ERV Efficiency – GreenBuildingAdvisor

CT shoreline, Zone 5, newly renovated old home.

We recently moved into our all electric renovated 1850’s home with a Mitsubishi Hyper Heat Pump and a GE ERV. For the first week, the ERV was not connected and the HP did quite well. We were extremely comfortable and even had to damper down some rooms to lower temps here and there. The house is testing less than 1 ACH, with no problems so far with us feeling ill or the fireplace drawing properly, unless we run the kitchen hood with a fire going. An open window solves that problem.

Today the HVAC tech came to make some adjustments and get the ERV up and running. The unit is either on or off and not controlled by the air handler. It feeds the return ducts. It’s only been half a day, but the ERV may be circulating the air in the house better and helping the HP run less….don’t know yet.

So here’s my question:

Why run it? If we’re getting enough fresh air with 1 ACH, it seems to me I’m sending hot air out of the ERV and only getting a percentage of that heated air back. Why bother?

Thanks in advance.

Nick