ERV ali prezračevalni razvlaževalec:kateri je boljši za domove v Georgii?
Poleti je znižanje vlažnosti v zaprtih prostorih občudovanja vreden cilj. In to še posebej velja, če živite v Georgii ali kjer koli na soparnem jugovzhodu.
Vzdrževanje relativne vlažnosti pod 50 % v vašem domu poskrbi za udobje, ne da bi znižali temperaturo na termostatu. Prav tako izboljša kakovost zraka v zaprtih prostorih in vam pomaga preprečiti morebitne drage težave, kot je rast plesni v vašem domu.
Kakor koli že, veliko ljudi nas sprašuje o ventilatorjih za rekuperacijo energije (ERV) in ali so dobra izbira za vnos svežega zraka v dom in hkrati zniževanje vlažnosti v zaprtih prostorih. Odgovor je ne. Namestitev ERV je odličen način za prezračevanje vašega doma, vendar je slaba izbira za razvlaževanje zraka v zaprtih prostorih.
Tako je:ERV vam ne bo pomagal pri razvlaževanju vašega doma. Ker ste morda slišali drugače, si poglejmo podrobneje ERV, razvlaževalnike zraka za celotno hišo in najboljše možnosti za naše podnebno območje.
Nadzorovano prezračevanje je lepa stvar
Kljub vsemu našemu govorjenju o tesnjenju vašega doma z zrakom in tesnjenju ovoja stavbe boste morda presenečeni, ko boste izvedeli, da smo tudi veliki oboževalci prezračevanja (brez besedne igre).
To je zato, ker vam stalno prezračevanje pomaga:
- Krožite zdrav svež zrak
- Razredčite ali odstranite onesnaževalce v zraku
Uničite neprijetne vonjave, ki se razvijejo v vašem bivalnem prostoru
Kovček je v tem, da imamo radi samo kontrolirano prezračevanje. In z "nadzorovano" ne govorimo o odpiranju okna. Govorimo o tehnikah prezračevanja, ki dovajajo svež zrak od zunaj, ga filtrirajo in krožijo v vašem domu, preden ga odstranite in znova začnete postopek.
Odpiranje okna prezrači dom, vendar ne filtrira zraka, ki vstopa. Enako velja za puščanje zraka na podstrešju in v prostoru za plazenje. Pomagajo pri kroženju zraka, vendar ne poskrbijo za to, da bi bil zrak zdrav in varen za dihanje.
V pravilno zaprtem domu s tesnim ovojom je najboljši način za doseganje nadzorovanega prezračevanja z ERV, HRV (ventilator z rekuperacijo toplote) ali prezračevalnim razvlaževalcem.
V Gruziji je ERV bolj smiseln kot HRV
Morda ste lastnik hiše v okolici Atlante, ki uporablja klimatsko napravo s spremenljivo hitrostjo ali pa nimate težav z ohranjanjem relativne vlažnosti pod 50 % poleti. If you just need a way to ventilate your home, an ERV is a fine choice.
Why an ERV and not an HRV? Because an HRV doesn't do anything to reduce the amount of humidity entering your home:
- Both ERVs and HRVs transfer heat between the air entering and leaving your home.
- Only ERVs transfer transfer moisture between the air entering and leaving your home.
So if the relative humidity outdoors is 90%, an HRV brings that humid air straight into your air conditioning system. An ERV, on the other hand, removes some of that moisture from the air before bringing it into your home.
That's why many people believe that an ERV dehumidifies indoor air. When the ERV transfers moisture from the incoming air to the outgoing air, the amount of moisture entering the home is lower than it would be with an HRV.
But reducing moisture isn't the same thing as dehumidification.
ERVs ventilate, but they don't dehumidify
Now let's consider an Atlanta homeowner with a humidity problem. Even when she sets her thermostat to 75 degrees, relative humidity hovers between 55% and 60%. Will an ERV help her dehumidify her home without lowering the thermostat?
Probably not. In fact, it could make the problem worse.
When outdoor air is more humid than indoor air, it's unlikely that an ERV will remove enough moisture from the incoming airstream to reduce relative humidity inside the home. If the ERV is pulling in air at 90% relative humidity, even a 20% reduction would still be pretty humid. The homeowner would have to keep lowering the temperature on her thermostat to dehumidify the air and stay comfortable.
Basically, using an ERV during the summer ensures that you will maintain humidity levels inside your home or increase them. It makes more sense than an HRV, but it's still not great.
The solution? Whole house dehumidifier + fresh, outdoor air
In our climate zone, the best equipment for ventilating your home and dehumidifying indoor air is a whole house dehumidifier with positive pressure from fresh, outdoor air.
Like an ERV, a ventilating dehumidifier introduces fresh air from outside your home, filters it, and removes indoor air for consistent circulation. The big difference is that it also dehumidifies the air before bringing it into your living space, resulting in:
- Clean, dry air that's constantly cycled in and out of your home
- Fewer lingering airborne contaminants
- Fewer dust mites and better conditions for occupants with allergies
- Zero opportunities for mold growth
Could you install an ERV instead? Sure, and many people do. But if you're trying to dehumidify the air, you'll have to lower the temperature on your thermostat and run your air conditioner for longer cycles. The ERV isn't going to help.
Compared to an ERV, a whole house dehumidifier and fresh air system is, by far, the more efficient, effective choice for Atlanta-area homes.
Image credit:MoeSalem