HRV worthwhile in older house?

[VanessaW]

I have a bungalow build in 1958, located in Atlantic Canada. We are going to insulate the attic this fall from R 15 to R 60 and are considering if we should put in an HRV first. The house has retrofitted insulation under the siding and we plan to insulate the basement in the near future.

Is a HRV worthwhile in an older home or only require in newer homes that are well sealed?

 

[Sparky617]

You may want to get a blower test done on your house to see what your air exchange rate is as it sits after the attic insulation is upgraded. Have you made an effort to seal up windows, doors, plumbing and electrical penetrations around your house? During a blower test you can use a smoke stick to determine where the air is leaving your house. If the blower test shows a high rate of air exchanges the HRV would be a waste of money without doing the sealing. How much insulation was added under the siding? Was it just the thin fan-fold insulation under vinyl siding or did you blow cellulose into the wall cavities?

Blower Test -