The Smart Way to Ventilate: Fresh-r Decentralized HRV Systems for New and Retrofit Homes

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The Smart Way to Ventilate: Fresh-r Decentralized HRV Systems for New and Retrofit Homes

In today’s homes, airtight construction is the key to energy efficiency, but it also presents a challenge: how do you ensure fresh, healthy air without losing heat? The answer is Fresh-r, an advanced decentralized heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system that provides continuous fresh air while keeping energy loss to a minimum. Whether you’re designing a new home or upgrading an existing one, Fresh-r is an easy-to-install, high-performance solution that enhances indoor air quality without the complexity of traditional ducted systems.

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The Importance of Maintaining and Cleaning Your Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation System (and How to Do It)

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The Importance of Maintaining and Cleaning Your Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation System (and How to Do It)

Maintaining a clean and efficient Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilation system is crucial for ensuring its longevity and optimal performance. While Zehnder systems are designed to require minimal maintenance, there are a few essential tasks that homeowners should regularly perform. This blog post outlines the key maintenance steps to keep your Zehnder system running smoothly, including: changing filters, checking for blockages, cleaning the core, and maintaining the housing.

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A Fresh Take on Fresh-r: Unpacking the Latest Innovations and Advantages of these Decentralized Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems

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A Fresh Take on Fresh-r: Unpacking the Latest Innovations and Advantages of these Decentralized Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems

On June 13th, Small Planet Supply will be hosting a Fresh-r webinar.  This session will include Fresh-r’s Philip Bredt as well as Josh Salinger, with Birdsmouth Construction, who will talk about his experience with installing and using a Fresh-r system in his home. Fresh-r has also introduced a new product called the Compac.  To learn more about this product we interviewed Anas Patel, Project Manager with Small Planet Supply Canada, who has great familiarity with Fresh-r Heat Recovery Ventilators 

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Clearing the Air: Choosing Between Centralized and De-Centralized HRVs

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Clearing the Air: Choosing Between Centralized and De-Centralized HRVs

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.

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Indoor Air Quality During the Holiday Season

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Indoor Air Quality During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a busy time of activities and excitement as families and friends come together to celebrate. Amidst the merriment, it's easy to overlook a crucial aspect of our surroundings—indoor air quality (IAQ). As you decorate your home and prepare holiday meals, potentially unidentified air quality issues that may catch you by surprise. In this blog post, Small Planet Supply delves into the indoor air quality challenges that the holiday season presents and offer actionable solutions to ensure fresher air for you, your family, and your guests.

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UL-CSA Certification Process Completion Means Fresh-r Now for USA and Canada

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UL-CSA Certification Process Completion Means Fresh-r Now for USA and Canada

Remember last year, when Small Planet Supply introduced Fresh-r? We were so excited to offer this amazing decentralized HRV system to our customers. This innovative heat recovery ventilation system, built in the Netherlands, was a perfect choice for new and retrofit applications, as well as for Small Planet Supply. Fresh-r had already been certified in Europe and the Fresh-r team were ready to start the UL - CA Certification process and have the first units to the USA as soon as the process was completed.

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California's Title 24, The Recovery Ventilator, and You

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California's Title 24, The Recovery Ventilator, and You

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.

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Zehnder: Exterior Maintenance Keeps Clean Air Flowing

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Zehnder: Exterior Maintenance Keeps Clean Air Flowing

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.

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Zehnder ComfoAir 70 Lets You Breathe Easier in a Smaller Space

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Zehnder ComfoAir 70 Lets You Breathe Easier in a Smaller Space

Do you hear that? Come a little closer and quiet down. Now do you hear it? That’s the sound of a Zehnder ComfoAir 70 (CA 70) providing fresh air to your studio apartment, your home office, or small workout space. Perhaps you’re more familiar with the (almost no) sound of a Zehnder system in a larger home, regardless the end goal is the same; To remove stale used up air from your living space and replace it with fresh filtered air while recovering the heat from exhausted air. Wondering how you can achieve this feat in your own small space without convoluted ducting and having to tear out drywall? Perhaps your building a new tiny home and need a way to ventilate while conserving heat? Read on to find out what benefits the ComfoAir 70 can breathe into your space.

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HRVs and How They Help Achieve California's Title 24 Code Compliance

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HRVs and How They Help Achieve California's Title 24 Code Compliance

When building a new home in California this year, builders may come up against some new items in the building code that may be unfamiliar. Notably, the requirements for mechanical ventilation using heat recovery ventilators or HRVs. These systems go hand in hand with the improved airtightness measures that are being called for and will also affect the building’s energy design rating significantly.

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Air is the New Water

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Air is the New Water

Remember the good old days when you could drink water from a stream? You don’t? Neither do I! Anyone who has any familiarity with drinking water contamination knows that just because the water in a stream may look crystal clear, there can be all sorts of bacteria, viruses and other contaminants that can cause illness. So why is it taking so long to recognize that we need to be concerned about the air we breathe and have a plan for ensuring our buildings provide clean, fresh air?

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New Zehnder Q and ComfoPost Arrive Right on Cue for New West Vancouver Passive House

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New Zehnder Q and ComfoPost Arrive Right on Cue for New West Vancouver Passive House

Last Tuesday, Small Planet Supply’s Albert Rooks met with Shawn Barr of Naikoon Construction to complete the final commissioning of the first Zehnder ComfoAir Q and ComfoPost in North America at the Radcliffe Passive House in West Vancouver.

The installation of the new Q system wasn’t an accident. Radcliffe Passive House owner James Dean was aware that the Q would soon be released in North America and wanted it installed in his new home since it represents a whole new level of heat recovery ventilation. 

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