Our winters may not be as harsh as others in the Fredericksburg, TX area, but no one here is going to leave a window open during the cold months. With homes becoming more and more airtight, and energy efficiency always a focus for any homeowner, a new problem has emerged: poor ventilation during the winter months. While we would never go so far as to say that drafts serve a purpose (they don’t), you don’t want to sacrifice poor ventilation to have good energy efficiency. So what’s the solution? Consider the installation of an energy recovery ventilator (ERV).
Why an ERV Is So Effective
An energy recovery ventilator does two things at once: it brings in a continuous, fresh stream of air as it also increases the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling system. How does it do this? The way an ERV works is that it draws air in from the outside with a fan while at the same time it expels your stale, warm, indoor air. These two air streams flow through a heat exchanger at the core of the component where the thermal energy and moisture from the outgoing indoor air is applied to the incoming, cool, dry fresh air. Once the exchange takes place, the stale air is vented to the outside and the pre-treated, warmed air moves to your HVAC system so that it can be used to both warm and ventilate your indoors.
Why do these actions work so well? The ERV becomes a part of your HVAC system. The fresh air from the outdoors is filtered and warmed before it moves to your HVAC system, so your heater doesn’t have to work as hard to heat your home. This is where the energy savings comes in. The air is fresh and healthy, and this is how an ERV provides great ventilation to your home during the winter months.
Interested in seeing what an ERV can do for your home? Give the indoor air quality experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., a call today!
