How Whole-Home Ventilation Works
Modern homes in Tallahassee, Florida, have excellent insulation to increase their efficiency and reduce your utility bills. However, that insulation can keep contaminants such as dust, pet dander, and biological growth inside your house, along with the conditioned air, causing allergy or asthma symptoms. You can prevent these issues and increase the value of your home with whole-home ventilation. Heat recovery ventilators help keep the temperature in your home constant, and energy recovery ventilators regulate your humidity as well.
Heat Recovery Ventilators
Heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) use dedicated ductwork to remove stale air and replace it with fresh, filtered outdoor air. It has an intake fan, an exhaust fan, and a heat exchanger that works like a heat pump. In winter, it transfers heat from outgoing air to incoming air through a metal plate with no moving parts. In summer, it reverses the process to cool fresh air before it enters your home.
In addition to increasing your indoor air quality, an HRV reduces wear and tear on your HVAC system. It helps you save money through lower utility bills, and it extends your heater and air conditioner’s life by making breakdowns less likely.
Energy Recovery Ventilators
Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) transfer humidity along with heat. They keep the air in your home from becoming too dry in winter and remove excess moisture in summer. An ERV uses a rotating heat exchanger that transfers heat by rotating between the supply and exhaust airflows. It also uses a desiccant such as silica gel to absorb moisture from more humid air and transfer it to drier air. ERVs are more costly than HRVs, but their ability to regulate humidity along with heat makes them even more efficient.
Advanced Air Care Heating & Cooling has decades of experience. We can help you choose the best whole-home ventilation system to improve your home’s indoor air quality. For skilled, friendly service, call us at 850-688-9265.
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