Understand the Basics of Heat Recovery VentilatorsBetween the greater Cleveland area’s poor air quality and all the air contaminants that can arise inside your house, taking steps to keep your indoor air clean is vital for good health. A heat recovery ventilator lets you do this while also saving energy.

A Better Way to Freshen Your Air

Open windows and bathroom exhaust fans do clean your air, but their effect is limited. They let in air contaminants and they waste your conditioned air. A heat recovery ventilator cleans your air without these disadvantages. The system uses strategically placed exhaust and supply vents to provide airflow throughout the house and prevent the air pressure imbalance caused by overreliance on exhaust fans. It filters incoming air to keep out contaminants.

Most importantly, in contains a heat exchanger that can transfer heat between the outgoing and incoming air streams to better maintain your indoor temperatures.

How You Can Benefit

In winter, the heat exchanger pulls heat from the warm outgoing indoor air and moves it into the incoming stream of fresh outdoor air. The recaptured heat is used to preheat your incoming air. In summer, heat is removed from the incoming outdoor air so only cool air enters your home.

You’ll enjoy stable temperatures and avoid wasting energy heating or cooling your home. This saves you money compared to the cost of relying on exhaust fans or a standard balanced ventilation system.

Heat recovery ventilators use exhaust vents in the kitchen and bath, and supply vents in the living room and bedrooms. Continuous, whole-house ventilation like this removes contaminants your filter can’t. This includes harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from carpeting and paint, traces of carbon monoxide and smoke from cooking, and airborne bacteria.

This kind of ventilation is particularly important in modern homes, which are built to be airtight. It’s also beneficial in older homes that have been air sealed using caulk and weatherstripping to increase the home’s energy efficiency.

To find out more about how a heat recovery ventilator can improve your comfort, contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling in the greater Cleveland area.


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