A bluish wall control in a Pine Beach hallway: what it really conceals
In a two-story residence in the Pine Beach area of Dorval, the only visible sign of an entire ventilation project is a 4-by-6-inch rectangle mounted on the hallway wall. The display shows ECO mode, a humidity setting of 20%, and a small stylized house. Behind this interface is an FANTECH HERO 150H air exchanger suspended in the basement, a complete rework of the ductwork, instrument-measured balancing, and a technical decision many homeowners overlook: the location of this control directly influences the unit's operation.
At AirGreen, we completed this project in one day, with two technicians. Here's how.
The starting point: a 1978 cottage and an end-of-life unit
The homeowners contacted us after two winters of fogged-up windows and persistent odors coming from the finished basement. The house is approximately 1,900 sq. ft. excluding the basement, with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room, and a finished basement. The original air exchanger, installed in the late 1990s, was still operating—but its core had become so dirty that it had turned into a restriction rather than a heat recovery unit, and its only three-position wall switch had been without a legible label for a long time.
The initial diagnosis focused on three things:
- Actual airflow: measured with a balometer, the effective output was around 45 CFM at high speed, far below the home's needs.
- Ductwork: two crushed flexible branches behind the basement bulkhead, uninsulated along the outdoor-air sections, with visible condensation in winter.
- Exterior caps: fresh-air intake and stale-air exhaust installed less than 1 m apart on the same facade—a configuration that recycles the exhausted air back toward the intake.
The room-by-room calculation, based on the method in the CSA F326 standard, indicated a total requirement of approximately 65 L/s, or nearly 138 CFM: 10 L/s for the primary bedroom, 5 L/s for each of the other habitable rooms and bathrooms, and 10 L/s for the basement. This figure determined the unit selection.
Why the FANTECH HERO 150H for this Dorval home
The HERO 150H covers a range of 36 to 150 CFM at 0.4 in. w.g.. With a calculated requirement of 138 CFM, the unit operates near the top of its range at maximum mode, but more importantly, it maintains a comfortable continuous flow of around 60 to 70 CFM without ever straining—that is precisely where real comfort is determined.
The features that weighed in the decision:
- Sensible recovery efficiency (SRE) of 81% at 0 °C, and 65% at -25 °C—figures that genuinely matter during a Montreal winter, when nights at -22 °C are not statistical exceptions.
- Counterflow core made of thermoformed polymer plates, more efficient than previous-generation cross-flow cores.
- Winterguard recirculation defrost, which activates below approximately -5 °C. Unlike defrosting by stopping the supply fan, this method maintains exhaust ventilation and prevents periods of house depressurization.
- 6 in. connections on top, with rubber gaskets—an real advantage in a mechanical room where overhead clearance is limited.
- HVI approval and ENERGY STAR certification (Canada), compliant with UL 1812, CSA C22.2 No. 113, and CSA F326.
- Maximum consumption of 180 W on a dedicated 120 V / 15 A circuit, with a 1.4 A current draw.
- Standard washable electrostatic interior filters, with the option to add MERV 8 or MERV 13 filtration on the supply side.
The unit weighs 52 lb with its core, requiring a substantial suspension system. We allowed 14 in. of front clearance for core removal—a detail homeowners thank us for respecting from the very first HVAC maintenance visit.
The ECO-Touch IAQ control: the system’s real brain
This is the visible element in the photo, and the one that most changes the day-to-day experience. FANTECH’s ECO-Touch IAQ control continuously monitors total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and relative humidity, then adjusts the unit’s speed automatically.
Three operating logics coexist on the display:
- ECO mode (automatic): the unit adjusts according to air-quality readings. This is the mode in which we leave the house 95% of the time.
- SPEED and MAX (manual): temporary increase, useful during cooking, a gathering, or after painting work.
- VENT / recirculation: switches between outdoor air intake and indoor air circulation.
We set the relative humidity setpoint to 20% for the cold season. This figure often surprises homeowners, who instinctively aim for 40%. In a Dorval house with original window frames, a 40% setpoint in January means condensation, followed by mold in the corners of the frames. We gradually raise the setpoint in spring.
Two RTS-W wireless timers were paired with the controller for the bathrooms: one press switches the unit to maximum speed for 20, 40, or 60 minutes, then returns it exactly to the programmed setting.
The detail no one mentions: where to place the controller
In this house, the only existing low-voltage wire terminated in an alcove in the corridor, directly above an electric baseboard heater. A humidity and TVOC sensor installed in a rising column of warm air consistently reads too warm and too dry—and an air exchanger that thinks the house is dry ventilates less than it should.
