Erv Review

For indoor air quality, an ERV is the best choice. Before going any further, we just want to say that positive pressure ventilation is a great choice for many homes. We're about to sing the praises of ERVs, but make no mistake! A whole-house dehumidifier with fresh air is still an excellent indoor air quality upgrade.

Should I run my ERV continuously?

To ensure that you home is well-ventilated and maintains good air quality, your HRV and ERV should run continuously. Many HRV fans can operate at low, medium, or high speeds depending on the ventilation requirements.

Is ERV better than HRV?

An HRV is a better choice if you often have an overly humid house during winter, while an ERV is superior if your house is too dry. An HRV will tend to increase humidity during the summer, while an ERV will help control it. It is best to leave the job of making the choice to our indoor air quality professionals.

Will a ERV help with humidity?

ERV ventilation solutions offer balance, humidity control and comfort. Did you know that nearly 90% of the energy used to cool a home is required to remove humidity? While similar to HRVs, ERVs also remove humidity from the air before it is brought into the home – greatly reducing cooling costs.

Should ERV be turned off in summer?

Don't run the ERV in summer as it will create humidity. The ERV contains an Energy Recovery Core (made of polymerized paper and aluminum) that decreases the humidity of incoming air in the summer by up to 60%. (This Recovery Core acts like a membrane moving humidity for the incoming air to the outgoing air.)

Should ERV run in winter?

"Generally the performance difference between the two is not great enough to justify using an ERV in colder climates. It's better to have a humidifier for adding humidity and an HRV to control elevated humidity and efficiently introduce fresh air."

Where do you put ERV in a house?

Installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator

1. The fresh air intake should be located where fresh air circulates, and away from driveways, range hood exhausts, furnace flue and laundry vents.
2. The stale air from the home should come from a wall close to the kitchen, within one foot of the ceiling and 10 feet away from an oven.

Do I need a dehumidifier if I have an ERV?

Installing an ERV air exchanger is a great way to ventilate your home and intake fresh air but they are not capable of providing adequate moisture control. To ventilate and dehumidify at the same time you will need supplemental dehumidification.

Why is my ERV so loud?

Often the issue is from incorrect design work where the HRV/ERV is located too close to bedrooms and/or there isn't suitable acoustical isolation for the HRV or ERV unit. In other cases, noise is significantly amplified by improper mounting and duct sizing.

How long does an ERV last?

ERVs have a warranty of around two years and will last over 20 years if properly maintained. An HRV system, on the other hand, typically has a lifespan of 10–15 years. You can increase the lifespan of either type by taking good care of its fans, vents, ventilation core, filters, and other components.

What size ERV do I need for my house?

HRVs and ERVs are generally sized to ventilate the entire house at a minimum of 0.35 air changes per hour. To determine the lowest CFM requirements, take the square footage of your home and multiply it by the ceiling's height. This figure is the cubic volume. Next, divide the result by 60 and then multiply by 0.35.

Is an ERV loud?

A high-quality HRV or ERV has very quiet motors and fans.

How does ERV work in summer?

Simply put, your ERV keeps the heat and humidity where they are. In summer, the heat and humidity are outside and your ERV will keep most of it from getting inside with your ventilation air.

Do you need exhaust fan with ERV?

Local exhaust fans are still required in kitchens and bathrooms, unless the exhaust is being drawn from one of these locations. However, exhausting a cooking area through an HRV/ERV is not recommended, due to UL certified fan requirements and risk of fouling the heat exchanger core.

How often should an ERV run?

A typical ERV, though, can move 100 to 200 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air. A typical house needs maybe 50 cfm (depending on which ventilation standard you go by). What many designers do is set the ERV to run intermittently, say 20 minutes out of each hour, to meet the ventilation needs of the house.

Does ERV help with humidity in the winter?

ERVs work the same way HRVs do, but an ERV allows some of the air's moisture to remain in the home. To keep moisture in the home, it typically pulls in outdoor air during the summer months, and it retains some of the indoor air during the winter months.

What is the most efficient ERV?

Aprilaire Model 8100 – ERV system Its recent whole-home Model 8100 ventilation system is arguably one of the most energy-efficient ERV systems in the world. It works by exchanging the air inside your home with fresh air from outside.

Does an ERV save money?

ERV systems save energy by reducing the need to cool or heat outside air. Although energy consumption from fans can rise after an ERV system installation, the savings in heating and cooling energy generally far outweigh any increases.

How often should ERV filters be changed?

We recommend about every six months.

How do I know if I need ERV?

An energy recovery ventilator can be a helpful tool if you're struggling with your indoor air quality. If your home air smells or tastes stale and there's nothing that fans or air conditioning can do to help with it, an ERV can be a good piece of equipment to change that.