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What is a heat
recovery ventilator?
A heat recovery ventilator
is a fan system that:
1. Takes fresh outside air
and delivers it into the home.
2. Takes stale house air
and blows it outside.
3a. Exchanges the heat
from the stale air blown outside to the fresh air coming in. (Winter).
3b. Exchanges the cold
from the stale air blown outside to the fresh air coming in. (Summer).
What sort of heat
recovery can I expect?
The efficiency of the Airiva HE100 is 73.5%.
This means that 73.5% of the energy contained in your heated or cooled house
air that you blow outside is recovered!
How is the heat
exchanged?
The energy is transferred
from the warm air stream of the air being exhausted to the cool fresh air
stream of the air being taken from outside (in the winter) in the core of
the heat exchanger. This core consists of thousands of adjacent air channels
through which the air flows. The material that the core is made of has a
certain heat transfer coefficient. The core of the Airiva is made of
Polypropylene. The material is not important as long as it is corrosion
proof. Some cores are made of fiberglass, aluminum, copper, mylar, ceramics
and other materials. The total surface area that the air is in contact with
is important.
How much power
does the Airiva use?
The power consumption is about the same as a 100 Watt light bulb.
Is it difficult to
install?
Not difficult, but it involves a few things. An accomplished DIY person
should be able to complete the job in 4 to 8 hours. (After you have
collected all necessary tools and materials, see below). Please note: the
installation materials are not provided.
What are the major
tasks in a basic installation?
1. Determine the location for the Airiva.
2. Install a support for the unit. The Airiva weighs almost 70 pounds.
3. Install a 6" diameter duct for the fresh air intake to the outside of
your home and install a rainproof vent cap.
4. Install a 6" diameter duct for the stale air exhaust to the outside of
your home and install a rainproof vent cap.
5. Run a short length of 6" diameter duct for the fresh, conditioned air to
a central location in your home, i.e. hallway or upstairs.
6. Run a short length of 6" diameter duct to pickup stale house air.
Preferably near your forced air system and/or in a basement.
7. Install the condensate drain in the Airiva housing and run a 3/8"
diameter hose to a nearby floor drain.
8. Plug the Airiva into a 110-120 Volt AC grounded house outlet. Note: The
Airiva, as dictated by the National Electrical Code, only has a 2 foot long
power cord, so you may have to install a dedicated grounded outlet near the
unit. View the Airiva
Installation Page
Can I connect the
Airiva to my forced air system?
Yes. Details of such installation are covered in the installation manual.
This type of installation is only recommended if your central forced air
system runs continuously at a low speed on a year 'round basis. You will
need an air velocity meter that reads in Feet Per Minute (FPM) to properly
adjust the airflow through the Airiva.
Can the Airiva
freeze up when it is really cold outside?
The Airiva has a built-in electronic thermostat that will shut the unit fans
down when certain low temperature limits are reached to prevent freeze-up.
How big a home can
the Airiva service?
Recommendations from Government Agencies are a minimum of 8 air exchanges
per day for your home.
The Airiva HE150 is rated at 150 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) airflow,
nominal.
In a normal installation, with restrictions from connecting ducts, the
airflow is rated at 120 CFM on high speed.
To calculate your
requirements take:
House square feet x ceiling height and divide by the Airiva CFM rating of
125 CFM (on High speed).
I.e. a bungalow 1800 sq. ft. x 8' ceiling height = 14400 Cubic Foot.
Divide by the Airiva flow of 125 CFM = 115 minutes to move all the air.
Round to 2 hours.
Per day you will get approximately 12 air exchanges in your home.
Since this example is based on an 1800 sq. ft. bungalow, the Airiva would
give 6 air exchanges per day for a 3600 sq. ft. home. In the 1800 sq. ft.
example we recommend running the Airiva on 'Low' speed for about 7 ½
exchanges per day.
Does the Airiva
need servicing?
Yes. The Airiva includes a standard 12" x 12" air filter that should be
washed at least every three months of operation; more often in heavily
polluted areas. The heat exchanger core, which is easily removable, must be
hosed down at least once a year. You can do this in the sink or outside with
the garden hose.
Is the Airiva
safe?
The Airiva contains only components that have been rigorously tested to the
Standards of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL®). The blower motors are
thermally protected. The housing has a safety interlock switch and the
housing is a heavy gauge sheet metal.
What tools and
materials will I typically need?
TOOLS:
Power drill, power screwdriver, file or sheet metal reamer, reciprocating
saw to cut 6" diameter openings through house wall, tin snips, screwdrivers,
pliers.
MATERIALS:
Strong shelf brackets with screws (wall plugs if brackets are installed in
concrete wall), materials to install a 110-120 Volt AC outlet for the Airiva.
6" sheet metal take-offs (collars), 6" duct pipe and necessary elbows,
outside rainproof vent hoods, manual 6" duct dampers, duct tape, self
piercing #8 x 1/2" sheet metal screws to fasten 6" ducts and elbows, quality
caulking, 3/8" ID clear plastic hose, screws to fasten vent hoods. Note what
ends you need on the sheet metal parts, i.e. crimped or un-crimped. The four
connections on the Airiva are crimped. Band-aids if you are not used to
working with sheet metal. |
