Custom Home Builder Georgetown & Pawleys Island, SC | Health-Wise Custom Homes
Custom Home Builder Georgetown & Pawleys Island, SC | Health-Wise Custom Homes
Air Exchanger Basics
With the emphasis on energy conservation and efficiency, new home construction can create a problem of indoor air pollution. Vapor barriers, thermal windows, weather-stripping and caulk have reduced or stopped fresh air from infiltrating and replacing stale air. Entering and exiting the house through doors isn’t always enough air changes. Cooking, aerosol sprays, cleaning agents, paints, and in some cases excess humidity if the house is sealed too tightly can create an undesirable environment. Keeping windows or doors open does not conserve energy. A device known as an air-to-air exchanger is used to recover heating or cooling and improve air quality.
There are many different designs of air exchangers, depending on the manufacturer, but the principle is the same. Fresh air is drawn in from a port open to the outside of the building, and passed through a chamber, also know as the exchanger, that is surrounded by indoor air. Highly conductive metal or other materials removes the energy (heat) from the warmer air and gives it to the cooler air. The fresh air is then ducted into the house, and the indoor air is ducted to a port and expelled outside.
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