We know, it’s easy to think that indoor fresh air in the wintertime is just not possible. Though, our service professionals in the HVAC industry would gladly disagree! Introducing the ERV, a transference system that will give you fresh air at all points of the year without losing heat or cool air.
Just because it’s the middle of winter and you’ve got the heater on, doesn’t mean you have to deal with stale indoor air. ERV systems, short for energy recovery ventilators, are brilliant pieces of machinery that add fresh air from the outside without compromising the heating or cooling that you so desperately need. Imagine it like opening your window in the middle of the winter, except none of the heat from inside your home escapes!
We know, fresh air in the middle of the winter sounds like a pipe dream. But if you keep reading, you’ll quickly realize that it is most definitely not a pipe dream. Any Dallas HVAC Company can attest to that!
How Does an ERV Work?
An ERV works with intake from both the outside and the inside of the home. both sets of air mix in a chamber called the heat exchanger where a process called counter-flow heat exchange occurs. The unconditioned outside air gets conditioned to the correct temperature of your home, while the system takes the heat (or cold) of the stale, indoor air and transfers it outdoors. This heat exchange process runs through multiple filters that make sure no contaminants pass through it—and voila! You’ve conditioned fresh air inside your home without wasting nearly as much energy as you would with an open window.
Why Do You Need An ERV?
An energy recovery ventilator can be a helpful tool if you’re struggling with your indoor air quality. If your home air smells or tastes stale and there’s nothing that fans or air conditioning can do to help with it, an ERV can be a good piece of equipment to change that.
The truth of home air conditioning is that you seal up your house to keep the cool air in, but you don’t get the natural ventilation that keeps air healthy and contaminant free. That’s really what an ERV can do for you, and why they are highly recommended among indoor air quality specialists.
Can’t I just Open a Window?
Unfortunately, the reality is that opening a window wastes a lot of the heat or cooling produced by your HVAC system. Our homes are built to be sealed up tightly to conserve the heat we produce in the winter and contain the cold air our air conditioners produce in the summer. When you open a window, it’s almost like jettisoning all the air you just produced out of your home!
This will inevitably make your HVAC system work harder and cost you more money. Don’t put up with an inconvenient solution if an ERV can make your air quality a whole lot better.
If you’re in the market for an ERV system, make sure to contact Republic Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. We’re Revolutionizing the customer experience!