Onset of freezing in residential air-to-air heat exchangers

Mechanical ventilation of residences, with heat recovery in air-to-air heat exchangers, is an increasingly common practice. When this technique of ventilation is used in cold climates, however, freezing can occur in the air-to-air heat exchanger and substantially reduce its performance. A laboratory investigation was conducted to determine the indoor and outdoor environmental conditions that lead to freezing. In a cross flow, counterflow, and enthalpy-type cross flow heat exchanger, respectively, freezing was observed when the inlet temperature of the cold airstream was below -7 to -3 C, approximately -6 C, and -8 to 12 C, for a typical range of indoor humidities. These results are in fair agreement with the theoretical predictions presented and with data from two field studies conducted with similar heat exchangers. Data from a previous laboratory study of a counterflow heat exchanger and tabulated data supplied by ASHRAE, however, indicate that freezing is initiated at significantly lower cold airstream temperatures, particularly when the warm airstream is humid.