
It is necessary to have balanced air flows in an ERV. The volume of
air brought in from the outside must equal the volume of air
exhausted by the unit. If the air flows are not properly balanced,
then;
• The ERV may not operate at its maximum efficiency
• A negative or positive air pressure may occur in the house
• The unit may not defrost properly
• Failure to balance ERV properly may void warranty
Excessive positive pressure may drive moist indoor air into the
external walls of the building where it may condense
(in cold weather) and degrade structural components. May also
cause key holes to freeze up.
Excessive negative pressure may have several undesirable effects.
In some geographic locations, soil gases such as methane and
radon gas may be drawn into the home through basement/ground
contact areas. Excessive negative pressure may also cause the
backdrafting of vented combustion equipment.
Prior to balancing, ensure that:
1. All sealing of the ductwork system has been completed.
2. All of the ERV's components are in place and functioning
properly.
3. Balancing dampers are fully open.
4. Unit is on HI H speed.
5. Air flows in branch lines to specific areas of the house should be
adjusted first prior to balancing the unit. A smoke pencil used at
the grilles is a good indicator of each branch line's relative air
flow.
6. After taking readings of both the stale air to the ERV duct and
fresh air to the house duct, the duct with the lower CFM ([L/s]
velocity) reading should be left alone, while the duct with the
higher reading should be dampered back to match the lower
reading.
7. Return unit to appropriate fan speed for normal operation
Balancing Procedure
The following is a method of field balancing an ERV using a Pitot
tube, advantageous in situations when flow stations are not installed
in the ductwork. Procedure should be performed with the ERV on
high speed.
The first step is to operate all mechanical systems on high speed,
which have an influence on the ventilation system, i.e. the ERV itself
and the forced air furnace or air handler if applicable. This will
provide the maximum pressure that the ERV will need to overcome,
and allow for a more accurate balance of the unit.
Drill a small hole in the duct (about 3/16"), three feet downstream of
any elbows or bends, and one foot upstream of any elbows or
bends. These are recommended distances but the actual installation
may limit the amount of straight duct.
The Pitot tube should be connected to a magnehelic gauge or other
manometer capable of reading from 0 to 0.25 in. (0-62 Pa) of water,
preferably to 3 digits of resolution. The tube coming out of the top of
the pitot is connected to the high pressure side of the gauge. The
tube coming out of the side of the pitot is connected to the low
pressure or reference side of the gauge.
Insert the Pitot tube into the duct; pointing the tip into the airflow.
For general balancing it is sufficient to move the pitot tube around in
the duct and take an average or typical reading. Repeat this
procedure in the other (supply or return) duct. Determine which duct
has the highest airflow (highest reading on the gauge). Then
damper that airflow back to match the lower reading from the other
duct. The flows should now be balanced. Actual airflow can be
determined from the gauge reading. The value read on the gauge is
called the velocity pressure. The Pitot tube comes with a chart that
will give the air flow velocity based on the velocity pressure
indicated by the gauge. This velocity will be in either feet per minute
or meters per second. To determine the actual airflow, the velocity is
multiplied by the cross sectional area of the duct being measured.
This is an example for determining the airflow in a 6" duct.
The Pitot tube reading was 0.025 inches of water.
From the chart, this is 640 feet per minute.
The 6" duct has a cross sectional area of = [3.14 x (6"÷12)2]÷4
= 0.2 square feet
The airflow is then:
640 ft./min. X 0.2 square feet = 128 cfm
For your convenience, the cross sectional area of some common
round duct is listed below:
DUCT DIAM. (inches) CROSS SECTION AREA (sq. ft.)
5 0.14
6 0.20
7 0.27
The accuracy of the air flow reading will be affected by how close to
any elbows or bends the readings are taken. Accuracy can be
increased by taking an average of multiple readings as outlined in
the literature supplied with the Pitot tube.
MAGNEHELIC
DUCT
AIR FLOW
Pitot tube
Magnehelic gauge
Pitot tube and gauge
Pitot Tube Air Flow Balancing Kit
c/w magnehelic gauge, Pitot tube, hose and
carry case.
PART NO. 99-167
Place pitot tube a minimum of 18" from blower or elbows
Note: Duct connections may vary,
depending on model.
Outdoors
MAGNEHELIC
Magnehelic
gauge
Pitot
tube
MAGNEHELIC
Magnehelic
gauge
Pitot
tube
Balancing
Damper
Balancing
Damper
Measure Exhaust Air from Building Measure Supply Air to Building
TI-74-2C
0105
Balancing the ERV Pitot Tube Airflow Balancing
17