Next month, Small Planet Supply is hosting a webinar featuring our own Eric Fenno, discussing the difference between centralized and decentralized heat recovery ventilator systems and what to consider when deciding which type of system is best for your home or build.  This is the first time that we’ve offered this webinar.  We wanted to know more about the webinar and what will be covered, so we sat down with Eric Fenno to learn more about what he has planned.

This January marked the eleventh year Small Planet Supply has been selling Zehnder HRV and ERV systems in the western USA and Canada.  Since then, we’ve sold thousands of systems to homeowners and multi-family builders.  In honor of our eleven years of selling these amazing Zehnder systems here’s eleven reasons why we love Zehnder HRV and ERV systems and why they are a good choice for your home or project.

A Zehnder system is an investment in your home and your family's health. Did you know that some homeowners don't get their systems commissioned and (unbelievably) some homeowners haven't turned their systems on?

After all the work that has gone into designing and installing a system that will provide fresh air to your home, commissioning is the final step to make sure that air flow in your home is happening exactly as designed. Our new USA commissioning agent, Sarah Nuamah, has written a brief blog post about what you can expect in the commissioning product and we provide an introduction to Sarah.

With all the emphasis on the importance of designing energy-efficient buildings, it can sometimes get lost that there also needs to be a qualified workforce to build them.  There can also be the assumption that this can only be done at the post-secondary level.  Rancho Cielo’s building construction academy in Salinas, California demonstrates that solid construction skills can be taught to even younger participants.  Rancho Cielo Construction Academy is one of several vocational programs run by Rancho Cielo. Participants in the program range from ages 16-24 years of age.

Next month, Small Planet Supply will be hosting a webinar with Zehnder America’s Szabi Fekete.  In his role providing quotes and sales support to customers, Szabi has been able increase his already substantial knowledge of Zehnder systems that he had gained in his nine years as a service and commissioning agent.  Small Planet Supply’s past Zehnder webinars have been popular but often focused on the same theme.  Szabi’s presentation next month will be focused on indoor air quality and air quality standards.   We sat down with him to learn more what he has planned. 

Indoor air quality is a critical aspect of a healthy living environment. In recent years, more attention has been given to the importance of proper ventilation in homes, buildings, and offices. One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is to install a heat recovery ventilator (HRV). HRVs are designed to bring in fresh air while also conserving energy and reducing moisture buildup. Zehnder, a leading manufacturer of ventilation systems, has made it their mission to make the use of HRVs easy for everyone.

In our last blog post about California’s Title 24, we outlined how the new mandatory building code energy credits system works, and how a recovery ventilator can give a massive boost to EDR credits. California’s Title 24 requirements continue to call for improvements to a new building’s energy usage, and we’re back with more data further prove that best-in-class recovery ventilators are the way to go for efficiency, comfort, and meeting regulations. Based on tests done by Build Smart Group and Luke Morton, Mortan Building Group, the following findings display just how beneficial any Recovery Ventilator can be, and especially so for best-in-class, such as the Zehnder systems carried by Small Planet Supply.

Recently our Zehnder Commissioning Agent Steve Lamberg reported an issue at some of his customer maintenance calls: Zehnder units not getting any supply air because the exterior ports were clogged. Dust builds up on the metal grill, then there is some moisture, and the result is a paste that prevents supply air from getting in.

While this may not be an issue for some of our customers, we wanted to ensure that all Zehnder owners are aware of this maintenance step and check their outside ports, especially the supply ports, as part of their usual seasonal maintenance. If you check your exterior ports and they are dirty or clogged, here is what to do.

From the moment outside air enters the system, a Zehnder system (and its filters) are designed to keep air contaminants from entering your home, while efficiently recovering heat (or cooling) from the air exiting your home.

Do you know every level of filtration available to you for your Zehnder recovery ventilator? If you’ve recently installed one of these units, or purchased a house that included one already, you hopefully know of (and are changing) at least the in-unit filters. These two filters, one for supply and one for return air, do the brunt of the filtration work to keep your unit running efficiently and delivering the cleanest air, but there are a few other filters that complement the system.

Zehnder HRV and ERV systems are the highest quality HRV and ERV systems you can choose for your own home or designs. Small Planet Supply has sold and supported more systems than any other dealer in North America. If you are wondering why you should choose a Zehnder HRV, here are our five top reasons:

Last month, in part one of a two-part series, we discussed how Zehnder owners in smoke impacted areas managed their Zehnder Comfosystems during the summer’s wildfires. In the second part of this series we’ll talk about things to consider when preparing for a wildfire event. First, let’s talk about some basics.

Zehnder HRV and ERV Function Refresher

Zehnder Comfosystems bring fresh air into buildings to provide healthy ventilation for occupants. The typical ventilation design is based on 0.3 ACH, or one complete air change of the living space every three hours. Having an HRV or ERV is crucial to ventilate today’s modern buildings because they are designed to be built tight and reduce the air leakage from building defects like cracks and voids, while moving the fresh air intake to intentional clean filtered supply intakes.

This summer the Western USA was heavily impacted by wildfire smoke. In late September we sent out a survey to our customers in smoke affected states to find out how they felt their system performed during the wildfires and what steps they took to ensure their system was prepared for operating in fire system. In a subsequent article we’ll feature recommendations received from Zehnder regarding best practices in wildfire/extreme smoke situations.