A Cleanaire Heat Recovery Ventilator will CONTINUOUSLY:

• Remove condensation and reduce humidity • Exhaust stale, humid, polluted air • Replace stale air with filtered dry, warm outdoor air • Transfer waste exhaust heat to incoming fresh air • Help to create a more even temperature throughout your home         • Save up to 15 times more energy than it costs to run • Reduce greenhouse gas emmisions by recycling energy

Healthy Homes Need Efficient, Controlled, Ventilation
 

The Building Code specifies ventilation requirements.

Effective vapour barriers, window and door seals make a modem home virtually airtight, retaining indoor heat and meeting energy efficiency standards.

Unless ventilated, indoor humidity and stale air rapidly increase.

Excessive humidity causes condensation, mould, and mildew, which slowly but surely destroys surface finishes and furnishings.

Stale air contains pollutants and irritants which activate allergies, cause tiredness, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. A warm, humid, stale atmosphere encourages the spread of winter viruses between occupants.

Stale air contains carbon-dioxide (CO2) which results from the simple act of people breathing. Excessive CO2 is poisonous to humans, causing drowsiness, tired eyes, and irritability.
 

"Just the thought of breathing stale air, expelled by other occupants, is a good reason to ensure adequate ventilation of your home"

 

The introduction of the Building Regulations 1992, ensured a market for home ventilation products because the Building Code demand "tight homes" but its answer to home ventilation remained "opening windows."

Open windows mean insecurity and energy losses.

Therefore homes do not get ventilated, indoor moisture accumulates, unhealthy IAQ results, and structural damage occurs.

New Zealand Standard (NZS4303) "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality"  requires a minimum ventilation rate of .35ACH (Air Changes per Hour) - i.e. a complete air change every 3 hours.  This can be achieved by opening windows or mechanical ventilation.  Opening windows are often not practical and can be a security concern.

We recommend researching further before building your new home - the following references to "Build" - published by BRANZ (Building Research Association of NZ), include dozens of articles & horror stories on IAQ (indoor air quality) and moisture in homes.

Some major areas of home construction today only have to meet durability time (lifetime) of 5, 10 or 15 years!  The days of the 100 year home are numbered.  Structural durability is not an area of our expertise, but what we see, time and time again is failed durability due to totally inadequate ventilation design.

There has been increasing awareness of water and moisture problems in homes - leaking homes, weatherproofing, excess indoor moisture due to poor ventilation, sick homes, dust mites, humidity and occupant health etc.

These articles are NZ research and reporting, by the NZ building industry, on current problems in the NZ building industry……. Its your money they are spending.

The full indexed list is on http://www.branz.org.nz,   to read the articles you need to visit your local library or they are available as back issues from BRANZ. We recommend that if you are building a new home, you research at least some of these articles ---- here are some we consider  "essential reading" ----

BUILD Magazine

Date of Issue	Article	Page
Apr-May 96	Moisture as a pollutant	30
Feb-Mar 97	Energy efficiency standards available	43
May-Jun 98	Keeping indoor contaminants under control	28
May-Jun 98	Dust mites and asthma	32
May-Jun 98	Waterleak and mould	35
Jul-Aug 98	Trapped moisture and rotten timber
Mar-Apr 99	WHAT HARM CAN A LITTLE MOISTURE DO? (major article)	24
Mar-Apr 99	Designing to prevent mould	28
Mar-Apr 99	Dust mites moisture and asthma	30
Mar-Apr 99	Moisture meters	31
Mar-Apr 99	Condensation on windows	36
Mar-Apr 99	Watertight research	37
Mar-Apr 99	Keep the weather out with wall claddings	39
Mar-Apr 99	Wet floors	41
Mar-Apr 99	Minor faults - Major repairs	45
Mar-Apr 99	Fungal decay of timber	47
Mar-Apr 99	Insulation effectiveness	45
Mar-Apr 99	Focus on indoor environment and research	62
Mar-Apr 99	Top priority issues are moisture problems and the effects of indoor environments on health	63
May-Jun 99	DRY ROT HORRORS (caused by leaks and poor ventilation)	20-23
May-Jun 99	DOWN LIGHTS (let moisture into roofs and cause condensation)	15-16
Jul-Aug 00	Weather tightness forum - the problem has deep symptoms	58
Jul-Aug 00	Leaking buildings targeted	59
Jul-Aug 00	MOULD MOULD - effects of mould	10
Sep-Oct 00	Moisture problem locations	36
Jan-Feb 01	Leaking buildings	18

BRANZ also publish hundreds of 'BULLETINS' that offer expert advice on almost every kind of home building problem.
See www.branz.co.nz for more info.

UNCONTROLLED MOISTURE DAMAGE IN MODERN HOMES
IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.