What Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator and Why Do I Need One?

There are a number of ways you can achieve better energy efficiency in your home, but there is only one way to improve energy efficiency and ventilation at the same time: install an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). An ERV is installed directly into your HVAC system and works when heating and cooling. To ensure your ERV in Raleigh is installed correctly, it’s essential to hire professionals like the ones at Ideal Services Heating & Cooling.

What Is an ERV?

An ERV is a ventilation system that does two things at once: it brings in fresh air from the outside while exhausting the stale air from your indoors, and during this process, the energy and moisture from the outgoing air is applied to the incoming fresh air. The mixing of the air streams is minimal, and a filter inside the ERV helps trap contaminants in the incoming air.

How Does an ERV Work?

During the winter months, your stale, warm indoor air is vented from the house. As it exhausts, the ERV transfers the energy and moisture from the outgoing air to your incoming air. This helps the cool, dry air to be pre-heated and humidified before it enters your HVAC system. In the summer, the opposite happens: the cool, stale air exits your home, and its energy is applied to the incoming warm, humid air. This cools and dehumidifies the incoming warm air before entering your HVAC system.

Why Consider Adding an ERV?

There are some important benefits an ERV can offer you and your home:

• Better energy efficiency – the pre-treating of the incoming air takes some of the work load off your HVAC system. When your system works less, it uses less energy, making it more energy efficient.
• Improved indoor air quality – with an ERV, you have a continuous stream of fresh air entering your home, improving the ventilation and quality of the air inside.
• Less stress on your system – when your system doesn’t have to work as hard to achieve the temperature set on your thermostat, it results in less stress for the system.

Adding an ERV to your home in Raleigh can help improve your ventilation and energy efficiency while maintaining your comfort levels.

Interested in finding out more about ERVs? Call Ideal Services Heating & Cooling today and schedule an appointment with one of our experts.