When it comes to your home, you want the best for yourself and your family. The Heat Recovery Ventilator and Energy Recovery Ventilation system work to keep you nice and comfortable. Nowadays, indoor air quality has been stressed and emphasized for the health of those inside the home. Although an HVAC system does come with air filters to capture those polluted air particulates, the fact is that it needs more to improve air quality. This article will cover two alternatives: the heat recovery ventilator and the energy recovery ventilation system. Both will work differently but will get the job done.
What is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?
A heat recovery ventilator is similar to a balanced ventilation system or a mechanical ventilation recovery system. The term or name of this system works around a simple cycle, which is to ventilate your home. Its purpose is to ventilate your home using a heat-exchanging cycle properly.
The unit uses two fans that work to exhaust the indoor air while the other fan brings in fresh air from the outdoors. It can be an energy-efficient solution as it reduces cooling and heating demands. This type of ventilator also works well with commercial buildings since they use more energy. Adjusting the speed of the fans is a good idea to accommodate any social setting in your home. Slow or medium settings are ideal for just you and your family. However, turning the fans to the highest setting will work best if you have guests over. This higher setting will increase ventilation, making sure the air quality remains at a reasonable level.
How do Heat Recovery Ventilators Work?
The heat exchange core is what transfers the outgoing stream of heat to the incoming stream. The unit alternates the airflow from the heat to the cold passage. The streams never mix, enhancing energy efficiency within the HVAC system. Although it can be helpful during the summer, it is much more useful in the winter or colder months. In the summer, the heat recovery ventilator takes the incoming heat from fresh air and transfers it to the stale air-conditioned exhaust. The unit design features a damper that closes off the cold air stream, re-routing warmer air through the exchange core. This process prevents frost buildup in the winter within the system.
Advantages of Heat Recovery Ventilator
The heat recovery ventilator has many benefits. The biggest reason many people use it more during winter is that it can reclaim up to 85 per cent of the outgoing heat from your home. This method helps to keep your home much warmer during the colder months. It is a great energy saver compared to an energy recovery ventilation system. This benefit is mainly due to using the same indoor heat to provide proper ventilation. As the heat exchanger works in your home, it will improve air quality, helping those in the house breathe more comfortably. The HRV system will reduce mould, harmful pollutants, pollen, and other allergens by using filters. The price for installing the unit can vary depending on the layout of your home, but the cost is still affordable.
What is Energy Recovery Ventilation?
Energy recovery ventilation, also referred to as ERV, is a system designed to use exhaust air from a building or home. This energy treats the incoming outdoor air instead of ventilating it back outdoors. The system also uses two fans similar to the HRV. However, instead of utilising a heat-exchanging cycle, the ERV system uses exhausted air to power the entire process. It works similarly to the HRV because it brings fresh air from the outdoors to treat or clean your indoor air. Although the ERV uses a bit more energy than the HRV, it still cuts costs on your monthly energy usage.
How Does Energy Recovery Ventilation Work?
Energy recovery ventilation connects directly to the ducts, which are part of your HVAC system. The system uses two fans to bring fresh air into your home. This process helps to remove stale air from your home. You can also rest easy knowing that any air outside that goes into your home will be free of pollutants. Energy recovery ventilation will work to eliminate contaminants, pollutants, pollen, and more. The ERV system drives out stale air that could also carry these pollutants from inside your home. Since the energy recovery system uses energy from a blower fan to stabilise any pressure drop, it will use a bit of your electricity.
Advantages of Energy Recovery Ventilation
The most significant advantage of an energy recovery ventilation system is that it aids in meeting energy standards and overall ventilation requirements. It also helps to optoptimisee the performance of your HVAC, contributing to energy savings on your monthly electric bill. The system works for both the cold and warmer seasons.
It reduces humidity levels for the summer months and balances humidity indoors during the winter season. The ERV system will regularly maintain a 40 to 50 per cent humidity level for the indoor space in your home. Since the system aims at improving air quality, it also helps those who suffer from allergens and are sensitive to pollutants. Finally, because the energy recovery ventilation system balances humidity levels in your home, it will mitigate mould and mildew buildup.
Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) and Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) : Which is Best for You?
Although insulation is essential in your home’s layout and design, you also need proper ventilation to reduce humidity levels. This ventilation helps to reduce mould, mildew, and other dangerous particles in the air. Both the HRV and ERV can help you improve air quality. The question remains: which one works for you? Well, it all depends on your preference. If you live in an area where you experience excessive outdoor humidity levels, an energy recovery ventilation system will work best because it dehumidifies the incoming air. However, if you need something that replaces humid air with dry air indoors, you should consider the heat recovery ventilator instead.