Our solution: keep the alcove to avoid opening up three walls, but mount the controller 1.45 m above the floor, about 60 cm above the baseboard and outside the direct plume. We then validated the readings for 48 hours with a calibrated hygrometer placed in the center of the corridor. The measured difference remained below 2% relative humidity, which was acceptable.
Locations to avoid for this type of controller:
- Above a heat source, without sufficient vertical clearance.
- In direct sunlight, behind a patio door.
- In the kitchen, where cooking TVOCs repeatedly trigger maximum cycles.
- Near an attached garage door, for the opposite reason.
- Less than 1.2 m above the floor, where readings become less representative.
How the work progressed, hour by hour
8 h — Removal of the old unit, removal of crushed flex ducts, and labeling of the retained runs.
9 h 30 — Suspension installation: chains and vibration-damping mounts secured to the structure, unit level, core withdrawal clearance verified.
11 a.m. — Ductwork reconfiguration. We converted the old simplified configuration (everything connected to the return) to a partially dedicated installation: dedicated rigid exhaust ducts from the two bathrooms, laundry room, and basement; fresh air supplied into the return plenum, more than 6 ft upstream of the air handler, with the central fan interlocked.
1:30 p.m. — Exterior. New 6-inch hoods with screens, relocated to achieve a 1.8 m separation between the fresh-air intake and the exhaust, and a height of 45 cm above the typical snow level. Continuous insulation on the outdoor-air sections, with a sealed vapor barrier.
3 p.m. — Condensate drain with a loop trap leading to the floor drain, power supply on a dedicated circuit, commissioning.
4 p.m. — Balancing. Final measurements: 142 CFM supply, 140 CFM exhaust at maximum speed, and 64 CFM in continuous operation. A difference of 2 CFM between the two flows is excellent; an imbalanced air exchanger puts the house under positive or negative pressure, with all the consequences one can imagine for combustion appliances and the building envelope.
17 h — Homeowner training on the controls, and delivery of the balancing report.
Mistakes to avoid with an air exchanger
- Replacing the unit without touching the ductwork. An HERO 150H connected to a crushed duct network delivers the same 45 CFM as the unit it replaces.
- Neglecting the balancing report. Without measurement, the installation is not complete; it is merely connected.
- Leaving the exterior hoods too close together. Exhaust air flows directly back into the fresh-air intake.
- Aiming for 40% relative humidity in January in a home built before the 1990s.
- Forgetting the interior filters. They should be washed every 3 months; the core should be rinsed once a year.
- Installing the unit without checking combustion appliances. In a home with a naturally vented water heater or fireplace, an imbalance can cause combustion gases to backdraft. We systematically perform a depressurization test before leaving the job site.
Grants: what actually applies in Quebec
The Rénoclimat program offers $500 for installing or replacing a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or energy recovery ventilator (ERV). Two conditions matter:
- The unit must appear in section 3 of the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) certified products directory. The HERO 150H is certified there.
- The assistance is conditional on improving the home's EnerGuide rating between the two assessments, before and after the work.
This second point deserves emphasis because it catches homeowners every year: an air exchanger installed on its own increases the home's energy consumption. Carried out in isolation, the project can therefore cause the improvement condition to fail and cancel eligibility. We recommend combining the installation with other work—attic insulation, air sealing, or heating-system replacement—and having the initial assessment performed before work begins.
Maintenance: the schedule we provide to every client
- Every 3 months: rinse the interior electrostatic filters with lukewarm water and dry them completely before reinstalling them.
- Once a year: remove and backwash the core, and inspect the drain and trap.
- Twice a year: check the grilles on the exterior hoods, especially in spring.
- Every 3 to 5 years: a new instrument-based airflow check. Networks shift, homeowners close registers, and needs change.
Why West Island homeowners entrust us with their ventilation
Dorval is part of an area where we work constantly. We recently replaced a first-generation air exchanger in Baie-D'Urfé, including a complete audit of the inherited network; took over installations in Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, and Lachine; and cover all of Greater Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, the North Shore, and the South Shore.
What sets our ventilation projects apart: airflow calculations before the quote, a measured balancing report at handover, and a team that treats ductwork as half the job—for good reason.
For an assessment of your ventilation, a replacement of your air exchanger, or a complete HVAC installation, our team responds quickly throughout Greater Montreal. Contact us at (514) 316-2973 or at sales@airgreen.ca — RBQ 5645-9605-01.