One of the top five most polluted areas, according to the air quality board, is indoor air. Over the years building and home construction has become tighter and more sealed off from the outdoors. Elliminating drafty windows and doors gives you a more efficient building, but it also keeps the pollution inside, rather than letting it draft out. This increases the amount of mold, mildew and bacteria buildup in the air, causing an increase in health related issues and allergic reactions. Fresh air make up units, economizers and other ventilation means can help eliminate the pollutants in your air. Having a heat recovery unit installed helps maximize your energy savings by using that exhausted air to re-heat the fresh air that is being pushed into the home or building.
A Heat Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Unit is similar to a balanced ventilation system except that it uses the heat in the exhausted air to help warm up the fresh air prior to the roof top unit or heating system having to heat it from being direct cold outside air. There is a heat exchanger core inside the unit that helps transfer heat from the outgoing stream of air to the fresh incoming air. Depending on the unit a heat recovery unit can recover up to 85% of the heat that you are discharging to the outdoors. What does that mean for you? That means that you are going to save money when it comes to heating up the fresh air you are pulling into the building.