Table of Contents
- The recovery core is placed in the exhaust-to-supply air path, usually after the filters and before the supply fan. In modular AHUs, it drops into a dedicated section sized for the core dimensions.
- AHU duty Recommended core General office fresh air Counter-flow plate or enthalpy wheel Laboratory / hospital (clean) Plate (no carryover) High humidity climate Enthalpy rotary wheel Retrofit, limited space Heat pipe or run-around coil
- Keep face velocity in the 2–3 m/s range for balanced efficiency and pressure drop. Add bypass dampers for free cooling in mild weather. Use EC fans to capture part-load savings. Specify easy-access doors for core cleaning. See our modular AHU solutions for recovery-ready configurations.
- Can I retrofit an existing AHU? Yes, if there is physical space and a matching exhaust duct. Heat pipes and run-around coils are the most retrofit-friendly. Does recovery hurt IAQ? No. Plate and heat-pipe cores keep streams separate; only enthalpy wheels transfer a little moisture, which is managed by purge sectors.
An air handling unit (AHU) conditions outdoor air before it enters a building. Without recovery, that outdoor air must be heated or cooled from scratch every hour. Adding a heat recovery core to the AHU is the single highest-impact energy measure for ventilation systems.
The recovery core is placed in the exhaust-to-supply air path, usually after the filters and before the supply fan. In modular AHUs, it drops into a dedicated section sized for the core dimensions.
| AHU duty | Recommended core |
|---|---|
| General office fresh air | Counter-flow plate or enthalpy wheel |
| Laboratory / hospital (clean) | Plate (no carryover) |
| High humidity climate | Enthalpy rotary wheel |
| Retrofit, limited space | Heat pipe or run-around coil |
- Keep face velocity in the 2–3 m/s range for balanced efficiency and pressure drop.
- Add bypass dampers for free cooling in mild weather.
- Use EC fans to capture part-load savings.
- Specify easy-access doors for core cleaning.
See our modular AHU solutions for recovery-ready configurations.
Can I retrofit an existing AHU?
Yes, if there is physical space and a matching exhaust duct. Heat pipes and run-around coils are the most retrofit-friendly.
Does recovery hurt IAQ?
No. Plate and heat-pipe cores keep streams separate; only enthalpy wheels transfer a little moisture, which is managed by purge sectors.