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Fireplace heat
exchangers
Install a fireplace with
a heat exchanger.
Heat exchangers can
increase the heating performance by five to 10 percent, according to
the U.S. Department of Energy. However, exchangers must be added to
the unit during its initial installment.
The system uses a fan to heat the air by pushing it through hot
tubes. The tubes allow the air to continue circulation instead of
relying on natural convection. Heat exchangers also require frequent
cleaning. Soot accumulating in the tubes affects the system's
performance.
Building new homes with heat exchangers, increase ventilation
New homes, additions and even remodeling
projects are built far more airtight than they used to be. Building
a tight home to today's standards can cut the overall heat loss by
25 to 50%. This is progress; a tight house is more comfortable,
because it is less drafty, and less expensive to heat, because the
heat you pay for stays in the house longer. However, a tightly
constructed home needs mechanical ventilation to keep the air inside
fresh and prevent the build-up of indoor air pollutants such as
excess moisture, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and various volatile
organic compounds found in building materials, paints, furnishings,
cleaning products and smoke. The heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is
designed to provide continuous or timed ventilation throughout a
home, and recover the heat carried in the exhausted stale air.
The ventilation rate of a traditionally leaky, drafty home is
determined by the weather; the outdoor temperature dives stack
effect in the home, and the wind just plain blows right through! The
colder and windier it gets, the better ventilated your house is.
When you build a tight home with a high-quality ventilation system,
you control the ventilation rate. Complaints you may have heard
about stuffiness and moisture problems in tight houses come from
houses where the builder did not install a ventilation system
commensurate with the quality of the house, or the system is not
being controlled properly. HRVs can be retrofit in most existing
homes, but a blower door test (check with your electric utility or
heating contractor) should be performed first. HRVs are generally
only used in homes which require mechanical ventilation, usually
homes with a natural ventilation rate of less than .35 ACH.
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