9/7/2023
A fresh coat of paint can give any room in your home an update, lighten up the room or give it just the right mood. Refinishing furniture can give it a new look for a fraction of the cost of replacing it. But paint and paint thinners can also be harmful to people and pets living in the home.
Paints and paint thinners contain volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s which turn to gases at room temperature and end up in the
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8/28/2023
We often think of climate change as something that affects the world outside: hotter summer temperatures, colder winters and more severe weather, like hurricanes, in some areas or drought in others.
But climate change affects the air in our homes as well. Warmer outside air eventually leads to warmer air in the home, which can lead to higher energy bills. Colder winters also bring energy challenges. Excess moisture from precipitation can cause mold growth indoors. Overly dry conditions can lead to
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8/21/2023
Americans spend more than half their time at home. That makes indoor air quality (IAQ) an important consideration.
So, what causes poor indoor air quality and how can you help prevent some problems? Check out this virtual room-by-room interactive IAQ home tour from the EPA. It helps identify common IAQ concerns in different areas in a home and how the things people do every day contribute to our air quality.
The good news is that a Zehnder HRV or ERV system
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8/15/2023
When you think of high school Biology class, you might remember the pickle-like odor of Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde (chemical formula CH2O) is usually kept in an aqueous solution called formalin and has been used to preserve specimens for academic and scientific uses, which is why we often associate it with those science classes.
Formaldehyde is found in many different products, some of which are very common in everyday life. It’s used in both adhesives and solvents as well as preservatives. It can
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8/11/2023
One key component of good ventilation is humidity control. Too much moisture in the air can cause condensation in the home, which can lead to respiratory symptoms, mold growth and even structural damage to the home.
Cooking, showering, laundry and humidifiers all add moisture to the air, which condenses on cooler surfaces when the air becomes saturated. The average person contributes 1.25 liters of moisture to the air every day simply by breathing and perspiration!
Air that’s too dry can lead to
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8/9/2023
How does a Zehnder System fit together? Watch as our friends from The Build Show go through the rough-in process for mechanical and ventilation on a new net-zero home build:
“Building a net-zero home isn’t easy. It takes knowledgeable designers, builders, and homeowners, upfront investment, quality materials, and a team that’s focused on every detail from start to finish. Most homeowners and builders don’t know which conversations to have to set a project up for success.
Steve Baczek is an architect passionate
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8/8/2023
1. Bathroom vents alone offer adequate ventilation
Bathroom vents will certainly help draw some moist air out of the immediate space and, in most cases, vent it outside. This helps keep the humidity from moving to adjacent rooms. Vents can also help with odors. But vents alone do not provide balanced ventilation. They don’t bring fresh air into the building to replace the vented air, so the total air volume is not being replaced. This means that the air in other
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7/28/2023
Filters are an important piece of your ventilation system. They keep harmful air pollutants, bacteria and dust from entering your home through your ventilation—and they protect your ventilation unit too. We recommend changing your filters every 6 months; this time may vary depending on your location and environment.
Zehnder offers three types of filters, all of which can be ordered through our online filter store.
Unit filters go in the filter slots on your Zehnder unit. There are two types of unit
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4/20/2021
Watch along as Zehnder America’s Chris Smith talks with Matt Risinger of The Build Show. In this video, Chris discusses the benefits of using Zehnder whole-house ventilation in Matt’s personal house project and why energy recovery ventilation is important in tight houses.
3/2/2021
In a modern home, the balanced ventilation unit (HRV or ERV) is like the lungs of the building, optimizing air exchange for a healthy environment. Like human lungs, your ventilation unit is connected to the environment through passageways that need to be kept clean. The system won’t operate correctly when the valves, ducts and heat exchanger are clogged with dust, dirt, and construction debris.
If you decide to power up your Zehnder unit before construction is completed (and/or before filters are
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