Balanced ventilation year round when windows are closed?
Miles Adams| Posted inGBA Pro Helpon
I want balanced fresh air exchange to improve indoor air quality and reduce humidity in the winter. And also to improve indoor air quality and reduce humidity in the summer. It seems like hrv/erv are designed for only cold or only hot humid climates not a mix of the two.
Another question, could an erv be ran with 4 ducts on the inside of the house? It would be exhaust and supply that feed to downstairs living space and exhaust and supply that feed to upstairs. It would be way to expensive to tear up drywall and install to each room. It seems like a simple setup like this would be sufficient to filter the air enough.
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Replies
Miles. You might want to check out this article (//m.etiketa4.com/blogs/dept/musings/designing-good-ventilation-system) along with the links in the sidebar.
It also would be helpful to know your location and some details on your home's construction.
Miles,
The purpose of a ventilation system is to introduce a little fresh air into the house, and in some cases to remove a little stale air from some of the rooms in your house. A ventilation system is not designed to lower your home's humidity in the summer -- that's not its purpose, and you can't expect it to do that.
To lower your home's humidity in the summer, you either need to use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier (or, in some cases, both).
Either an HRV or an ERV can be used to ventilate your home in summer and in winter.
It's hard to give you advice on how to duct your HRV or ERV without visiting your house. Here is a link to an article you may want to read:Ducting HRVs and ERVs.
You also mention that you are interested in filtering your air. All HRVs and ERVs provide some type of filtering of outdoor air, but if you have a specific need for a certain kind of air filter, that may require a separate piece of equipment.
Here is a link to an article that provides an overview of your ventilation options:Designing a Good Ventilation System.