Recover the Heat You're Losing This Winter
"Close the door; you're letting all the heat out!"
Sound familiar? Certainly, we've all heard that phrase at least once or twice growing up. We may have even repeated it to our own family members at this point. But nowadays, more modern homes are built with energy efficiency in mind. Buildings have become more airtight, which means they have a greater need for ventilation, allowing fresh air to come in without letting heat escape. Opening a window can make the air feel less stuffy, but this isn't suitable for when you're trying to keep heat in.
Heat recovery ventilation (HRV) is not a new technology. Still, it has become a popular solution for providing fresh air while also retaining heat and adequate humidity levels in a tightly sealed, energy efficient home. Let's take a look at what heat recovery ventilation is and how it works.
What is Heat Recovery Ventilation?
A heat recovery ventilation system is an energy recovery ventilation system that works between two air sources at different temperatures. It is designed to work within a ventilation system, capturing heat from stale outgoing air and transferring it to cold incoming air.
How Does Heat Recovery Ventilation Work?
Enthalpy. /ˈenTHalpē,ənˈTHalpē/
It's a fancy word engineers like to use to describe the process in which energy is transferred - or, in this case, heat that is absorbed or released. As stale, humid air is exhausted from the house, it passes through the exchanger core of the heat recovery ventilator and, while doing so, warms the exchanger plates. Clean, fresh air is being drawn into the house and is heated by passing over the warmed exchanger plates. Both processes are happening simultaneously. The two air streams never mix, but heat energy is constantly exchanged between them.
Benefits of Heat Recovery Ventilation
Continuous Fresh Air
With a heat-recovery ventilation system, clean air is continuously brought in from outside throughout the day and night. Since the air is never recycled within the house, the system removes indoor pollutants and odors. It also removes moisture, lowering the indoor humidity. This creates a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.
No More Condensation
Condensation occurs when there is too much moisture in the air. Moisture can collect on windows and other surfaces, causing dampness, rot and mold growth. The heat recovery ventilation system removes all water vapor as it is produced, which eliminates condensation.
Increased Energy Efficiency
The heat recovery ventilation system recycles heat energy by removing it from outgoing air and placing it back into the fresh incoming air. This reduces the energy requirements needed to warm your home and reduces costs. Some manufacturers claim their systems perform with 85-95% efficiency. The system is also designed to operate continuously at a low rate to reduce energy consumption.
Although homes have become much more energy efficient and have built-in systems to prevent heat from escaping, it doesn't mean it all works 100% of the time. Heat loss can occur in older and newer homes, often due to a variety of things, such as:
- Low insulation or damaged insulation. Insulation is crucial to keeping the warm air inside. If the insulation in your attic, walls or basement has experienced damage or simply needs to be replaced due to age, it can make a significant impact on your energy bills.
- Old windows and doors. If your windows and doors don't have the proper insulation or are loose, it makes it very easy for warm air to slip through the cracks. While replacing windows and doors comes with high upfront costs, it saves you a lot overall.
- Drafty rooms. If you notice one room is often colder than the others, you've got a draft on your hands. Drafts can be sneaky ways for warm air to escape and require a professional to identify where the leak is located and how to properly fix it.
Ready to keep the heat in? Give Bradley Mechanical a call today. We're proud to have been serving the heating needs of Central Richmond homeowners for over 50 years. Our highly trained heating experts provide services with decades of experience. We can help you evaluate your home performance through tests to identify the areas that require the most work and determine if a heat recovery ventilation system is a good fit for you.
We offer the latest heating system technologies that are certain to make your home energy efficient and comfortable during the winter. Call Bradley Mechanical today at (804) 748-6728 to schedule an appointment.
