In Calgary I'm told it's code for new homes that are R2000 to have an HRV. The problem with new homes is that they are so energy efficient that there isn't the same air turnover that older homes have.
Having said that, I had big problems in my old house too, I thought moving to a new home would solve the problem but it didn't.
Like Doug said, it's not about cost recovery - it's about mitigating energy costs of heating replaced air while solving an excessive humidity situation. Sure, like I said it was a heavy handed solution just to install it "just for an aquarium" but if you're facing getting rid of the tanks because of mildew formation, it wasn't unreasonable. And like I said (or thought I did), the benefits of having an HRV outweigh other things so it's a nice thing to have.
Doug - well it is sort of on 24/7 but it doesn't run continuously. It's on for 20 minutes, then off for 40.
Greg do you run your furnace on 24/7? Because people who do that tend to not notice humidity problems. I tried running my furnace 24/7 and it solved the problem but I had a rather unpleasant surprise when I read my next month's bill. The HRV is a way better solution for me.
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-- Tony
My next hobby will be flooding my basement while repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall and tearing up $100 bills. Whee!
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