Indoor Air Quality

IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY
THROUGH BETTER VENTILATION

Click here for Convenient Low Voltage Wall Controls
Click here for Quick Selection Chart

Download the IAQ Solutions Brochure in PDF

What’s All The Talk About Indoor Air Quality?

You’ve heard it on TV and read about it in magazines. The news is everywhere ... the air inside your home can be up to five times more polluted than the air outside. Since the 1970s, when we started building tighter energy-efficient homes, the level of indoor air pollutants has steadily increased. Why? Contaminated air which once escaped through cracks around windows and doors is now trapped inside with you and your family. Discover how you can keep your family safe at home with ventilation solutions from Fantech.

What Do The Experts Say:

In a survey conducted by the American Lung Association – 50% of the people surveyed were not aware that poor indoor air quality is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to public health. Proper ventilation will always make a positive contribution to indoor air quality aiding in the control of contaminants including moisture and mold.
– Home Ventilating Institute

Indoor air quality is important to human health because we spend over 80% of our time indoors. Tight insulation, too much humidity and other factors can lead to unhealthy air in your home or workplace, causing a number of health problems.
– Health Canada

Improving ventilation and airflow is basic to air quality, especially if your home is new or recently remodeled.
– Mayo Clinic

Safeguard Your Home Against Indoor Air Pollution

According to the American Lung Association and other experts in the field, there are three main ways to improve indoor air quality:

Step 1: Toxic Clean Up

• Don’t smoke indoors
• Limit chemicals used for cleaning purposes
• Wash bedding/linens in hot water to kill dust mites
• Keep pets outside

Once you become aware of the possible pollutants in your home, you can take the first step to improving the quality of the air you breathe just by eliminating many of the irritants. Different types of pollutants that might be found in your home including:

Biological Contaminants Chemical Contaminants Combustion Sources Building Materials

Asthma affects over 20 million people in North American including 6.3 million children.

Step 2: Better Ventilation

Improve indoor air quality with better ventilation in the areas of the home where moisture, smoke or steam occur.

Bathrooms • Kitchens • Laundry • Rooms with Fireplaces

Today’s energy efficient construction methods make homes so tight that mechanical ventilation is needed to remove contaminants which cause mold, mildew or poor air quality.

An energy saving Fantech Heat Recovery or Energy Recovery Ventilator is an ideal choice to bring a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air into your home while expelling stale air.

Benefits of a Heat Recovery or Energy Recovery Ventilator • Brings a continuous supply of fresh, filtered outside air into the home • Exhausts environmental contaminants for improved indoor air quality • Saves energy by recovering heat from exhaust air in the winter • Cools incoming air in the summer • Controls excess humidity

An independent laboratory has tested and certified the Fantech Whole House Filtration System uses “TRUE” HEPA filter media – 99.97% effective down to 0.3 microns.

Step 3: Clean and Filter The Air

The third step to better indoor air quality is to clean and filter the air. Fantech’s Whole House HEPA Filtration unit is one way you can do just that. This small, compact unit is designed to clean the total volume of air in an average size house once an hour. Mold spores, pet dander, cooking odors, dust, dust mites and their by-products are all captured in a series of three filters.

Fantech’s HEPA Filtration System easily installs on the existing ductwork of your forced air furnace/ air handler or can be used as an independent system mounted in the attic, crawl space or closet.

99.97% Effective At removing particles down to 0.3 microns and larger

Did You Know?
Everyday Activities add to Indoor Air Pollution

Studies have found that simple things like mopping the kitchen floor, taking a shower, doing the laundry or just breathing can generate enough moisture in your home to raise the relative humidity to an unhealthy level.

Increased humidity and moisture inside your home can lead to severe structural damage that you can’t see until it’s too late. Increased moisture levels can also dramatically affect your family’s health due to increased mold and mildew.

Common Pollutants That Effect Your Home and Your Family

What Are HRVs and ERVs?

To understand these products and their functions, here are a few things to remember.

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) are recommended for colder areas of the country that have longer heating seasons as well as drier desert areas of the South.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are designed for warmer, humid climates with longer cooling seasons.

Heat Recovery Ventilators and Energy Recovery Ventilators are complete whole house ventilation systems that incorporate a supply motor and an exhaust motor in one unit. The supply motor draws fresh air in from the outside and the exhaust motor pushes stale contaminated air out. The two air steams are separated by a heat/energy recovery core which tempers the air making it the most comfortable solution for a healthy indoor environment.

For information on how these units can help you save energy and lower heating or cooling costs, read “How Do They Work”.

How Do They Work?

Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs)
An HRV is designed to bring a continuous supply of fresh air into a home while exhausting an equal amount of contaminated air. HRVs use what is called a “sensible” heat recovery core. This special aluminum core transfers heat from the exhaust air stream to the incoming air stream. Fresh incoming air is tempered by the heat that is transferred from the outgoing air so you save on energy costs. Fantech HRVs are equipped with automatic defrost mechanisms so even if you live in the coldest climates you can use your HRV all year long.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)
Fantech’s ERV works much like the HRV but it is designed with a different type core. The enthalpic core at the center of the unit transfers heat and moisture from the incoming air to the outgoing air. The air brought into the living area is cooled and the humidity is reduced for maximum comfort. The load on your air conditioner is less and you save on cooling costs.

