More than ever, indoor air quality is a concern to homeowners. Due to the lack of adequate ventilation in homes built to high energy-conserving standards, airborne pollutants including dust, pollen, mold spores and a variety of chemical fumes such as formaldehyde can accumulate in homes and rise to unhealthy levels. Bringing in more fresh air is one strategy for improving interior air quality. Here’s how an energy recovery ventilator does it without sacrificing heating or cooling:

Utilizing two dedicated duct systems, an ERV pulls stale air out of the kitchen, bathrooms and other areas and exhausts it outdoors. Through a second duct, the ERV intakes an equivalent volume of fresh outside air and conveys it to bedrooms and living areas. Since the amount of stale air exhausted equals the volume of fresh air brought in, the critical neutral air balance inside the home is maintained.

At the central ERV unit, the incoming and outgoing airstreams pass in parallel ducts. A heat exchanger between the ducts extracts up to 80 percent of the household heat from the exhaust stream and transfers it to the fresh airstream without any mixing of the two sources. This eliminates most of the heat loss while still supplying continuous fresh air during winter. During summer, the process is reversed and the ERV takes heat out of the incoming air and adds it to the exhausting air.

An ERV also performs a dual function of controlling humidity when outdoor winter air is very dry. Utilizing a process called enthalpy transfer, the unit extracts water vapor from outgoing household air and adds it to incoming fresh air to counteract low winter humidity.

Serving San Antonio for almost four decades, Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning is the local source of trusted heating and cooling sales and service. Ask us today about the benefits of enhancing indoor air quality with an energy recovery ventilator.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Why ventilate
When there’s a lack of proper attic ventilation:

• Your air conditioner must work harder to cool your home, as high temperatures in the attic will eventually seep into the ductwork and down into your living spaces.
• Your A/C won’t last as long.
• You’ll likely develop problems with your roof.
• You’ll eventually experience damage to your attic area, such as warped wood or rotted insulation.

Ventilation options
Because of this high-priority concern, the experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning recommend improving attic ventilation for energy efficiency year-round. These home ventilation tips will create a healthy, durable space using the following system options:

• Soffit and ridge vents, providing the attic with fresh, incoming air and exhausting hot air out.
• Attic fans, which are controlled by a thermostat, so when the attic spaces reach the preset temperature, the attic fan will cycle on, helping to remove significantly hot air.
• Solar attic fans operate in much the same way, but they’re powered by solar panels, and as a result don’t cost homeowners energy to run.

Benefits of ventilating your space
Work with your HVAC contractor to decide upon the home ventilation tips that will work best for your home. With a ventilation system in place, you can expect to gain the following benefits:

• Lower energy costs
• An air conditioner with a longer life span
• A lasting, durable attic
• A healthy attic space, free of mold and mildew

For more home ventilation tips, or to talk to an expert at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning about attic ventilation options, contact us today. Serving the greater San Antonio area since the mid-1970s, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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An energy recovery ventilator will not clean the air in your home like an air purifier, ultraviolet light or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system would, but it’s an essential component to any home to provide a means to allow fresh outside air into the home, and a way for old, stale, clammy indoor air a way to exit the home.

And it won’t interfere with making your home airtight, which is critical for ensuring energy savings and comfort, as energy that leaks out causes your home’s HVAC equipment to work harder in all seasons to comfortably condition the air in your home.

Energy recover ventilators can work with your home’s existing ductwork, or they can operate using a dedicated system of ducts. Here’s how it works:

• The ERV has an air-supply vent, which routes outside air into the home.
• Inside the ERV unit, the system strips out humidity from the incoming supply of air, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to remove humidity.
• The pre-cooled air supply makes its way to your air conditioner, where it is further cooled.
• The air is then routed through your home’s ductwork and into your living spaces.
• It then moves through the return-duct system, where the ERV ushers the old, polluted air out through the ERV’s exhaust vent.
• At this point in the process, the ERV takes the energy in the exhausted air and sends it to the incoming stream of air.

With an energy recovery ventilator installed in your home, you’ll benefit from lower energy costs, dehumidified air and fresher air. For more information about ERVs, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today. Serving the greater San Antonio area since the mid-1970s, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Natural ventilation

Every homeowner can use natural ventilation by opening doors and windows when temperatures are mild. In addition, some homes will have natural ventilation by means of air leaks throughout the home. However, neither of these natural methods works when you need to run your A/C or furnace and ensure energy efficiency. However, when the weather allows, using open windows and doors can provide an efficient means to circulate air.

Spot ventilation

For better control over indoor air quality, homeowners can use spot ventilation, such as turning on exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens. This method is optimal when you want to exhaust moisture and cooking odors that can degrade indoor air quality. However, it’s best to leave the fans running for only a few minutes, as too much ventilation through spot control can actually work counter to energy efficiency and increase humidity within the home.

