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I have a 33 years old house in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. The existing air exchanger is out of order and need to replace with something newer. Question is should I get a HRV or ERV system.

As I understand:

  • HRV only recovers heat
  • ERV recovers both heat and humidity (C$200 more)

That kind of easily makese sense to go for an ERV system so that in winter it doesnt get too dry and in summer it doesnt get too humid inside the house.

But at the same time it may not make significant difference depending on the weather in my location. Thats where I need an expert opinion or someone already have a previous experience on this.

Question is: Which one would be a good choice to go with HRV or ERV? How can I make the decision?

Thanks

Samiron
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2 Answers2

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I'm in the same situation. I think it depends on size of your home and number of people. If you've many people and do lots of cooking, shower, laundry etc and have smaller home then HRV is better because it will get rid of excess moisture. If you you've a large home, few people and air is very dry in winters then ERV is better. Also read ERV is better for old drafty homes (1960s old).

We opted for HRV because it is cheaper, we've a small house and we already have vented hood and exhaust in bathrooms.

Samiah Alam
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  • Thanks for sharing your comment. I ended up installing ERV. The factors you mentioned like home size, number of people etc sound more like related to the capacity of the device. With an ERV I can control the expected RH level in my home. Practically, I can reduce house RH around 5% in 5 to 6 hours. We also have vented hood and bathroom exhaust. – Samiron Nov 13 '20 at 00:39
  • Welcome back, @Samiron. If one of these answers feels good, please accept it. – Daniel Griscom Nov 13 '20 at 01:13
  • Thanks, I accepted this one for now. – Samiron Nov 13 '20 at 01:21
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An HRV pre-warms the incoming air during winter months. At low continuous speeds, this mingles with existing interior air and does not reduce the inside humidity. An HRV adds so much comfort to the interior climate. In summer the air movement equalizes temperatures throught the interior space, adding to the comfort level. During the 90s I installed over 1000 HRV units, mostly new homes and many retrofits. More critical is good locations for intake and exhaust hoods outside. On the inside place the exhaust grills in bathrooms and laundry, and place supply grilles (whisper grilles) in each bedroom and in common areas. Use a low, balanced airflow 24 hours a day, and use 20 minute timers in each bathroom to step up the speed when needed.

John Canon
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    Thanks for your answer but you did not mention anything about ERV. Are you implying that I should go for HRV instead of ERV. Just to remind that my original question was to choose one between HRV or ERV depending on my location. I made it explicitely clear in my question now. – Samiron Nov 05 '19 at 15:10