What is best type of home ventilation system for Florida?
We live in a fairly air-tight house in Florida. It is air conditioned most of the year. (Double pane windows fog on the outside in the morning humidity.) I have recently been monitoring the CO2 levels in the home, and they are high. Can you suggest HRV vent systems that will dehumidify and cool incoming air so I can bring CO2 levels down? Would they go into the HVAC return duct and run just when the system circulating fan is on? This may not be your area of expertise...
Alan.
Yes, home ventilation systems can bring in fresh air and lower Co2 levels while managing humidity at the same time. Here is a link that explains -
Choosing between an HRV and ERV (heat recovery and energy recovery ventilation)
HRVs and ERVs both exchange the air in your home and recover heat from exhaust air, but at variable levels. quality home ventilation systems have higher rates of heat recovery. Lower end models may recover 50% of exhaust air heat, while higher end models typicall recover 80% or more heat.
Some models recover over 90% of heat, but the price tag will certainly reflect that added value. Without breaking the bank, something in the 80% range is pretty typical in high performance energy efficient home building.
The main difference between HRVs and ERVs is that energy recovery ventilators keep moisture on the side of the building enclosure where it already is. So for very humid climates or very dry climates it can make more sense to keep the moisture where it is, making an ERV the better choice.
Builders that aim for home rating system certification like Leed for Homes, Net Zero and Passive House may aim for higher, though the value of that balanced against the cost is certainly a discussion worth having.