A buyer searching for ERV is usually trying to stop a bad substitute. HVAC equipment is specified by capacity at a stated condition, the refrigerant or fuel, the air or water flow, and the noise. The notes below are selection criteria for an ERV. They are not a catalog promise. Confirm every rating on the current datasheet, drawing, or test report for the revision you will receive.
What has to be true of ERV
HVAC equipment is specified by capacity at a stated condition, the refrigerant or fuel, the air or water flow, and the noise. For an ERV, start from the duty, then the interface to the rest of the machine or the room, then the document that proves the claim. A lower price that leaves one of those blank is a different product.
ERV is easy to confuse with Pre Filter. If the quote could be read as either, add the line that separates them: the rating, the fitment, or the standard named below. Link the drawing number to that line so receiving inspection can reject the wrong one.
Numbers that change the quote
| Line | What to write for ERV |
|---|---|
| Electrical | Voltage, phases, and the starting method. |
| Refrigerant or fuel | The fluid, as the market allows. Handling it is a licensed job, not a note on this page. |
| Installation | Split, packaged, or a terminal unit, and the clearance. |
| Noise | The sound figure at a stated distance. |
| Capacity | Cooling or heating at the outdoor and indoor condition, not only a nominal ton. |
| Air or water | Airflow or water flow and the pressure drop. |
How to compare two offers
Lay both quotes for ERV on one sheet and line up electrical, refrigerant or fuel, and installation. If a cell is empty, the offer is not finished. Ask for the missing line in writing. When those match, the honest difference is lead time, the test evidence, and who carries the warranty. Do not average a fully specified ERV with a cheaper line that omitted electrical.
Documents worth having before the deposit
Ask for the capacity at the design outdoor temperature. The file should name ERV and the revision, not only the supplier’s homepage. A factory quality certificate such as ISO 9001 can sit beside that file. It does not replace it.
Failures that show up after delivery
- Buying nominal tons and discovering the derate on a hot day.
- Ignoring duct or pipe pressure drop.
- Treating refrigerant work as a purchasing checkbox.
On an ERV, the expensive version of the first mistake is discovering it after the goods are in the crate. Put the rejection condition in the purchase order while the supplier can still restate the offer.
A worked RFQ line
Use this shape, then replace the brackets with your duty: “ERV — State capacity at a condition, airflow or water flow, electrical supply, and noise.” That sentence is a template, not a rating of any brand. If a supplier’s datasheet uses different units, convert them onto this sheet so the next offer can be compared.
Where words like explosion-proof / ATEX belong
Searches often add a constraint to ERV: explosion-proof / ATEX, or stainless / corrosion. Keep those on this page. ATEX or IECEx is a certificate for a zone, a gas or dust group, and a temperature class. An IP rating does not grant it. Skip the mark if the site is not hazardous. Name the alloy or the coating and the chemical it must survive. Stainless is a family, not a guarantee. If you need a third constraint, add it as another line on the same drawing. A second URL that only swaps the adjective does not give a buyer a second fact.
Related in this section: how to specify Pre Filter.
Questions buyers actually ask
What should an RFQ for ERV include?
State capacity at a condition, airflow or water flow, electrical supply, and noise.
Is a cheaper ERV the same part?
Only if electrical, refrigerant or fuel, and the documents match. A missing line is a different offer.
Do waterproof, OEM, or IP words need their own page?
No. For ERV they are extra lines on this specification. Ask for the test or the drawing that gives the word a value.