Whole-house ventilation

For optimal control over air circulation and indoor air quality, whole-house ventilation is the best choice, and it’s a method that will ensure energy efficiency and precise control over air impurities and moisture. In San Antonio, homeowners can take advantage of an energy recovery ventilator (ERV), which ensures ventilation through two dedicated venting systems to supply fresh outdoor air and exhaust stale indoor air, all the while removing moisture from the air supply, and effectively dehumidifying the home. Further, an ERV can reuse energy from the outgoing air to precool (and preheat) the incoming air, somewhat offsetting the operating costs of the ERV itself.

To talk to an expert about your home’s best venting options, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today. We can assess your home and recommend the ideal venting option to boost indoor air quality and ensure that your home’s air circulation is ideal. Serving homeowners in the greater San Antonio area since the mid-1970s, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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But a solar attic fan can work with your existing attic vents to lower the temperature in that space dramatically, and help to prevent mold and moisture problems from humidity buildup, too. Here’s how it works:

Venting in the attic is necessary to help usher heat and moisture out of the space, and to preserve the structural integrity of your attic, helping it to last. Without ventilation, the space would become ripe for moisture buildup, causing mold to grow and the wood structure of the space to rot.

To avoid these problems — and high energy costs — your attic needs a way to continually circulate the air inside of it. Most attics already have ridge and soffit vents, providing a means for outside air to enter the space and inside air to exit the space. However, this ventilation system often isn’t adequate by itself to ensure proper ventilation.

That’s where a solar attic fan comes in: A fan powered by solar energy will create enough pressure in the space to push hot air outside. Further, it offers several additional benefits including:

• There’s no need to run electrical wiring to power the unit.
• There’s no cost to run the fan, as solar energy powers the device for free.
• The fans are generally very quiet.

Bring down the temperature in your attic with a solar attic fan, and ensure a healthy, durable attic and lower energy bills. For more information, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We have been helping homeowners in the greater San Antonio area since the mid-1970s.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Sealing air leaks in the attic, therefore, is a low-cost way to drastically improve home energy efficiency and comfort. Air leaks in an attic space are likely to occur in two places:

• The attic floor (allowing hot air to move into the home)
• The attic walls and ceiling

And both are problematic. When your home leaks air elsewhere in its structure, the stack effect occurs, so that air is drawn from the living areas and into the attic, where it escapes. This creates a never-ending cycle of energy loss.

Leaks in the attic floor allow extremely hot attic air, which can reach 150 degrees, to enter the living space, increasing the home’s cooling load. Your air conditioner will then run longer, consume more energy and spike your energy bills.

If you’ve never had your attic assessed for air leaks, you’ll want to schedule an appointment with an HVAC expert soon. And for the relatively low cost of the evaluation and the actual sealing work, you can gain energy savings and improved home comfort for many years to come.

However, sealing home air leaks can be a simple project that most homeowners can do or a comprehensive task requiring special tools, instruments and expertise. To maximize your air-sealing project, talk to an HVAC expert about attic insulation and ventilation, as these three components are interdependent, and sealing air leaks won’t accomplish much if your home is lacking in appropriate ventilation and insulation.

To schedule a home-comfort appointment with greater San Antonio’s leading HVAC experts, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We can help you with sealing air leaks, as well as identifying insulation problems and recommending attic ventilation solutions. We serve residents of greater San Antonio.

Because home comfort generally depends on the temperature and flow of air coming out of the ductwork, most homeowners give this portion of the system more importance. However, the delicate temperature balance and airflow throughout your home rely on the combination of supply air and return air.

When a return-air duct system is less than ideal, your comfort — and energy savings —  can suffer. Ideally, return systems are designed:

Using A Multiple-room Plan

In this design, return ducts are installed in every room of the home. This type of system is ideal (but more costly) because it helps rooms far from the HVAC system receive ideal airflow, ensuring comfort in every space. It also decreases imbalances due to pressurization and optimizes privacy. Problems can arise, however, because the blower must accommodate for friction losses.

Using A Central-return Plan

In this type of design, one return air duct is centrally located on each floor of the home. However, to ensure airflow, the doors to individual rooms must remain open, or jumpers or transfer grilles need to be installed. Central plans are prone to leakage, as well as noise.

If you suspect that your return system might be problematic, the experts at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning are uniquely qualified to help. Our track record of helping San Antonio homeowners improve their return-air duct systems means we know how to address unique return air problems.

When one of our experts comes to your home, he will evaluate the ductwork for airflow, including supply runs and return ducts. Comprehensives tests are sometimes required to assess the system for air leaks or to check the static pressure. Working together, we’ll come up with solutions that will fit your budget and vastly improve your system’s efficiency and your home’s comfort.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning. We have served the San Antonio area since the mid 1970s.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Prevention strategies are often more effective if you first understand how mold grows.

