Summer is here, and that means high temperatures hitting us relentlessly for the next few months. Your air conditioning system is going to be put to quite a test, as it is every summer. You’re usually going to have to pay more in monthly costs for air conditioning during the summer, since your system will need to run for longer periods of time. But just because you’re paying more doesn’t mean you should pay more than is necessary. Timely upgrades to your existing system can help you cut down on those high costs, and provide other benefits to the air conditioner as well.
We often recommend energy recovery ventilators, or ERVs for homes that are suited for them: a system that can help improve your energy efficiency in the winter as well as the coasts of keeping your home cool in the summer. Here’s a breakdown of how it all works.
The System
The ERV system itself is reasonably simple: a pair of ducts connected to your air conditioning systems and placed in the attic of your home. One blows air from in your home out, and the other pulls outside air in to your home. The two ducts never meet, but a heat exchanger connected to both of them essentially “swaps” the temperature, ensuring that the incoming air is the same temperature as the air in the rest of your house. That may seem like a lot of effort for very little effect, but in fact it can make a huge difference in your home.
The Effects
The first and most important impact of an ERV is the reduction of stress and strain on your air conditioner. The heat exchanger helps slow the warming of the air in your home, which means the air conditioner doesn’t have to work so hard to do its job. That in turn will lower your monthly cooling costs considerably, as well as lowering the strain and stress on individual components. Not only does that allow your system to do its job at a comparatively reduced costs, but over time it will lower the risk of a breakdown and even help extend the life of your air conditioner. (And ERVs work equally well in the winter, providing the same benefits to your heating system.)
An additional benefit is derived in the system’s ability to swap out in the air in your home without having to open a door or a window. Our households can get very stuffy during extreme weather, since you want to keep the doors and windows sealed to preserve the temperature your HVAC system has worked so hard to create. That can lead to a stale, stagnant feeling, as well as allowing germs and bacteria to circulate endlessly through your home. The ERV eliminates those problems by constantly freshening the air, making your household healthier as well as happier without forcing you to open a window on a hot day.
If an energy recovery ventilator sounds like a good fit for your Lewes, DE home, call Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc. today!