To prevent the loss of heated and cooled air through structural leaks and cracks, Schaumburg, IL homeowners have sealed their homes as tightly as possible. That saves on energy costs, but the lack of ventilation can cause poor indoor air quality. Living in these conditions can be uncomfortable, but more importantly, they can be harmful to your health.
Why You Don’t Want Stagnant Indoor Air
Stuffy indoor air isn’t, in itself, a serious issue. However, your home can develop serious air quality problems if it doesn’t have proper ventilation. Your home’s air can become overloaded with airborne contaminants from pet dander, dust mites, pollen, bacteria, and viruses. Tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds, radon, lead, and asbestos can leave your air even more polluted. These contaminants can cause health problems ranging from transitory sneezing and coughing to chronic conditions like heart disease and cancer.
How Energy Recovery Ventilators Can Help
Today’s tightly sealed homes require extra help to maintain a level of indoor air quality that’s healthy and supports the well-being of those who live there. Although there are various ways to freshen your home’s air, whole-house energy recovery systems provide excellent ventilation and minimize energy loss at the same time.
How Do Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) Work?
These central, whole-house systems reduce energy loss in winter by using warmth from the outgoing air to heat the fresh incoming air. In summer, the process works essentially the same way, only in reverse. ERVs transfer a certain amount of water vapor with the heat energy. That keeps winter humidity levels balanced and prevents the air from becoming too dry. ERVs are most effective in regions with severe winters and high fuel costs like Schaumburg, IL.
At Ray’s HVAC, we believe that indoor comfort is about more than just temperature. That’s why we provide indoor air quality products like ERVs to keep indoor air as healthy as possible. Visit us online to learn more, or call us at (847) 637-5287 if you have any questions.
