Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)

 

How Do I Bring Outside Air Inside?

The ERV system will filter and clean the outdoor air before releasing into your home’s duct system.

The ERV system will filter and clean the outdoor air before releasing into your home’s duct system.

Because houses are constructed with tightly sealed walls any pollutants generated in the home can accumulate and reduce the indoor air quality to unhealthful levels. Installation of an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) system will actually exchange the polluted, stale, indoor air with fresh outdoor air. And, when exchanging the airs, the ERV system will filter and clean the outdoor air before releasing into your home’s duct system.

Unfortunately, these systems aren’t yet standard in home construction.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Primary benefits of having an ERV ventilation system

Health: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health problems including short and long term effects. A Whole-House Ventilation can exchange stale pollutant filled indoor air with fresh outdoor air throughout your entire home.

Comfort: Why be uncomfortable living with excess humidity, odors from pets, cooking or any other normal living activity? A Whole-House Ventilation exchanges your home’s sticky, smelly air with fresh outdoor air.

Defense: A Whole-House Ventilation system can defend your home against premature wear and tear. Excess humidity can create a breeding ground for mold and mildew which will destroy any surface they grow on. Window finishes are also vulnerable to excess humidity and can have their structural integrity compromised. Combine your Whole-House Ventilation system with a dehumidifier and defend your home from too much moisture.

Energy Savings: Not only does a Whole-House Ventilation system provide you with fresh outdoor air on a regular basis, but it is also more efficient, using less energy and saving you money. By preventing air that is too hot or too cold from entering the home, therefore keeping your heating and cooling system from operating unnecessarily, a Whole-House Ventilation system will minimize the normal wear and tear on these systems.

If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Unless they are built with special mechanical means of ventilation, homes that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can ’leak’ into and out of the home may have higher pollutant levels than other homes. However, because some weather conditions can drastically reduce the amount of outdoor air that enters a home, pollutants can build up even in homes that are normally considered ’leaky.’
Evironmental Protection Agency United States

Contact us FH Furr at 1-877-225-5387 to find out how to start ridding your home of harmful pollutants and provide your family with the fresh air they deserve.

Frequently Asked Energy-Recovery Ventilator Questions and Answers

Although it is a little bit easier to install an ERV system during construction, it can also be installed in an existing home. Contact FH Furr to find out how to integrate an ERV with your HVAC system and start replacing polluted stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
Yes. Since ERVs essentially exchange indoor air with fresh outdoor air, radon and odors are taken outside during the exchange.
ERV systems should be cleaned on about every six months in order to prevent deterioration of ventilation rates as well as to prevent mold and bacteria build up on heat exchanger surfaces. Each unit comes with instructions on maintenance procedures which can be completed either by you or a contractor.
No. As long as your system is a forced air system equipped with a blower and duct system, an ERV system can be integrated. Should you have a non-forced air system, an ERV system can be set up as an independent system.
(HRV) Heat Recovery Ventilators use heat exchangers to heat or cool incoming fresh air. Energy Recovery Ventilators address both temperature and moisture issues with air. Generally speaking, ERVs are a better choice over HRVs since temperature and moisture are issues in winter and summer.
The main benefit of an ERV system is enhancing indoor air quality by constantly exchanging stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. Ultimately this provides for better, more healthy, indoor air quality by reducing the amount of indoor pollutants such as radon, tobacco smoke, and carbon monoxide.
Because houses are constructed with tightly sealed walls, any pollutants generated in the home can accumulate and reduce the indoor air quality to unhealthful levels. Typically the pollutants can be diluted with fresh outdoor air. However, ventilating a home with fresh outdoor air may not always be as easy as opening a few windows. Often times weather, outdoor noise or even security issues prevent us from bringing in the fresh air we desire. However, Mechanical Ventilation provides us with a quiet and energy efficient means of exchanging old, stale air with fresh outdoor air. Hence allowing us to dilute the concentration of pollutants throughout our homes all year round despite the weather conditions.

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