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Short answer
The tighter a building, the more it needs deliberate ventilation. A recovery ventilator brings in outdoor air while recovering most of the heat from the air it exhausts, which is what makes this affordable in a cold climate. An HRV transfers heat only. An ERV moves some moisture too. Which of the two suits a building depends on whether it tends to be too dry in winter or too damp in summer, and local practice has been moving steadily toward tighter construction that needs one or the other. Ask which type is proposed and why, what airflow it is set to deliver, where it draws from and exhausts to, and what the filter and maintenance routine costs over a year.
Jobs this covers
- ERV and HRV installation
- Ventilation balancing
- Filter and core maintenance
- Dedicated ventilation ductwork
- Bathroom and stale-air exhaust
- New-construction ventilation
Common problems and warning signs
- The home feels stale
- Windows condense
- A new weatherization project tightened the building
- The ventilation unit is noisy
- Airflow at grilles is weak
- Filters or recovery core need service
What service may include
Cores and filters need regular cleaning. Installation or service may include airflow planning, outdoor intake and exhaust, duct routing, controls, condensate or defrost provisions, balancing and maintenance instruction.
What affects the recommendation and price
Balancing takes instruments, not guesswork. Home size and occupancy, climate, building tightness, duct route, exterior terminations, balancing and humidity goals affect equipment choice and price.
What is different around Burlington
Vermont winters make heat recovery worth more than in milder climates, but at low outdoor temperatures the core can frost, so ask what defrost method the unit uses and whether a preheater is included. Tight, well-insulated houses need mechanical ventilation precisely because they have no leaks to do the job.
What a written quote should tell you
- HRV or ERV, with the reasoning tied to this building's humidity behaviour
- Ventilation rate proposed, and what standard or calculation it comes from
- Whether it is ducted independently or shares the heating system's ducts
- Where intake and exhaust terminate, and their separation from each other and from vents
- Filter and core maintenance interval, and how accessible the unit is for it
| Building tends toward | Type |
|---|---|
| Too dry in winter | HRV, transfers heat only |
| Too damp in summer | ERV, transfers some moisture too |
Common questions
What is the difference between an ERV and HRV?
Both recover heat; an ERV also transfers some moisture. Climate, building and humidity goals determine the better fit.
Does ventilation replace kitchen and bath exhaust?
Not always. High-moisture and cooking sources may still require dedicated local exhaust.
How often are filters cleaned?
Follow the manufacturer and check more often during construction, smoke or dusty conditions.
Why must the system be balanced?
Unbalanced airflow can pressurize or depressurize the home and reduce intended performance.
What is a heat recovery ventilator actually doing?
It is exchanging stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air while keeping most of the heat. Two airstreams pass through a core in separate channels, outgoing warm air on one side, incoming cold air on the other, and heat transfers across the separating material without the airstreams mixing. Typical cores recover a large majority of the heat, so you get the ventilation without paying full price in fuel for it. That is the entire point in a climate like Vermont's, where simply opening a window in January would be extraordinarily expensive.
How do I know whether I need an HRV or an ERV?
The difference is moisture transfer. An HRV recovers heat only, so it exhausts humid indoor air and brings in dry outdoor air, which suits a cold climate house that tends toward too much winter humidity. An ERV also transfers moisture between the two airstreams, retaining some indoor humidity in winter and rejecting some outdoor humidity in summer. In Vermont, both are used. An HRV is often the right choice for a house with high winter humidity, and an ERV for a very dry house or one with summer humidity concerns. It is a legitimate question to put to the designer, not a settled answer.
Can I install an HRV or ERV myself?
The unit's mounting and electrical are within reach of a capable homeowner, but the ductwork and the balancing are what determine whether it works, and those are not intuitive. A ventilator has to be balanced, supply and exhaust flows measured and adjusted to match, or it pressurises or depressurises the house, and a depressurised house with fuel-burning appliances can backdraft combustion products. Filter changes, core cleaning and keeping the exterior hoods clear of snow and ice are all straightforwardly DIY and are the maintenance that actually matters.
What happens if a house has no mechanical ventilation?
In a leaky old house, often nothing noticeable, because the leaks are ventilating it at an energy cost. In a tightened or newly built house, moisture and pollutants accumulate: carbon dioxide climbs overnight in closed bedrooms, winter window condensation appears, and cooking and cleaning products linger. Vermont's building energy standards for new construction have required mechanical ventilation for this reason: once you seal a house properly, ventilation stops being optional and becomes part of the system.
How often does an HRV or ERV need maintenance?
Filters every three to six months, the core cleaned annually or as the manual specifies, and the exterior intake and exhaust hoods checked seasonally: in Vermont the winter check is the important one, since snow, ice or a frost-blocked screen shuts the unit's effectiveness down completely and silently. Units are typically expected to last fifteen to twenty years. The most common real-world failure is not mechanical: it is a unit switched off years ago by someone who thought it was a fan making noise.
Is mechanical ventilation required in Vermont?
Vermont's Residential Building Energy Standards require whole-building mechanical ventilation in new residential construction, and substantial renovation can trigger requirements as well. The rationale is direct: the same code requires air tightness, and a tight building must be ventilated deliberately. If you are building, this is not optional and the design should show it. If you are renovating substantially, ask the code official early rather than discovering the requirement at inspection.
What is a typical HRV/ERV warranty?
Core and motor warranties commonly run 5 years or more, but the unit's actual performance depends on correct balancing at installation. A warrantied part replaced into an unbalanced system will not fix a comfort or pressure complaint that was never actually a parts problem.