healthy house institute

4 Free HHI Books:

Creating a Healthy Household, The Healthy House Answer Book, Healthy Home Building, The Healthy House 4th Edition
Your email will only be used as described in our Privacy Policy

Follow us on Twitter

 

Search

Proud Supporter of:

OnlineCourses.com

 

OpenCourseWare

HHI-Pedia Entry

ERV

By HHI Staff

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) are heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) that exchange moisture between the two air streams. An ERV is a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) that recovers both latent heat and sensible heatLatent heat is the amount of heat that must be removed from air to change the water vapor from a gas to a liquid. Sensible heat is the amount of heat involved in raising or lowering the temperature of air, not including any heat required to cause water vapor to change state (e.g., from a gas to a liquid).

 

entry continues below ↓


We do not strictly control Google ad content. If you believe any Google ad is inappropriate, please email us directly here.

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is a ventilation device capable of transferring heat (and sometimes moisture) between two airstreams, or from one airstream into water. People often refer to HRVs as energy-saving devices. This isn’t exactly true because HRVs are equipped with fans that require electricity to operate; therefore, they actually consume energy. In fact, HRVs, central-supply, and central-exhaust ventilators all use electricity to run their fans. Remember, all forms of ventilation consume energy. HRVs consume less energy by reducing, but not eliminating, the cost of tempering the incoming air (or by heating water, in the case of a central-exhaust heat-pump water heater). An HRV is first and foremost a ventilator and, second, offers a way to recover energy that would otherwise be wasted during the process of ventilating. (Actually, an HRV should save more energy by tempering the incoming air (or heating water) than its fans consume, but whether it does so, depends of its efficiency and the climate.)

 

 

Most HRVs are balanced ventilators in which heat is transferred from one airstream to another. These balanced HRVs are often called air-to-air heat exchangers (AAHXs). Central-exhaust heat-pump water heaters are HRVs but they are not AAHXs because they transfer heat from one airstream into water, not between two airstreams. Another term often used is energy recovery ventilator (ERV). All HRVs transfer sensible heat from one airstream to another or to water. If latent heat is also transferred, then an HRV can be called an ERV. While there are specific differences between these different terms, many people use HRV, AAHX, and ERV interchangeably.

 

 

Source: Understanding Ventilation: How to Design, Select, and Install Residential Ventilation Systems - published by The Healthy House Institute.

 

 

 

HHI Error Correction Policy

HHI is committed to accuracy of content and correcting information that is incomplete or inaccurate. With our broad scope of coverage of healthful indoor environments, and desire to rapidly publish info to benefit the community, mistakes are inevitable. HHI has established an error correction policy to welcome corrections or enhancements to our information. Please help us improve the quality of our content by contacting allen@healthyhouseinstitute.com with corrections or suggestions for improvement. Each contact will receive a respectful reply.

The Healthy House Institute (HHI), a for-profit educational LLC, provides the information on HealthyHouseInstitute.com as a free service to the public. The intent is to disseminate accurate, verified and science-based information on creating healthy home environments.

 

While an effort is made to ensure the quality of the content and credibility of sources listed on this site, HHI provides no warranty - expressed or implied - and assumes no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process disclosed on or in conjunction with the site. The views and opinions of the authors or originators expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of HHI: its principals, executives, Board members, advisors or affiliates.

ERV:  Created on June 4th, 2009.  Last Modified on March 1st, 2011

 

References listed above credit sources The Healthy House Institute consulted for background or additional information.

All HHI-PediaTM content is © 2005-2024 The Healthy House InstituteTM.

Except for third-party Copyrighted© material, you may freely use, excerpt or cite this material provided the Healthy House Institute receives credit and the Web address www.HealthyHouseInstitute.com is plainly listed with all uses, excerpts or citations.

 

We do not strictly control Google ad content. If you believe any Google ad is inappropriate, please email us directly here.

 

 

Information provided by The Healthy House Institute is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient/physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Education Partners

 

 

Popular Topics: Air Cleaners & Air Purifiers | Allergies & Asthma | Energy Efficiency & Energy Savings | Healthy Homes | Green Building
Green Cleaning | Green Homes | Green Living | Green Remodeling | Indoor Air Quality | Water Filters | Water Quality

© 2006-2024 The Healthy House Institute, LLC.

 

About The Healthy House Institute | Contact HHI | HHI News & Media | Linking Resources | Advertising Info | Privacy Policy | Legal Disclaimer

 

HHI Info