When it comes to whole home comfort and indoor air quality, there’s nothing like breathing in fresh, clean air year-round. Of course, the environment in Greater Richmond may not make that seem realistic during hot and cold months, but there is an often forgotten part of indoor air quality that gets overlooked: ventilation.
When most people think about ventilation, they usually think about opening a few windows throughout their home or using their screen doors. While this is still commonplace, it’s not realistic year-round in Greater Richmond. That’s where we can be thankful for the developments in technology that have presented us with heating and cooling equipment that produces the same effects of having your windows or doors propped open for ventilation.
Today’s ventilation systems operate by drawing just the right amount of fresh air from outside, providing you with the advantages of traditional ventilation while eliminating odors, chemicals and other contaminants from your home’s indoor air. The process not only ensures you have nicer feeling air, but it also removes stale air from your home, helping make your home’s air as comfortable as it can be without wasting energy.
Choosing a ventilation system is fairly easy as there are two types of systems used: Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) and Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs). The majority of the United States, and all of Canada, are recommended to use HRVs because of the climates in those areas. ERVs are almost exclusive to southern regions that have higher than normal humidity levels.
Ventilation is just the beginning of things when discussing indoor air quality. If you’d like to learn more about all that you can be doing to improve your home’s indoor comfort, check out the other blogs we’ve written on indoor air quality. From dehumidifiers to air filtration and air purification, the pros at Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling know indoor air quality. Schedule an appointment by calling them at 804-302-6657 to take your home’s air quality to the next level.