Lifebreath and Airia Brands
Lifebreath comes from Airia Brands Inc. of London, Ontario. The company began in 1982 as Nutech Energy Systems, became Airia Brands in 2008, and joined the Zehnder Group, a Swiss indoor climate company, in February 2022. Its focus has stayed narrow: heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) for homes and light commercial buildings, plus HEPA air cleaning. Lifebreath says its products are designed and built in an ISO 9001 certified plant in North America.
Lifebreath sells through wholesalers rather than to the public, so a Lifebreath in your basement most likely went in with the house or through a contractor. We service them and install new ones where they fit the house. Our ventilation service page covers ventilation work in general.
What's the difference between a Lifebreath HRV and ERV?
Lifebreath's HRVs use a metal core. Its own description is a patented aluminum core that passes heat from the outgoing stale air to the incoming fresh air, so the fresh air doesn't have to be fully reheated. Its ERVs use a non-metallic core that moves moisture as well as heat. In a Minnesota winter that difference decides which one a house needs.
A tight newer house that sweats on the windows in January usually wants an HRV, because trading humid indoor air for dry winter air pulls moisture out. A house that runs too dry, with static shocks and a humidifier working hard, may do better with an ERV, which holds some moisture back. Our ERV vs HRV guide walks through the choice.
The Lifebreath lineup
Lifebreath's residential HRVs come in three main families. The MAX Series includes the 155 MAX, 205 MAX and 267 MAX; the 155 MAX uses Lifebreath's patented HEX core, with door port balancing, adjustable dampers and a DXPL03 digital wall control. The RNC Series is the broadest, from the RNC 88 up through the RNC 205 PLUS and RNC6 models. The METRO 120 units are the compact option, with ECM versions of several models. On the ERV side, Lifebreath lists the METRO 120 ERV and ERVD, the 130 ERVD and 180 ERVD, the 267 MAX ERV, the MAX XTR and the RNC 110.
Lifebreath's residential listings use two defrost methods, a recirculating internal damper or supply fan shutdown, and they flag a few models as cold-weather certified. For a Minnesota house, that matters more than top airflow. When we quote a replacement, we size the airflow to the house and pick a unit built for the cold. If you're not sure which model you have, the name is on the unit's label; a photo when you book helps us bring the right filters.
How does a Lifebreath handle a Minnesota winter?
Lifebreath units cycle into defrost automatically when it drops below 27°F (-3°C), which here covers most of the winter. On a -20°F night defrost runs often, and a unit that isn't defrosting ices its core, loses airflow and can drip on the floor.
The core is the heart of the unit, and Lifebreath prints its maintenance instructions on a label inside, so we read that label before we pull the core to clean it. Filters get cleaned or replaced on the same visit.
Drains come next. Lifebreath says its units occasionally discharge condensation through their drains and send most moisture outdoors, so a dry drain isn't a problem. A drain line that runs through a cold space and freezes is. Outdoor hoods need clearing too: frost and drifted snow in January, cottonwood fluff on the intake screen in June.
Lifebreath also says continuous low speed is the most popular setting for homes. In a tight house, that's usually where we leave it after a service visit.
Summer near the lakes, and booking
July near Lake Minnetonka in Orono, or on the water in Forest Lake, brings dew points in the 60s and 70s. Lifebreath is plain that an HRV or ERV isn't a dehumidifier. Pulling in humid outdoor air on high speed makes the house damper, so we set the dehumidistat function so it isn't chasing summer humidity. A musty basement needs a whole-house dehumidifier or more AC run time.
A service call is a $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair, with a written price before we start. Installed air quality equipment runs $350–$2,800, with a new ventilator and its ducts toward the top of that range. Call 612-429-3465, 7am–9pm, seven days a week.
Lifebreath questions
Is Lifebreath the same company as Airia Brands?
Yes. Lifebreath is the brand of Airia Brands Inc. of London, Ontario. The company started in 1982 as Nutech Energy Systems, took the Airia Brands name in 2008, and has been part of Switzerland's Zehnder Group since February 2022. Lifebreath describes itself as wholesaler based, so its units and parts are sold through HVAC wholesalers and contractors rather than to the public.
Why is my Lifebreath dripping water?
Some drain water is normal. Lifebreath says its units occasionally discharge condensation through their drains, with most moisture sent outdoors, and it isn't unusual for the drains to stay dry. Water on the floor is different: usually a clogged or kinked drain line, a drain run through a cold space that froze, or a core that iced because defrost isn't working. We clear or reroute the drain and test the defrost.
Should my Lifebreath run all the time?
Lifebreath says continuous low speed is the most popular setting in homes, and in a tight Minnesota house it's usually the right one. The unit trades stale air for fresh at a steady rate instead of in bursts. Shutting it off in January to save heat lets moisture and stale air build up, and sweating windows are often the first sign.
What does the flashing RH on my Lifebreath control mean?
Lifebreath says a flashing RH means the unit is running on high speed under its dehumidistat function, because indoor humidity is above the setting. In winter that's an HRV doing its job, trading damp indoor air for dry outdoor air. If it flashes constantly, the setting may be too low for the season, or the house has a moisture source worth finding.
Will my Lifebreath dry out a damp basement in summer?
No. Lifebreath says plainly that an HRV or ERV isn't a dehumidifier. On a humid July day, bringing in more outdoor air brings in more moisture, so the dehumidistat's high speed shouldn't be chasing summer humidity. A damp basement needs a dehumidifier or more air conditioning run time, and an ERV only slows how much moisture rides in with the fresh air.
Sources
- Lifebreath official site lifebreath.com