thumb, if you are more comfortable outside than inside your house, you should run your air exchanger in the summer.
We recommend that our clients use their HRV systems anytime all the windows and doors in their home are closed, but the system should be shut off when you open them again to conserve energy.
Adjust to suit. Spring, Summer, Autumn: Lower ventilation levels (1 – 3) Winter: Higher ventilation levels (3 – 6) To activate: Turn off system (press Power button). Hold the Down arrow for 3 seconds or until display is lit. Press Power button to adjust between 1 and 6.
The agency says it is “normal” for an air exchanger's motor to overheat, make noise and emit smoke when it reaches the end of its life, but the integrated safety device and current limiter shut off the power supply to prevent a fire. A total of 207,000 units of the affected products were sold in Canada.
Your ERV/HRV may run continuously on high speed if: The main control is set for high speed. A timer has been pressed for high speed override. The set point for RH (Relative Humidity) is below the actual relative humidity of your home.
A poorly maintained air exchanger can lead to negative or positive pressure inside the home, resulting in heat loss and the appearance of mold and mildew, among other problems.