Things You Need To Do To Ensure Ventilation Systems NZ Do Not Increase Your Energy Bills

A heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system is by its nature designed to use the least amount of energy in its operation. Basically, in heat recovery Ventilation Systems NZ you will find two fans. One of those fans draws in air from the outside while the other removes the stall air in the room.

In most home, there is air to air heat exchanger which is mostly positioned in the roof space. This exchanger recovers heat from internal air before discharging it to the outside environment. This same system warms air coming to the room, using the heat recovered from the outgoing air. Here below are some of things you can do to increase the efficiency of these systems and reduce the power bills:

Go For Counter Flow System:

Home Ventilation Systems can be counter-flow or cross-flow. In the counter flow system, airflow enters air exchanger system from the opposite directions and the design is more efficiency. In most counter flow systems, the rate of efficiency is between 70% and 90%. In the cross flow exchanger systems, the airflow enter the system at right angles.

In terms of efficiency, cross flow systems rank lower than the counter flow systems at between 50% and 70% efficiency. Important to note is that the HRV System is not a home heating system. However, it can recover between 70% and 90% of heat within the exhaust air before being discharged to the outside.

Upgrade To Energy Star Systems:

The Modern HRV systems are energy star compliant and are designed to operate under low energy. If you still use the old HRV systems, discuss with your contractor how you can upgrade these systems to the modern ones. In addition to being energy efficient, the modern heat recovery ventilation systems are mostly noise free and some others have décor which can be integrated to the existing design in your home. You can get quotes from several HRV contractors in NZ, compare their rates and choose one which suits your budget and needs.

Insulate Your Home:

By insulating your home so as to prevent unnecessary losses of heat, you can improve the performance of the HRV systems. The material or type of insulation will determine how you have to depend on ventilation in buildings. If every opening in the house is sealed, you have no option but to rely on these systems otherwise you may suffocate therein. The level of insulation in most cases is dependent on the climatic conditions in your area. If the temperatures are generally too cold, then total insulation is required and you may have no much freedom in customizing or modifying the way in which the HRV system operates.

How To Get It Right When Negotiating Contract With Commercial HVAC Companies

For the maintenance and repair the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in your home, you have to negotiate contract with a commercial hvac service provider. Although some companies have standard contracts which customers should either accept or reject, meaning there are no negotiation on terms, you need to ensure that you sign contract favorable to you. Some of the standard contracts are mostly drawn in favour of the company and are generally not fair to the customer.

So, how do you negotiate good contract with local hvac companies?

Review service contracts for at least 3 hvac companies:

The nature and range of services offered by HVAC companies varies. The terms of service thus vary from one company to other. Thus, you stand to get and negotiate better deals if you get quotes from several companies, compare what they offer, their charges, insurance, exemption from liability, the exact services they offer to you, and such related factors.

1. Involve your attorney:

While some commercial HVAC companies provide a detailed and lengthy contract for you to sign, others will provide a single page agreement. Whichever length, a contract is binding in law so you need to know its legal effects especially in terms of your obligations and duties and those of the company. While the document may seem simple to you, a legal attorney can help clarify some issues which may not be clear to you. Take the offers to your attorney and discuss with him before you choose the company to work on your HVAC systems.

2. Do not negotiate on price only:

For most people, once you get the service at the right price, that’s all. Many hvac companies offer annual service contracts. For this reason, they want you to sign a contract of service for period of 12 months. While some think that this is costly, hiring one time service for commercial hvac repair company may be costlier than engaging the company on an annual service contract. Discuss with your attorney and evaluate the benefits vis a vis the cost and then determine whether the annual contracts is the cheaper option for you.

3. Do not negotiate on price only:

For most people, once you get the service at the right price, that’s all. Many hvac companies offer annual service contracts. For this reason, they want you to sign a contract of service for period of 12 months. While some think that this is costly, hiring one time service for commercial hvac repair company may be costlier than engaging the company on an annual service contract. Discuss with your attorney and evaluate the benefits vis a vis the cost and then determine whether the annual contracts is the cheaper option for you.

A Quick Guide on How To Size, Duct And Maintain The HRV Ventilation System In Your Home

Heat recovery and ventilation ensures your home we properly ventilated all the seasons. If you are a new homeowner, you may not know how to size, duct and maintain the HRV system in your home. The building code in NZ requires that a building should have ventilation from the fresh outdoor air. You must choose HRV system of the right system so as to comply with the building code. How do you determine the require ventilation system size? First, you must calculate internal volume of the place that needs ventilation then multiply by the minimum volume change of air per second.

Ducting:

Ducting should allow the resistance of flow of air. You should choose the largest size duct. Larger ducting diameter means better performance of the flow of air and lower noise of the airflow. The average size of duct is 200 mm. in most homes, this size of duct should be used, but you may reduce the size of diameter to between 100mm and 150 mm to the grilles or celling vents if needed. Just as an example, the ceiling vent of 100mm may supply adequate fresh air to a room measuring 40 m3 internal volume. For the larger rooms, both the supply and exhaust grilles or ceiling vents should have 150 mm diameter. In the alternative, you can use two or even more ducts of 100mm diameter.

The ducting should have the following features –

• Have as smooth as possible internal surfaces so as to minimize the resistance to airflow.

• Have as few bends as possible.

• Where bends cannot be avoided, let them have the largest diameter possible.

• Not have tight bends since this may cause resistance to airflow.

• Be insulated so as to reduce loss of heat and noise.

Maintenance:

The HRV system should be served every day. There is no point of installing high quality heat recovery ventilator system if you cannot take steps to maintain it. You should hire professional HRV contractor or service provider to maintain the system. In addition, you also need to do the following –

• Change and replace the air filters after every 6 to 12 months.

• Clean the outside screes and hoods most probably after every 12 months.

• Ensure heat exchange units is cleaned after 12 or 24 months.

• After every 12 months, clean condensate pans and drain so as to remove fungi, bacteria and could.

Important advice:

Deciding on the sizing and ducting is not an easy task so you need a professional heating company to the job. Also, the maintenance practice is not a DIY task. If you attempt some repairs, you may end up doing more damage than good. Always deal with a registered ventilation system systems installer in Auckland.