When it comes to upgrades for your air conditioning system, there are a few that may immediately spring to mind: humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air filters, etc. These are all excellent products, but if you are looking to improve your AC’s energy efficiency and your home’s ventilation, there is another product you’ll want to consider: an energy recovery ventilator, also known as an ERV. ERVs are great for both your air conditioner and your heating system, and there’s a few reasons why, as we’ll explain below.
What It Is
An ERV is a specialized ventilator that integrates seamlessly with your existing HVAC system – but it doesn’t just improve your home’s indoor ventilation. An ERV works by taking the thermal energy and moisture from your stale indoor air and applying this energy to fresh air it pulls inside. A better way to explain this is by season: during the summer months, the ERV expels your stale, cool indoor air to the outside, but to do so, it sends the stale air through the core of the ERV, which is heat exchanger. At the same time, a fan on the ERV draws in outside air, which, during the summer, is warm and moist. As the cool, stale indoor air passes through the heat exchanger, its energy is applied to the incoming fresh air, cooling it off and dehumidifying it. The opposite occurs during the winter: as the warm, stale indoor air passes through the heat exchanger, the thermal energy heats and moisturizes the incoming cool, dry air from the outside.
So How Does This Help My AC?
The pre-treating process has several benefits:
- Increases energy efficiency – pre-treating the air ahead of it entering your HVAC means your system has less work to do; less work means operation, so less energy is used.
- Better comfort – it is easier for your AC to reach your set temperature when it doesn’t have to work as hard to achieve it.
- Less wear on your system – the ERV allows your system to work less, which reduces the level of wear and tear.
The experts at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., can install and service an ERV for your Boerne, TX – just give us a call today!
