Zehnder Interview Series: Micky Dunegan, Technical Sales Representative

Zehnder Interview Series:  Micky Dunegan, Technical Sales Representative

Interviewer: Could you introduce yourself, Micky?

Micky Dunegan:  My name is Micky Dunegan. I am the Technical Sales Representative for the Southwest region, which includes California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.

Interviewer:  Micky, what do you like best about working with this type of HRV/ERV system?

Micky Dunegan:  It’s great representing products that provide such a high level of health benefits while dramatically reducing energy consumption as well.

Interviewer:  How does a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) contribute to the energy efficiency of the home?

Micky Dunegan:  Not only do our HRV systems require remarkably low energy consumption, they also reduce the heating and cooling load dramatically by a way of heating and cooling recovery.  Other HVAC equipment operates far less than it would otherwise have to operate.  Our HRVs/ERVs eliminate the need for intermittent bath fans as well.

Interviewer:  The 2013 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards went into effect on July 1, 2014. How do you see this affecting your business?

The new codes are encouraging and exciting. With statewide standards and requirements in regards to energy consumption growing increasingly stringent, it increases the need for a mechanical ventilation strategy. 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. This strategy is not only the most energy efficient, it’s also the healthiest.

Interviewer:  When people think about ventilation they think about bathroom exhaust fans or opening the windows; what are the advantages of an HRV over these options?

Micky Dunegan:   If you’re going to build a home with a tight building envelope with minimal infiltration and exfiltration, you need a ventilation strategy or the indoor air quality will suffer.  When you are using exhaust-only ventilation (bath fans), you are unnecessarily exhausting heating or cooling and you don’t know where the make-up air is coming from.   The makeup air is often coming from pretty unattractive places: potentially under floors, between insulated walls, attics and other unattractive places to get outside air from.   Bath fans also tend to have higher wattage and energy consumption than continuous ventilation solutions.  As for opening windows as a ventilation strategy in an energy-efficient home, you have to consider insects, allergies, and indoor air quality issues depending on where you live.  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.

Interviewer:  What’s the installation like of a Zehnder HRV?

Micky Dunegan: Being a former HVAC contractor myself, I have installed many of them. The Zehnder system is easy to install and requires no specialty tools or equipment for the installation.   There’s no need for any extra custom ducting fabrication. Everything is supplied from start to finish with all the HRV and air distribution components designed and provided by Zehnder. All the components are robust and durable.

Interviewer:  Micky, tell me a little bit about the Zehnder commissioning process.  Why is the commissioning of an HRV/ERV system so important?

Micky Dunegan:  One of the key components to ensure the effectiveness of an HRV/ERV system is commissioning the system. When it comes to commissioning, all locations both supply and extract are measured with a flow hood and adjusted to achieve the designed flow rate and ultimately a balanced ventilation system.

Interviewer:  What are your top 1 or 2 tips that you would give to consumers when they are choosing an HRV, ERV system?

Micky Dunegan:  My first tip is to do your research.  Heat efficiency, energy consumption and noise of HRVs vary and also don’t underestimate the importance of good system design as this will greatly impact the efficiency, comfort, and noise coming from the system.   Second, contact the manufacturer you choose for help designing the layout of the HRV/ERV system.

Interviewer: Great, that’s all the questions I have for you. Thanks for your time Micky.

Micky Dunegan:   Glad to, have a good one.