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Choose a whole-house ventilation system

Airtight, efficient houses need planned fresh air. The type of system should match your climate to avoid moisture damage.

How

1. Understand the four types DOE describes: exhaust, supply, balanced and energy recovery.
2. Exhaust-only suits cold climates but can pull moist air into walls in hot humid ones, and can draw in radon and flue gases.
3. Supply-only suits hot or mixed climates but can push moist air into walls in cold ones.
4. Balanced systems with heat recovery (HRV) or heat and moisture recovery (ERV) recover roughly 70 to 80% of exhaust energy and work in all climates, but use fan power that may outweigh savings in mild climates.
5. In cold climates, specify frost protection for the HRV or ERV.
6. Never let an exhaust fan depressurise a room with an open-combustion appliance.

Safety: Depressurising a house with a wood stove or gas appliance can pull exhaust gases back indoors.

Do these first

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Sources

1. Whole-House Ventilation. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver, accessed 2026-11

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