Fresh Air Year Round – With an Energy Bonus

The indoor air quality of your home is important when trying to keep your family healthy, hence the need for ventilation. However, ventilation systems can be both practical and economical. Energy recovery ventilation systems vent the home while keeping energy loss to a minimum.

Benefits of home ventilation

Pumping a constant stream of fresh air into your home helps keep it healthy by pushing out stale, contaminated air. Things like dust, mold and bacteria are removed, thus reducing the chances of allergy aggravation and sickness.

There are two major types of home ventilation systems, heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERVs). The more economical of the two is the ERV because of its heat exchanger. While the HRV only transfers heat, the ERV transfers both heat and water vapor.

Since ERVs transfer moisture to less humid winter air, your home’s humidity is kept relatively constant. During the summer, the ERV also maintains humidity by transferring a portion of the incoming air’s water vapor to the drier air leaving your home. Coupled with homes featuring air conditioners, an ERV home has better humidity control than with a HRV. Some experts suggest turning off the ERV during high humidity weather to keep humidity levels low. The system can be programmed to work only when the air conditioner is on.

Energy bonus

ERVs reduce ventilating cost during winter by shifting heat from exhausted warm inside air to new, yet cold supply air. The reverse is done during the summer. ERVs can recover between 70 and 80 percent of the energy in the home’s air and deliver it to incoming air. They’re most economical in climates with extreme summers or winters and where fuel costs are high.

For assistance in deciding whether an energy recovery ventilation system is ideal for you home, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical.