Aldes InspirAIR EK80-HFX

At a glance

• In its favour
• Plain fact
• Worth knowing
• Not stated by the maker

• In its favour: HVI-certified (HVI 2005408)Its airflow and efficiency were tested to the Home Ventilating Institute’s standard.
• Plain fact: 87 cfm at 0.4 in., 85 cfm at 0.5 in. of duct pressureCertified fresh air delivered, at HVI’s headline rating point and at the higher pressure many real ducts run at.
• Not stated by the maker: No Aldes CO₂ controlIts manual sets high speed with a jumper between terminals 3 and 4 (low speed is a link between 1 and 3). Ask Aldes before adding a CO₂ relay.
• Plain fact: How it handles frost in very cold weatherAutomatic defrost cycles, controlled by a temperature sensor, start when the outdoor temperature drops below −12 °C (10.4 °F). In the default mode the IOM says the unit periodically switches to high-speed recirculation or exhaust to protect the core. An 'Extended' defrost mode for extremely cold climates is set with a jumper on port 6. A 'Comfort' mode, which avoids audible speed changes during defrost, uses a jumper on port 5; the two modes can't both be on. A defrost cycle can take up to 30 minutes.

Certifications

• HVI certified

  HVI 2005408

  The Home Ventilating Institute tested its airflow and heat recovery. The certified numbers on this page come from its directory. Find HVI 2005408 in HVI’s directory

• ENERGY STAR (Canada)

  Not on the list

  Not on Natural Resources Canada’s ENERGY STAR list when we checked. ENERGY STAR certifies HRVs and ERVs only in Canada, so a unit sold in the U.S. may never have been submitted; that isn’t a sign it’s less efficient. Its HVI numbers show its heat recovery and fan power. NRCan’s ENERGY STAR list (checked October 19, 2026)

Would it cover your home?

Tell it who sleeps in each bedroom. It’s checked against the 800 ppm goal the same way the app checks a unit an installer quotes.

Certified airflow

How much fresh air it delivers as the ducts push back. More duct pressure, less air: that’s why the installer’s duct design matters as much as the unit.

Lowest steady airflow (maker)

Not stated in the review’s sources

Highest airflow (maker)

Not stated in the review’s sources

Heat and moisture recovery

Sensible recovery (SRE) is the share of heat kept in winter, after the fan’s own heat is taken out; total recovery (TRE) counts moisture too, in summer.

• Plain fact: Keeps 69–80% of the heat at 32°FAcross the airflows HVI tested.
• Not stated by the maker: No very-cold (−13°F) test in the HVI directory
• Plain fact: Total recovery in summer: 66% at 95°FThe share of heat and moisture kept out on a hot, humid day.

HRV or ERV: which fits your home?

Turning up on CO₂

A CO₂ control can switch it to a higher speed when the bedroom needs air, then back. HouseExhale’s setting: up at 750 ppm, back at 650, never above 800.

• Not stated by the maker: No Aldes CO₂ controlIts manual sets high speed with a jumper between terminals 3 and 4 (low speed is a link between 1 and 3). Ask Aldes before adding a CO₂ relay.

What Aldes documents

• Not stated by the maker: No Aldes CO₂ controlIts controls are humidity, timers and speed switches.
• Plain fact: High speed: a switched line between terminals 1 and 4 (its 2018 family manual)Aldes allows third-party switches in slave mode, but warns against speed controls, dehumidistats or timers other than its own. The EK80’s own manual sets high speed with a jumper between 3 and 4.
• Worth knowing: EvacMAX (terminals 1 and 5) is for short periods onlyIt turns off frost protection, so it’s not for a CO₂ control.

Four ways to make it turn up by itself

• A night scheduleAsk your installer

  Its 20/40/60-minute timer or a mode control; ask about a night setting.

• A CO₂ control on its high-speed inputAsk your maker first

  High speed is a switched line on terminals 1 and 4; ask Aldes before adding a CO₂ relay.

• Your monitor and a smart-home relayAsk your maker first

  Not documented by Aldes.

• Its maker’s CO₂ controlNot for this unit

  Aldes doesn’t make a CO₂ control.

How to add CO₂ control to an HRV or ERV · CO₂ controls

Installing it

The maker’s facts an installer plans around. Your installer confirms them for your home.

