Spot Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) - Designed for One Location (vs Whole House)

Learn about spot energy recovery ventilation (designed for one room/location) in this “unboxing” video, and… meet Matt’s dog, Oliver!  Matt reviews the components of an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) and why its important to bring fresh air into the home.  

It’s important to understand that ventilation doesn’t always mean getting the clean air back into our homes in place of the air we’ve exhausted out.  Bath fans, cooking exhaust fans, whole house ventilators, and whole house fans do not achieve this purpose on their own.  ERVs on the other hand bring fresh air directly into the air conditioning system, while also tempering the air so as to save energy and preserve comfort at the same time. Air is also then exhausted from the system.  A key difference is that the air streams are allowed to cross and exchange heat an humidity, but not to directly touch each other.  ERVs are particularly helpful in humid climates, where an HRV might serve the purpose well in a completely dry climate.  In humid weather, it’s best to run the ERV continuously, or the risk of condensation is increased.  

A benefit of the ERV Matt reviews is that the filter can be pulled out and washed.  If there is a need for greater filtration, a pre filter can also be added.  However, always check your system, and ideally check with a ventilation professional,  to make sure a filter is sized right and will not cause unacceptable air pressure drops.  All filters will cause a pressure drop to some extent as they are literally a barrier between your air conditioning system and your vents.  Also, regular maintenance is required - build up of the particles that filters catch will also cause a pressure drop and of course lower efficacy over time.  Filter efficacy is generally measures by something called MERV, or minimum efficiency reporting value.  The higher the MERV rating, the higher the filtration capacity of a particular filter.  

As Matt says, a number of different strategies can work, and there are pros and cons to each depending on each particular situation for your building and climate.  Check with a professional, start another discussion with your question, or…. ask Matt an ERV question here!