Heat Recovery and Energy Recovery Ventilators are the next step in creating a clean, healthy environment for your family

Port Configurations

Five Port Models feature motorized damper for recirculation mode and defrost. Positive shut off of supply port when unit is in standby.

Four Port Models provide constant ventilation even in defrost mode without the need for additional parts. An exhaust only (fan shut down) defrost strategy is an effective method at an affordable price.

Selecting the Right Unit

Two simple questions to help you choose the ideal unit for your home or building.

1. In what climate zone do you live?

Climate conditions will determine whether you need a Heat Recovery Ventilator or an Energy Recovery Ventilator. HRVs are usually recommended for colder climates with longer heating seasons. ERVs are used for warmer more humid climates with long cooling seasons.

In regions where temperatures can fall below 23°F (-5°C) for several hours, it is recommended that a unit with defrost capability be installed. Units with suffix “N” on model number do not have defrost capability.

U.S. Department of Energy ERV or HRV Climate Zones Map

2. What size is your house?

If you know the total square footage of your home you can easily choose the ideal Heat Recovery or Energy Recovery Ventilator from the product pages in this brochure.

If you don’t know the square footage of your home, then an alternate way to select the unit is by room count. (Use chart below to calculate total ventilation required.)

Always consult your local building codes for sizing requirements.

Installation Options

HRVs and ERVs can be installed as stand-alone systems that use independent ductwork or they can be connected to the existing duct of your forced air heating or cooling system.

Good Simplified Installation using existing HVAC Duct and Premium Bath Fan
Better Partially Dedicated Installation
Best Fully Dedicated Installation

Convenient Low Voltage Wall Controls

Central Hallway Controls

EDF1
Triple Function Wall Control

2-wire

• Press button once for continuous low speed • Press button twice and the unit will cycle 20 minutes ON/40 minutes OFF and repeat • Press the button a third time and the system will run continuously on high speed • Use in one central location

EDF2
Multi-Function Wall Control

2-wire

• Features: Digital Display, Speed Control, Override Timer, Maintenance Light and Dehumidistat Control. • Stand-by or Continuous Ventilation Modes • Use in one central location

EDF5
Five-Function Wall Control

2-wire

• Features: Digital Display, Maintenance Light, Power Button, Cycle Timer, Longer Override Timer, Speed Control and Dehumidistat Control. • Intermittent, Recirculation or Continuous Ventilation Modes • Use in one central location

MDEH2
Dehumidistat

4-wire

• Dial lights up when dehumidistat turns unit to high speed • Use one per system • On/off slider switch • (Do not use with EDF5) • Dehumidifies when air outside is dryer than air inside.

AQS1
Air Quality Sensor

3-wire

• Activates HRV/ERV to high speed if levels of pollutants exceed normal conditions • Light changes color to indicate level of pollution • Pushbutton override switch sets unit to run 1, 2, or 3 hours at high speed • Use one per HRV/ERV

Bath, Kitchen or Laundry Controls

RTS 2
Pushbutton Timer

2-wire

• 20-Minute Timer with LED Light • Boosts system to high speed with the touch of a button • Up to five can be used with one system • Use in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry

RTS3
Pushbutton Timer

3-wire

• 20-40-60 Min. Boost Timer • Press button once to energize system to high speed for 20 minutes • Press button twice unit unit will run for 40 minutes on high speed. • Press button three times for 60 minutes of high speed • Up to five can be used with one system

MDEH1
Dehumidistat

2-wire

• Rotary Dial Dehumidistat • Just turn dial to set desired humidity level • Multiple units can be used • Install in bathrooms, kitchen, laundry • Dehumidifies when air outside is dryer than air inside

Quick Selection Chart

* Total square footage of home plus basement with 8' ceilings estimated at 1 Air Change Per Every 3 Hours. Use for rough sizing only.
** Can be used in larger homes for low level background ventilation, if bathrooms have separate dedicated exhaust fans.
*** Call customer service for line volt options including dehumidistat and plug-in 24 hour timer.
Note: Low speeds are estimates.
Note: Before choosing a unit, always check local code requirements.

* Total square footage of home plus basement with 8' ceilings estimated at 1 Air Change Per Every 3 Hours. Use for rough sizing only.
** Can be used in larger homes for low level background ventilation, if bathrooms have separate dedicated exhaust fans.
*** Call customer service for line volt options including dehumidistat and plug-in 24 hour timer.
Note: Before choosing a unit, always check local code requirements.

Fantech reserves the right to modify, at any time and without notice, any or all of its products' features, designs, components and specifications, to maintain their technological leadership position.