In our blog earlier this week, we talked about the effects that today’s tightly sealed homes can have on the health of our indoor air. One of the best strategies for addressing those issues is to take advantage of mechanical ventilation in your home. Today we’re going to look at how you can benefit from mechanical ventilation and what options you have for ventilating your home.

Why is mechanical ventilation a good idea for your home?

The EPA says that the air inside our homes is many times more polluted than the air outside. If your home is tightly sealed, the contaminants in your air get stuck indoors. Mechanical ventilation provides a way to send stale and polluted air out of your home and bring in fresh air from outside.

In addition, mechanical ventilation can improve comfort levels in your home by removing moisture from your home’s air and helping regulate humidity levels.

What options do you have for mechanical ventilation in your home?

  • Spot ventilation. Spot ventilation refers to ventilation fans that are installed in the rooms in your home that often have a lot of moisture and odors. In particular, these fans are most often found in bathrooms and kitchens as a way to remove excess moisture and odors that result from activities like showering and cooking.
  • Heat recovery ventilator. A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is a type of mechanical ventilation that can provide fresh air for your entire home. The device is attached to your ductwork and uses fans to send stale air from inside your home outdoors and bring fresh air from outside into your home. It can do this without losing too much energy because it uses a heat exchanger to transfer heat between outgoing and incoming air.
  • Energy recovery ventilator. An energy recovery ventilator is very similar to an HRV, except that it’s a bit more efficient. That’s because beyond just transferring heat between outgoing and incoming air, it can transfer moisture as well. In the summer, these systems can transfer between 70 and 80 percent of the heat from the air outside to the air that’s leaving your home (and vice versa in the winter).

If you have any questions about your options for mechanical ventilation in your home, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Louis air conditioning company. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Weldon Spring, Wentzville, and Winghaven.

photo credit: tompagenet via photopin cc

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