Mold is actually useful — as part of nature. In its natural environment, mold helps to “mulch” organic matter such as leaves. But inside your home, it holds no value. Mold spores, when present in the air, are attracted to moist surfaces. Once they meet up with moisture, they begin to feast — namely, by reproducing at an alarmingly fast rate.

If you’ve ever had a mold problem in your home, you likely have first-hand experience with how stubborn mold spots are — and how hard it is to get rid of them. That’s why prevention is the best strategy.

Most obviously, the best way to prevent mold is to avoid dampness in your home. But this can be hard to do in San Antonio, with nearly year-round high relative humidity levels. Short of moving, here’s what you can do:

• Clean up water spills and leaks immediately.
• Keep your gutters in good condition for ideal drainage.
• Be sure the ground around your home doesn’t slope toward the structure, which can cause moisture to seep into the home.
• Make sure that your bathroom and kitchen exhaust systems, as well as your furnace and dryer venting, send humid air outside.
• Use a whole-house dehumidification system to consistently maintain healthy indoor humidity levels. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you can ensure safe indoor humidity levels by keeping relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent. Dehumidification systems are generally manufactured with sensors that allow you to program a particular humidity setting; the system will adjust its output accordingly.
• Consider installing an A/C enhancer, a component that will assist your air-conditioning system by  specifically addressing moisture removal.

Easily limit household mold problems and use these tips to prevent it from getting the upper hand. For expert help and advice, contact Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today. Serving San Antonio and surrounding communities, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Household air quality image via Shutterstock

Imagine if your home, or any building for that matter, was completely sealed up, preventing any air from entering or exiting the structure. That would result in less-than-ideal air quality, among other things. This image gives you a picture of how an efficient home, although desirable, also creates deficiencies.

In the past, most homeowners relied on natural ventilation, either through cracks and leaks in the home or by opening a window. However, in San Antonio neither is practical, nor desirable, for energy savings or comfort.

That’s why most homes nowadays need a mechanical ventilation system. And its benefits are real, including:

Improved indoor air quality

Indoor air pollution is more of a danger than ever, with the Environmental Protection Agency listing it among its top five worst offenders. So, it’s essential to have a means to get rid of stale, polluted indoor air, and usher out pollen, dander, moisture and other allergens.

Better control over even ventilation

Relying on natural air leaks is a less-than-efficient means to ensure proper ventilation, never mind that you can’t use it to evenly control the distribution of the supply of fresh air with a balanced supply of exhausted air. Using windows leads to the same problems. A mechanical ventilation system will produce even amounts of supply and exhaust air, ensuring that your home is appropriately and safely ventilated.

Upgraded home comfort

Depending on the type of ventilation system you choose, you can boost overall home comfort with features that use conditioned air to treat the incoming air supply (which also saves energy), provide dehumidification or filter the air.

This year, take your home ventilation to new heights. Ventilation systems will help to improve indoor air quality, give you more control over ventilation, and upgrade your home comfort. Get help with your home’s ventilation by contacting Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning today. Our experts serve San Antonio homeowners with pride.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ventilation image via Shutterstock

Energy recovery ventilators

Most homes require ventilation, especially during extreme weather, because they tend to stay closed up to keep homeowners comfortable. But this action also restricts air circulation, keeping air inside and preventing fresh air from infiltrating the home.

That’s how ERVs help, providing an equal supply of fresh incoming air and polluted outgoing air. And while that air is exhausted, it takes with it the pollution — and moisture — from within your home.

Here’s how it works:

• Two supply channels allow one duct to take in fresh, outside air, while another disposes of stale, moist indoor air.
• The two streams of air pass each other, but don’t ever intermingle, so there’s no chance of pollution to taint incoming air.

But here’s the rub — while the ERV transfers these two streams of air, there’s one element that does remain: Energy. In the summer, when the ERV exhausts cool air, the energy is transferred to the supply stream. The system can reuse up to 80 percent of conditioned air to pre-cool the incoming supply — reversing the cycle in the winter, reusing heated air.

You may be wondering, Why do I need an ERV when I have a central A/C system that? Air conditioners are not designed to remove humidity. The air in your home only feels less moist because it feels cooler, and colder air naturally holds less moisture. It’s highly beneficial to have a ventilation system to manage moisture, increasing the efficiency of your A/C when it doesn’t have to overcome humidity.

Take your home’s comfort, indoor air quality and energy savings to the next level with a energy recovery ventilators. Contact us at Jon Wayne Heating & Air Conditioning for help. We have served San Antonio homeowners since the mid-1970s.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Fresh air image via Shutterstock