Most homes built in BC over the past couple of decades have an HRV or ERV — a ventilation unit that runs more hours per year than almost any other appliance in the home, and gets serviced less than any of them. When filters load up and the core coats with dust, the unit keeps running but moves less and less air. The home gets stuffier, windows condensate more, and the energy recovery the unit was designed for quietly disappears.
A proper service goes well beyond rinsing the filters. We open the unit fully: filters cleaned or replaced, the heat-exchange core removed and washed, fan wheels cleaned (a thin coat of dust on fan blades measurably cuts airflow), the condensate pan and drain checked, and the exterior intake and exhaust hoods cleared — bird nests and lint mats at the hoods are more common than you’d think. Where the connected ducting is accessible, it gets cleaned too.
Condos and building-wide HRV programs
In newer condo buildings, each suite often has its own compact HRV — hundreds of identical units on one roof-to-suite ventilation design, most untouched since occupancy. We service these suite by suite as part of coordinated building programs, pairing naturally with bathroom exhaust and dryer exhaust service in the same visit.
After service you’ll know the unit runs at proper airflow, and when it should be looked at next — typically a filter check every three to six months and a full service annually.