Opening a window to let some fresh air in can make you feel a lot better when the air indoors just feels stuffy and stale. But this is only true when temperatures outside are relatively mild. When temperatures are hot or cold and you just want to run your central AC and heating system, opening a window or a door really isn’t an option you have.
Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Heat Recovery Ventilators’
Let the Fresh Air In with a Heat Recovery Ventilator
Monday, February 1st, 2016Ways a Heat Recovery Ventilator Helps Your Home
Thursday, February 5th, 2015Airflow and indoor climate go hand in hand, with the former affecting the latter in many ways. Often, the relationship between air circulation and climate control results in frustration for the homeowner. You may want to bring in some fresh air during the winter, but you don’t want to open a window and let heat out of the house. The alternative, however, is to let your heating system continue to dry out the air, which is uncomfortable and unhealthy. Luckily, there is actually a way to both get a steady supply of fresh air and keep your indoor climate intact. Read on to find out what a heat recovery ventilator is, and how it benefits your home.
What is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?
A heat recovery ventilator is a device designed to improve the home’s ventilation, while simultaneously maintaining its insulation from heat transfer. It can be used as an integrated part of an HVAC system, but can also operate as a stand-alone device. It is essentially a square or rectangular casing with 4 openings, one each for outgoing and incoming air flow on both the inside and outside parts of the ventilator. It is often installed on an exterior wall or in a window, as it needs access to both indoor and outdoor air.
Inside the unit is a heat exchanger, essentially a configuration of pipes through which the air flows in and out of the ventilator. As the air from inside travels out through the heat exchanger, outside air is traveling through a parallel section on the way inside. Heat always tries to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. As such, when the two air flows pass each other in the heat exchanger, the warmer air will transfer much of its heat to the cooler air. This is why the part is called a heat exchanger.
How Heat Recovery Ventilators Benefit Your Home
This transfer of heat is what makes heat recovery ventilators so useful. By using a heat exchanger, the ventilator can bring in a constant flow of fresh air without adversely affecting the climate inside. Cold air that enters the ventilator will be warm by the time it actually enters the home, while warm air will be cool. This keeps the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
If you’d like to know more about how a heat recovery ventilator helps your home, call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide heat recovery ventilators throughout Security-Widefield, CO.
