How To Breathe Fresh Air Without Getting Cold Air From The Outside

The air in your living rooms may be kept comfortable while pollutants and humidity are rapidly removed from your home with effective ventilation.

Your home needs to be properly aired in order to receive fresh air inside. Although there are many solutions, the most recommended one is to install a device called a heat recovery ventilation (HRV). It’s designed to let in fresh air while keeping the heat in your house.

Other tactics comprise:

1. Micro-Ventilation
2. Run The Fans In The Kitchen And Bathrooms
3. Set The Ceiling Fans To The Winter Setting

Every home needs a reliable ventilation system, especially during the cool winter months. As a homeowner, you have the right to feel comfortable in your own house. Thankfully, we are here to guide and help you as you set up a trustworthy ventilation system.

How To Make Certain That Your House Is Properly Ventilated During the Winter

Nobody wants stale air indoors, particularly in the winter when it’s challenging to just open the windows and let in some fresh air. Inside your home, the chilly winter gusts won’t be anything you can stand. Although there are many good ventilation solutions available to you, some of them can’t keep your room warm.

The best way to ensure that your home has appropriate winter ventilation is to install a heat recovery ventilator. Thanks to this equipment, fresh outdoor air will constantly be present in your home.

The Way An HRV System Works

A heat recovery ventilator system eliminates moisture and stale air from wet areas like bathrooms, utility rooms, and the kitchen. It is also intended to maintain and distribute clean air in your living, dining, and sleeping areas. An HRV uses the heat from the expelled stale air to warm the brisk outside fresh air.

The energy efficiency of this device might lower your utility expenditures. Your heat pumps won’t have to work as hard to maintain the warmth inside your home because the HRV has been shown to be a significant assist in keeping your indoor temperature comfortable and cozy.

HRV systems have filters that stop dirt, dust, and pollen from getting inside your house. Additionally, your home is heated more efficiently during the winter thanks to this device’s ability to reduce condensation. This efficiency not only ensures that your home is properly ventilated but also helps you save money on future heating expenditures.

Other Strategies For Winter Ventilation In Your Home

Micro-Ventilation

Opening a window is the most typical approach to allow fresh air into your house. Micro-ventilation, on the other hand, just entails cracking open one window in each room to allow a small amount of fresh air to enter without fully opening the window.

Run The Fans In The Kitchen And Bathrooms

Utilizing the exhaust fans that are set up in your kitchen and bathroom is another option. By doing so, you can prevent mold and mildew from growing in your bathroom due to an accumulation of excess humidity. Running fans in the kitchen can improve your health because they expel potentially harmful vapors from the stove and oven.

Set The Ceiling Fans To The Winter Setting

The majority of modern ceiling fans have a “winter mode” feature. The switch is located on the side of the fan. When turned on, the blade changes direction. Warm air is pushed lower during this phase while cold air is pushed higher.

Is Continuous HRV Operation Required?

It is essential to keep your heat recovery ventilation system running continually to ensure that your home is properly ventilated while maintaining a warm and comfortable temperature inside. Using a range of tools, the HRV can run at low, medium, or high speeds.

A universal way for managing your machine is to run the HRV continuously at low or medium speed and switch to high speed when a higher ventilation rate is required.

Running HRVs requires energy. Airtight homes with heat recovery ventilation systems can keep heat indoors, which decreases the work your furnace and HRV need to accomplish. These residences enjoy lower annual electric expenditures as a result.

How To Take Care Of And Maintain Your Heat Recovery System

For optimum performance, your HRV system needs to be cleaned and maintained. Additionally, regular maintenance ensures that your system will last longer and won’t break quickly.

Replace Or Clean The Air Filters

Routine cleaning or air filter change is the most important step in keeping your HRV system in good condition. Clogged and unclean filters will reduce the machine’s efficiency and contaminate the air entering and returning to your home.

Before you begin, make sure your HRV device is unplugged and off. To locate the air filters on your appliance, remove or open the front door. Once you’ve found it, carefully remove the filters by moving them from where they are inside the device and forward.

Any large collection of debris and dust should be vacuumed away before soaking the filters in a warm water and dish soap solution. After letting it sit for a while, rinse it off and allow it to thoroughly dry before putting it back into the HRV.

Remember to clean the air filters every two months to maintain them functioning optimally and to stop dust, pollen, and other pollutants from entering your home. Additionally, it is suggested to replace your filters once or twice a year if they show obvious signs of wear and tear.

Clean The Outside Intakes And Exhaust Hoods

The exterior vents of the HRV system need to be cleaned as well, and this is a key step. You must remove any obstructions, such as trash, debris, or other things, to ensure that the airflow is not obstructed. If you follow these steps, your smartphone will function properly.

Make sure to clear away any accumulation of snow or ice that can block the vents throughout the winter.

Check The Condensate Drain

If your HRV includes a condensate drain, you must determine whether water flows readily from the bottom of the device. A minimum of two liters of warm, clean water should be added to each drain pan.

If water is not flowing freely, cleaning the drain is vital to stop the growth of mold and mildew.

Clean The Heat Exchanger

Vacuuming and cleaning the core helps get rid of any accumulated dust and debris. To guarantee optimal maintenance, you can adhere to the directions for cleaning the heat exchange core in your HRV’s owner manual.

Ductwork And Grilles Need To Be Cleaned

On your HRV, you should also clean the grilles and ductwork. Examine the ducting leading to and from your HRV at least once a year.

It’s crucial to take off the covering on the duct ends so you can inspect the interior. The ducts’ inside can be cleaned with a vacuum. You must contact a nearby service expert if a complete cleaning is required.

Maintain The Fans

The final step in cleaning is the fan. Brush the blades with a soft brush to get rid of dirt and grime. Once you’ve done that, check to see if your HVR is an older model. If this is the case, you must add a few drops of lubricant oil to make sure the fan will function properly.

In Summary

For your living spaces to stay pleasant, there needs to be enough ventilation. You can be sure that your heating recovery ventilation system will contribute to bringing in fresh outdoor air without letting the chilly breeze to alter the warm temperature inside your home.