A healthy home with clean indoor air is more of a priority for Arizona homeowners than ever this spring, as people are being forced to spend more time than ever inside their houses (the average person already spends 90% of their day indoors, where the EPA estimates that air pollutants are two to five times as concentrated compared to outdoor air).
So what’s the best way to ensure your home has high indoor air quality? You may have heard that one of the best components for a healthy home is a ventilation system—usually an ERV or an HRV. But what do these units do, and how can they benefit your home? Today, we’ll explain energy and heat recovery systems and their benefits.
Keeping Air Fresh, Without Losing Energy
We understand the benefits of keeping your home well insulated and air tight—lower heating and cooling costs, consistent indoor temperatures, and less outdoor air pollutants in your breathing air.
But tight construction can also come with downsides. Air tight homes circulate the same stale air over and over, and regular activities like cooking, cleaning and washing, and taking showers can increase moisture levels, leading to harmful bacteria and mold growth. You’ll also increase the amount of indoor air pollutants and contaminants, which will be trapped in your home without any way to escape.
The solution is an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) or HRV (heat recovery ventilator) system. ERVs and HRVs are air exchangers able to cycle fresh, filtered air into your home without losing the comfortable temperatures your AC or furnace is producing or bringing in outdoor airborne pollutants.
In the winter, these machines circulate fresh air throughout your home without wasting all of the heat from your furnace or heat pump. In the summer, you and your family get the benefit of clean outdoor air without losing out on the cool energy your AC is producing.
What’s the Difference Between ERVs and HRVs?
ERVs and HRVs are similar, but there is an important difference. Both HRVs and ERVs help efficiently bring fresh outdoor air into your home, but ERVs go a step further than HRVs, as they are a type of energy recovery system that can transfer not only heat but moisture as well. There are many factors that play into whether an HRV or ERV is right for your home, it’s not solely based on climate zone. Typically, homes in climates with higher outdoor humidity levels benefit more from ERVs.
Schedule HRV or ERV Installation Today with Ideal Air Conditioning and Insulation
If you’re keeping energy costs low in your Mesa, Chandler, or Phoenix Metro area home due to proper insulation and air sealing as well as regular heating and cooling maintenance, but are worried about mold growth or breathing in unhealthy stale air, give the team at Ideal Air Conditioning and Insulation a call. We can walk you through the pros and cons of HRVs and ERVs and help determine if they are a suitable healthy home upgrade for your family.