Improving indoor air quality and lowering heating and cooling expenses are top concerns of Lansing area homeowners. We want clean air and comfortable temperatures inside our homes, as well as protection for the valuable HVAC systems that help us achieve these positive conditions. An energy recovery ventilator, or ERV, is a piece of ventilation equipment that helps Michigan homeowners accomplish these goals and more.
A-1 Mechanical explains the benefits of installing and utilizing an energy recovery ventilator in a home environment. Learn more about how an ERV could benefit your family when you schedule a consultation with our team today!
What Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator?
An energy recovery ventilator is a type of ventilation system that replaces stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. What makes this equipment different from some other ventilation solutions is that it makes this exchange without wasting energy. The ERV retains the heat energy and moisture from the indoor air that is exhausted outside the home for the treatment of incoming fresh air.
In the wintertime, incoming air is warmed by the ERV and moisture is added to prevent dry air issues inside the home. When used in the summertime, the energy recovery ventilator uses the dehumidified indoor air to treat the incoming outside air before it moves into your home, so excess heat and moisture are removed.
Benefits of an Energy Recovery Ventilator
There are many reasons to use an energy recovery ventilator in your Lansing home. Area residents prefer this ventilation solution because of these valuable benefits gained through its use.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
Even though many consider air pollution to be an outdoor problem, the air outside is actually less polluted than the air inside your home. Contaminants are introduced to the home environment in many ways, from open doors to the products we use inside. Most homes today are tightly sealed to help the structure retain heating and cooling energy, which has a downside of also trapping airborne contaminants inside.
It’s important to bring fresh air into the home on a regular basis to replace the indoor air that becomes stale and polluted with high contaminant concentrations over time. Polluted indoor air is exhausted out of the home by the energy recovery ventilator, providing a significant boost for the home’s indoor air quality. Reduce allergens, odors, and more to create a healthier, more comfortable environment inside your residence.
Reduced Maintenance
As energy recovery ventilators expel airborne contaminants outside the home, the home as well as the HVAC system experiences less buildup of these particles. Your living areas stay cleaner for longer, and so do your heating and cooling components! Furnace filters do not clog as fast and ducts don’t experience contaminant buildup that contributes to leaking ductwork and the need for duct cleaning.
Energy Savings
A benefit unique to an energy recovery ventilator as compared to some other ventilation solutions is the energy savings it helps users generate. Traditionally, the process of exhausting indoor air and replacing it with fresh outdoor air means some heating and cooling energy is lost from the conditioning of the exhausted air. The process also requires more HVAC system energy consumption to heat or cool the incoming air to comfortable temperatures. Since an ERV retains thermal energy and moisture to use in the pretreatment of fresh air, the initial energy waste is eliminated as well as the need for more heating and cooling energy consumption.
HVAC System Protection
By pretreating incoming air with thermal energy and moisture from exhaust air, the energy recovery ventilator alleviates the burden on the home’s HVAC system. Running fewer heating or cooling cycles reduces the wear and tear on a home’s furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner. HVAC equipment condition is better preserved to prevent system breakdowns and repairs, while helping the heating and cooling units stay in service for longer periods.
Learn More About ERVs from A-1 Mechanical!
If you’re interested in having an energy recovery ventilator installed in your Greater Lansing area home, contact A-1 Mechanical today! Our staff educates homeowners on the benefits of proper ventilation and provides expert installation of new ventilation equipment.
