Energy recovery ventilation units (ERVs) allow you to recapture energy produced by your HVAC system while ventilating your home. They bring in fresh, filtered air while expelling used, stale air. They also “recycle” energy by collecting humidity and warmth (or coolness) from outgoing air and essentially “giving” it to incoming air. This allows them to help maintain indoor temperatures and humidity levels. ERVs can recover around 70 percent to 80 percent of outgoing energy, making them some of the most efficient ventilation options on the market.Energy recovery ventilators differ from heat recovery ventilators in that they capture humidity along with the outgoing temperature. This occurs in the heat exchanger. Here the currents of incoming and outgoing air cross, and energy from the outgoing stream is collected. The two currents don’t combine.Most ERVs are complex ventilation systems, but there are smaller models that attach to pre-existing ducts, or even wall-mounted or window-mounted models. ERVs typically require more maintenance than a standard system. The heat exchanger is also susceptible to frost in cold weather, which can damage the system, so keeping them serviced is important.According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside 60 percent of US homes is hazardous due to the build-up of indoor pollutants such as off-gassing from carpets, fumes from household cleaners, dust, mold and other dangerous microbes. This is an unfortunate side effect of homes that are tightly sealed to maximize energy efficiency. Air cleaned by an ERV can dramatically improve the health of many people suffering from chronic respiratory conditions.ERVs are generally most efficient when used in climates with very hot summers or very cold winters, but they can be utilized year round in temperate climates like ours to help maintain humidity levels in drier weather and preserve energy created by the HVAC system. Energy recovery ventilation systems often cost more to install than regular units, but choosing a model that attaches to existing ducts can help with the financial costs, offering great savings that recoup costs over time.Give Air Assurance a call to learn if an energy recovery ventilation system is right for your home.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.