Balanced and recovery systems

Balanced and recovery systems

Balanced ventilation systems, if properly designed and installed, neither pressurize nor depressurize a house. Rather, they introduce and exhaust approximately equal quantities of fresh outside air and polluted inside air, respectively. A balanced ventilation system usually has two fans and two duct systems. It facilitates good distribution of fresh air by placing supply and exhaust vents in appropriate places.

A typical balanced ventilation system is designed to supply fresh air to bedrooms and common rooms where people spend the most time. It also exhausts air from rooms where moisture and pollutants are most often generated, such as the kitchen, bathrooms, and the laundry room.

Like both supply and exhaust systems, balanced ventilation systems do not temper or remove moisture from the air before it enters the house. They do, however, use filters to remove dust and pollen from outside air before introducing it into the house.

Also, like supply ventilation systems, outdoor air may need to be mixed with indoor air before delivery to avoid cold air drafts in the winter. This may contribute to higher heating and cooling costs.

Energy recovery ventilation systems usually cost more to install than other ventilation systems. In general, simplicity is key to a cost-effective installation. To save on installation costs, many systems share existing ductwork.

Complex systems are not only more expensive to install, but often they are also more maintenance intensive and consume more electric power. For most houses, attempting to recover all of the energy in the exhaust air will probably not be worth the additional cost. Also, these types of ventilation systems are still not very common. Only some HVAC contractors have enough technical expertise and experience to install them.

In general, you want to have a supply and return duct for each bedroom and for each common living area. Duct runs should be as short and straight as possible. The correct size duct is necessary to minimize pressure drops in the system and thus improve performance. Insulate ducts located in unheated spaces and seal all joints with duct mastic.

Energy recovery ventilation systems operated in cold climates must have devices to help prevent freezing and frost formation. Very cold supply air can cause frost formation in the heat exchanger, which can damage it. Frost buildup also reduces ventilation effectiveness.

In addition, energy recovery ventilation systems need to be cleaned regularly to prevent deterioration of ventilation rates and heat recovery, and to prevent mold and bacteria from forming on heat exchanger surfaces.

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