Energy Recovery Ventilator
13
®
Removal of Dust and Dirt
The fan motor and wheel(s) should be checked for
dust and dirt accumulation. Dirt buildup clogs cooling
openings on the motor housing and causes motor
overheating. Dirt buildup can contaminate bearing
lubricant and collect on fan wheel blades causing loss
of performance or premature failure. Cleaning can be
accomplished by brushing off any dust that may have
accumulated. Under no circumstances should motors or
bearings be sprayed with steam or water. Even filtered
units can accumulate build up and should be checked
when cleaning filters.
Maintenance to these components is achieved through
the provided access panels.
Internal Filter Maintenance
Opening the access
panels labeled “Filter
Access” provides
access to the one inch
deep, pleated 30%
efficient filters. These filters should be checked regularly
and cleaned or replaced as needed.
Energy Wheel
Annual inspection of the energy recovery wheel is
recommended. MiniVent units ventilating smoking
lounges and other non-clean air spaces should have
energy recovery wheel inspections more often based
upon need.
Accessing the Energy Recovery Wheel
Disconnect power to the MiniVent. Remove access
panel labeled “Energy Wheel Cassette Access”.
Unplug
the wheel drive motor. Pull the cassette halfway out.
Removing the Energy Recovery Wheel
First, remove the drive belt and the collars on both
bearings. On the pulley side of the cassette remove the
four (4) fasteners that hold the bearing support channel
in place. Once the bearing support is removed the
wheel can be pulled from the cassette. To replace the
wheel reverse this procedure.
Recommended Cleaning Procedure
First, remove the energy recovery wheel by following the
instructions on this page.
Wash the segments or small wheels with a non-acid
based (evaporator) coil cleaner or alkaline detergent
solution, such as 409™ or Fantastik™. Non-acid based
coil cleaner such as KMP Acti-Clean AK-1 concentrate
in a 5% solution has been demonstrated to provide
excellent results. Do not use acid based cleaners,
aromatic solvents, temperatures in excess of 140ºF or
steam; damage to the wheel may result. Soak in the
cleaning solution until dirt, grease, and/or tar deposits
are loosened. Internal heat exchange surfaces may be
examined by separating the polymer strips by hand.
Note:
Some staining of the desiccant may remain and is
not harmful to performance.
MiniVent
Internal
Filter Size
Quantity
450
14 x 20
2
750
16 x 20
2
After soaking, rinse the dirty solution from the wheel
until the water runs clear. Allow excess water to drain
from the media prior to reinstalling the wheel in the
cassette. A small amount of water remaining in the
wheel will be dried out by the airflow.
Frequency of Cleaning
A regular cleaning cycle must be established for the
energy recovery wheel in order to maintain optimum
sensible and latent energy transfer. In reasonably clean
environments such as schools, offices or retail stores,
the energy recovery wheel should be inspected annually
and cleaned as needed.
For applications experiencing unusually high levels
of tobacco smoke, such as lounges, nightclubs, bars
and restaurants, washing of the energy recovery wheel
every three months may be necessary to maintain latent
energy (water vapor) transfer efficiency.
Failure to follow a regular cleaning cycle for the energy
recovery wheel can result in significant energy transfer
performance losses.
Energy Recovery Wheel Belt Drive
Drive belt(s) should be inspected annually. Normal
operation eventually causes stretching or wear on the
belt(s). Once this occurs the belt(s) should be replaced.
Replacement or spare energy wheel drive belt kits are
available and ship with their own instructions. The serial
number and date code of the energy wheel cassette are
required to obtain the proper replacement belt kit from
the factory. The energy wheel serial number and date
code are located on a label above the drive pulley on
the energy wheel cassette.