Power

120 V AC, 60 Hz, 105 W, 1.68 A. Corded models use a NEMA 5-20 plug (no extension cords). The -N versions (EK80-HFX-N) are permanently wired by a licensed electrician.Scope: plug and -N wiring from the EK80/E130 IOM p. 26

Duct connections

5 in (127 mm) duct collars. The brochure diagram shows four air connections (fresh air in and out, stale air in and out) but does not say whether they are on the top or the side. The IOM says the collars twist in, are labeled, and for wall mounting one collar is taken off and turned to vertical.Scope: collar handling from the EK80/E130 IOM pp. 11, 19-20

Size

Height 9 in (229 mm) × width 20 in (508 mm) × depth/length 20 in (508 mm)Scope: same on the EK80-HFX brochure and the EK80 product page

Weight

34 lb (15.4 kg)

Mounting

On the ceiling or a wall with the included bracket; optional hanging chains (P/N 609051). The brochure says it 'can be installed in multiple directions (refer to installation manual)'. The IOM covers ceiling mounting (backdraft damper kept horizontal) and wall mounting, with the unit level. It must sit where the temperature stays above freezing.Scope: ceiling/wall details from the EK80/E130 IOM pp. 11, 17-20

Drain line

No drain line needed ('Drain connections: none')Scope: brochure and EK80 product page ('no drain required') agree

Cold weather

Automatic defrost cycles, controlled by a temperature sensor, start when the outdoor temperature drops below −12 °C (10.4 °F). In the default mode the IOM says the unit periodically switches to high-speed recirculation or exhaust to protect the core. An 'Extended' defrost mode for extremely cold climates is set with a jumper on port 6. A 'Comfort' mode, which avoids audible speed changes during defrost, uses a jumper on port 5; the two modes can't both be on. A defrost cycle can take up to 30 minutes.

Balancing the airflow

Manual; see model installation manual

Ducts

See installation manual

In the box

The ventilator, user manual, and wall and ceiling installation kit (IOM). The brochure also lists the core, two washable foam filters, two motorized impellers and the ceiling/wall bracket. Chains are sold separately (609051).

Controls

Humidity control

Not confirmed

Bathroom boost

Not confirmed

Works without the internet

Documented

Owning it

Equipment price

Not stated in the sources we found

Rebates

Federal tax credits ended for work after 2025. Some states and utilities still pay toward an HRV or ERV: rebates by state.

Filters

• Type: Two washable foam filters, 20 ppi (standard)
• MERV: The standard foam filters are not MERV-rated on these pages. Optional: washable MERV 6, washable MERV 8, high-efficiency 'MERV 13 equivalent'.
• Part: Foam 700075 (set of 2); MERV 6 700076; MERV 8 612419 (the IOM lists 607118); MERV 13 equivalent 700077
• How often: IOM p. 38: MERV 6/8 cleaned seasonally; high-efficiency (MERV 13 equivalent) replaced each season. The IOM's table was hard to read; no interval is given for the foam filters.

Scope: intervals and the 607118 number from the EK80/E130 IOM pp. 38, 40

Warranty

• Core: Limited 5 years
• Parts: Limited 5 years on all covered components
• Motor: Included in 'all covered components' (5 years); not listed separately
• Conditions: The warranty starts on the manufacture date coded in the serial number. Contact Aldes for an RMA before returning a part (IOM pp. 45-46). The brochure also lists a 5-year Canada warranty.

Scope: conditions from the EK80/E130 IOM

Sound

Not stated in the sources we found

Availability

Active: listed on Aldes North America's EK80 page and in its library. Variants are -N (permanent electrical connection) and -M (mirror), each also as -M-N.

Aldes’s page for the EK80-HFX (opens in a new tab)

Not known yet

What we couldn’t confirm from the maker or HVI. Ask the installer, and get it in writing with the quote.

• The lowest airflow it can run at steadily
• How it protects itself from frost in very cold weather
• Whether a CO₂ control from another maker is supported
• A current equipment price
• How loud it is

Where the maker’s own documents disagree

• Motor: the item page title and brochure say 'EC motors', and the IOM says the X suffix means EC instead of PSC. The item page's motor line still says 'PSC motors with quick connect'.
• Filter: the EK80 product page says 'Washable foam filtration' and also 'MERV6 filters standard'. The item page, brochure and IOM say two washable foam filters (700075) are standard and MERV 6 is optional. MERV 8 kit: 612419 on the item page and brochure, 607118 in the IOM parts list.

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