Mechanical ventilation such as an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) provides a solution to a number of issues presented by natural ventilation. Proper ventilation is a critical consideration for homes and buildings. Poor ventilation can cause a buildup in indoor air pollutants like dust, pollen, mold, and household chemicals and lead to a lower living standard and poorer health of the building’s occupants.

1. MECHANICAL VENTILATION:
A continuous HRV/ERV system filters the outside air and automatically brings
in fresh air without someone having to remember to open and close windows.
Most importantly, in heating and/or cooling climates opening windows wastes
heating and/or cooling and is not energy-efficient.
Advantages:
• Greater Control. Home and building owners have greater control of proper
building ventilation, regardless of external factors like the weather or the
time of year.
• Keeps bugs, insects and pests outside.
• Improves longevity of the building structure. Clean, regulated air means there
isn’t excess moisture to ruin the integrity of your building’s materials.
• Healthiest Option. Clean air free from allergies, dust, and indoor air pollutants
means better overall health for all the building’s occupants.
• Bye-bye moist and stale air. A Zehnder HRV or ERV works to exhaust air
from moist rooms like bathrooms and kitchens while introducing a
balanced amount of fresh filtered air into habitable spaces like bedrooms
and living rooms.
• Comfortable. With pure, stale-free air, regulated temperatures, and p
ractically noise-free system, your building’s occupants will experience
high levels of comfort. Lower energy consumption. A high-efficiency
continuous ventilation system with the heating and cooling
recovery is right in line with both lowering
energy consumption while
providing continuous fresh air.
Balance Ventilation vs Natural Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation such as an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) or a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) provides
a solution to a number of issues presented by natural ventilation. Proper ventilation is a critical consideration
for homes and buildings. Poor ventilation can cause a buildup in indoor air pollutants like dust, pollen, mold, and
household chemicals and lead to a lower living standard and poorer health of the building’s occupants.
NATURAL VENTILATION:
As the name suggests, natural ventilation—opening doors and
windows—lacks a controlled, mechanical process to ensure that a
home or building is consistently ventilated.
Shortfalls:
• Unreliable. Factors including the amount of wind, the area’s climate
and temperature, and how they interact with the size, construction, and
layout of the home results in an inconsistent airflow.
• Welcomes in unwanted bugs, insects and other pests.
• Compromised building durability and longevity. Poor air quality and
excess moisture in the air can cause mold, wood rot, and other
problems that hurt the integrity of the building.
• Allergens Dust. Individuals who suffer from allergies or asthma have
a hard time finding relief from these irritants when they are let indoors.
• Buildup of indoor living pollutants such as household chemicals.
• Moisture Issues. In cold winter climates, the rising of warm, moist
indoor air can result in upper wall and attic moisture issues. Likewise,
hot and humid summer air entering an air-conditioned building can
create condensation in the building’s wall cavities.
• Compromised security and privacy. Reduced energy efficiency. Natural
ventilation in areas that get very hot in the summer or very cold in the
winter allow heated or cooled air to escape, thus wasting energy.