Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator Right for You?

Are you concerned about the indoor air quality of your Greensboro home? An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) might be the solution you’re looking for.

Why Would I Need an Energy Recovery Ventilator?

Conserving energy is the driving force behind today’s tightly sealed North Carolina homes. Although an energy-efficient home saves money, it also sets the stage for polluted indoor air. Disease-causing microbes, asbestos, volatile organic compounds, and more can all be present in the air you breathe daily.

How Can an ERV Benefit Me?

Airborne contaminants can cause health problems. Symptoms vary from mild to severe and from short-lived to chronic. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a condition that affects people living or working in a poorly ventilated and polluted environment. Symptoms of SBS include nausea, dizziness, respiratory problems, fatigue, headache, and nose or throat irritation.

Without sufficient ventilation, polluted particles that exist in an airtight space can quickly multiply and become a health hazard. These contaminants exist outside too. However, there is ample ventilation outdoors to prevent pollutants from reaching exceptionally high and harmful levels.

How Do ERVs Work?

ERVs use your existing fans and ductwork to move clean, fresh outdoor air inside to dilute accumulated airborne contaminants. ERVs move foul air out after recovering the energy that the air contains. In summer, they use that recovered energy to cool off incoming air that’s hot. In winter, they use the recovered energy to warm incoming air that’s cold.

This exchange of energy occurs with no mingling of the two streams of air. ERVs recover about 70 percent of the energy from the air they move outside. They also reduce incoming humidity, and they recover the energy in humidity for even greater efficiency.

The air quality specialists at Total Heating & Cooling, Inc., can keep your indoor air fresh and healthy. Call us at (336) 739-4320 to learn more.