Heat Recovery Ventilation

A heat recovery ventilation system, often called an HRV or MVHR, runs two quiet air streams through a central heat exchanger. Stale, moist air is drawn out of wet areas while fresh outdoor air is filtered and delivered to living areas and bedrooms.

As the two streams pass through the exchanger, most of the heat from the outgoing air transfers to the incoming air without the two ever mixing. In winter the fresh air arrives pre warmed; in summer the process works in reverse.

Newer homes are built tight to keep heating and cooling costs down, which is good for energy use but leaves moisture, cooking smells and indoor pollutants with nowhere to go. The usual response is opening a window, which undoes the heating or cooling you just paid for.

Heat recovery ventilation solves both at once: the air stays fresh and drier, and the energy stays inside. It suits airtight new builds, deep renovations, homes with condensation or mould concerns, and households sensitive to dust and pollen.