We get our share of chilly days in this part of the world, and your heating system is absolutely indispensable when it comes to keeping your home warm. But there are additional steps you can take to make sure your home makes the best use of the heat it provides. Added insulation, for instance, means the air in your home will stay warm longer, as will sealing cracks under your door with weather stripping (available at any local hardware store).
If you’re interested in something more substantive to handle heating costs this winter, then a trained technician can offer some recommendations. Heat recovery ventilators, in particular, are an effective means of helping your home retain its warmth throughout the winter, and can do so on a long-term basis to boot. It can also help with a number of other issues in your home as well. We’ve provided a quite breakdown below.
How It Works
A heat recovery ventilator, or HRV involves three basic components:
- A line of ductwork with a fan blowing air out of your house.
- A parallel line of ductwork with a fan pulling outside air into your house.
- A heat exchanger placed between them which heats the incoming air to match that of the outgoing air.
HRV systems are usually placed in the attic of your home, where the heat tends to rise. That places them out of the way, where they can do their jobs without fuss. They work in conjunction with your heating and cooling system to ensure that your home stays as comfortable as possible no matter what.
The Benefits
An HRV may sound like a lot of effort for little effect, but in fact it can do quite a bit not only in terms of energy retention but as far as other household comfort issues too. The process of swapping air out from your home and bringing new air in can ease the strain on the heating system: helping the home stay warmer for longer and reducing both your monthly energy bills and the danger of further wear and tear on the system. Results vary, but over time the HRV can end up putting a great deal of money back in your pocket.
There’s another benefit to the system which comes into play during the cold season. We rarely open our windows and doors when it’s cold out, for fear of losing the heat generated by our furnaces. But that can lead to a feeling of stuffiness, as well as allowing germs and cold bugs to circulate endlessly throughout your home. That means your home will feel fresher and cleaner, as well as cutting down on instances of illness in your household. And it does all that while still lowering the cost of heating your home.
If you could use a heat recovery ventilator in your Kerrville, TX home, or you already have an HRV and it could use servicing or repairs, call on the friendly technicians at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc.
