drozwood90
Senior Member
Heat Recovery Unit / Vent
Energy Recovery Unit / Vent
Basically, they operate to allow you to pull in fresh air from outside, while maintaining a heat barrier. The E version also is a moisture barrier (hence the higher price).
As far as I can tell, they are reasonably priced ($400 - $2000 depending on style). Where I live, no one can really give me a straight answer as to which is better (E or H style). My understanding is the H style is just for heat (it is only a heat exchanger). The E style is also for moisture. Although, I see some H versions that have dryer drums in them to help (not as well as a E version) in acting as a barrier against moisture.
Basically, from where I live, I THINK I only really need the H version. 1 for cost, 2 if I spend more, I can get "basic" moisture blocking. In my mind, since we only run the AC 7 days out of the year...spending an extra $1600 for an ERV really doesn't help me much...but if I lived more in a humid area it would be worth it. I should also point out that the H version seems to be (generally speaking) better at acting as a heat barrier. Water is cheap...so if I need to keep my humidifier running in winter...that's fine, no different then what I'm doing now.
The only issue is IF I run the AC it'll put load on it to remove the moisture from the air...which as I said before we only run it one, maybe two weeks a year...but there are dryer drums in SOME HRVs...so they act as a high efficiency HEAT barrier...and a LOW eff. moisture barrier...that is until the drums become saturated...
So...who has one, do they work well? (I know there are at least 2 people on the forums that live in NY, as I do...and one that lives in PA, so if any of YOU have one I'm VERY interested in hearing from you).
Any recommendations on brand?
Are they worth the $$, or should I keep doing as my builder setup...running the master bathroom fan for 2 hours twice a day (to try to help exchange the air with outside air).
--Dan
Energy Recovery Unit / Vent
Basically, they operate to allow you to pull in fresh air from outside, while maintaining a heat barrier. The E version also is a moisture barrier (hence the higher price).
As far as I can tell, they are reasonably priced ($400 - $2000 depending on style). Where I live, no one can really give me a straight answer as to which is better (E or H style). My understanding is the H style is just for heat (it is only a heat exchanger). The E style is also for moisture. Although, I see some H versions that have dryer drums in them to help (not as well as a E version) in acting as a barrier against moisture.
Basically, from where I live, I THINK I only really need the H version. 1 for cost, 2 if I spend more, I can get "basic" moisture blocking. In my mind, since we only run the AC 7 days out of the year...spending an extra $1600 for an ERV really doesn't help me much...but if I lived more in a humid area it would be worth it. I should also point out that the H version seems to be (generally speaking) better at acting as a heat barrier. Water is cheap...so if I need to keep my humidifier running in winter...that's fine, no different then what I'm doing now.
The only issue is IF I run the AC it'll put load on it to remove the moisture from the air...which as I said before we only run it one, maybe two weeks a year...but there are dryer drums in SOME HRVs...so they act as a high efficiency HEAT barrier...and a LOW eff. moisture barrier...that is until the drums become saturated...
So...who has one, do they work well? (I know there are at least 2 people on the forums that live in NY, as I do...and one that lives in PA, so if any of YOU have one I'm VERY interested in hearing from you).
Any recommendations on brand?
Are they worth the $$, or should I keep doing as my builder setup...running the master bathroom fan for 2 hours twice a day (to try to help exchange the air with outside air).
--Dan
