Why Commissioning Matters

Many homeowners are looking for ways to improve indoor health, promote home comfort, and avoid allergy and asthma triggers with clean indoor air. Zehnder heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) promote healthy home air by exhausting pollutants and excess moisture while supplying fresh, filtered air. Properly commissioning an HRV or ERV is essential for optimum system operation.

In fact, improperly installed or commissioned ventilation systems are significantly less effective in improving home air quality. Imbalanced systems can decrease the efficiency of an HRV from around 90 percent to around 60 percent, resulting in four times more energy loss. Commissioning a Zehnder system with a trained professional can promote the life of the system and reduce operating costs for years to come! Why Commission a Zehnder HRV?

At Zehnder, we commission every system because we stand behind our products. During the process, Zehnder-trained professionals determine if the HRV system is operating properly to maximize home comfort, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality.

We measure the airflows from each register to ensure that the ventilator is operating at peak performance. This provides peace of mind that the HRV is properly distributing fresh, filtered air throughout the home while extracting stale, contaminated air.

HRV Design for Energy SavingsCommissioning professionals will make sure your system is configured for maximum efficiency. We don’t recommend connecting an HRV or ERV to forced air ductwork. The ductwork for heating and cooling systems wasn’t designed for an HRV, so it hinders the ability of the system to properly distribute and exhaust air. Unfortunately, this can result in premature deterioration of the motors, energy loss, and lower indoor air quality. Balanced Airflow for a Healthy Home

Exhaust-only ventilation systems (like exhaust fans in bathrooms and range hoods in kitchens) create negative pressure in the home. These systems encourage air to enter the home through gaps and cracks, which can also bring in unwanted particulates like dust and pollen. Supply-only ventilation system creates a positive pressure in the home, pushing conditioned air out of the home, meaning the air you pay to cool or heat ends up outside. Balanced ventilation units, like the Zehnder ComfoAir systems, supply and exhaust equal amounts of air, creating a neutral pressure in the home.

When a Zehnder system is commissioned, the flow rates of the registers are measured. If the system isn’t properly balanced, there can be uneven intake and exhaust throughout the home. This disrupts the equilibrium of the home, potentially degrading indoor air quality. This can cause a number of issues, including:

• Inadequate amounts of fresh air in the bedrooms can allow
• Insufficient quantities of exhaust air from the bathrooms can cause mold to develop, contaminating indoor air.

A properly balanced HRV system promotes both indoor air quality and healthy living. Ensuring Optimum Home Comfort

Zehnder HRV systems are the most efficient on the market! This means that the supply air is room temperature without being preheated in most climates. If a system isn’t operating properly or it uses forced-air ductwork, the supply air can be considerably cooler than room temperature. Proper system design and commission promotes home comfort by delivering room-temperature air throughout the home.

Commissioning your system is an essential step to enjoying the full benefits it has to offer. At Zehnder, all of our systems are commissioned. Contact Zehnder today to learn more about clean air solutions.