During the winter months, most homeowners are concerned with keeping the cold air out and the warm air inside. Sealing air leaks and having adequate insulation do go a long way toward maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home. But these things can also prevent you from getting the adequate fresh air needed to maintain a healthy environment. This is why it’s so important to have proper ventilation in your Metro-East home. ERVs are one great way to accomplish this.
What ERVs Do
HRVs and ERVs – which stand for Heat Recovery Ventilators and Energy Recovery Ventilators, respectively – utilize two parallel conduits for your home’s incoming and outgoing air. In the summer, heat energy is extracted from the incoming air and transferred to the air that’s being ventilated outside. This helps with indoor cooling. In the winter, the process is reversed, and heat is transferred from the air being expelled by the ERV into the air being brought in. This, too, eases the workload on your HVAC equipment. Unlike Heat Recovery Ventilation, ERVs also transfer humidity between the two airstreams, depending on the season, helping with humidification in the winter and dehumidification in the summer.
A professional technician can install an ERV or HRV into the existing ductwork of your central heating and air conditioning system. If you do not have a central forced-air HVAC system, a professional can still install a dedicated ERV or HRV in you home. They may have to install ductwork or channels for moving the air.
Who Needs ERVs?
How long odors linger in your home is a good indication that you may benefit from an ERV or HRV system. The more airtight a house is, the more difficult it is to remove smells and the more important it is to get a fresh supply of air inside the home. The best way to know if you would benefit from installation of one of these systems is to have a home energy audit conducted by an HVAC expert.
For help evaluating whether ERV/HRV technology will benefit your home, please contact Ernst Heating & Cooling. Since 1954, we have been serving Southwest Illinois — including the communities of Edwardsville, Bethalto and Troy — and are glad to provide expert advice on keeping your home energy efficient.