IMPROVE HOUSEHOLD AIR QUALITY
Heat Recovery Ventilators from Sean F. O'Leary Freshen the Home's Air
When your mirrors steam up or you burn something in the kitchen, what
do you do? Opening windows or letting in air through doors are common
responses, but are these actions compromising your heated air,
especially during the winter? Sean F. O'Leary,
of Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems offers homeowners a solution
which helps them cost-effectively keep air heated while they gain fresh
ventilation.
What many people don't realize is the air quality in their home may
actually be suffering from its energy-saving features such as thicker
walls, added insulation and airtight windows. While these elements may
keep heated or cooled air from escaping, the lack of fresh air and
ventilation could be causing your home's air supply to become stale and
polluted.
On average, most Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, and
most of this time is spent in their home. During this time, they are
often sharing their homes with bacteria, mold, dust, viruses,
formaldehyde and other gases given off by building materials that can
accumulate in a house if air cannot escape. Additionally, odors from
pets, smoking and cooking, among other pollutants can become trapped
and contaminate household air.
The environment created can be the equivalent of the "sick building"
syndrome of some modern office structures. Household air contamination
has become such a concern that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) now ranks indoor air quality (IAQ) as one of the nation's three
most important environmental issues. According to Sean F. O'Leary,
using Bryant's Ventilator Plus Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) to
achieve the benefits of proper ventilation means you do not have to
sacrifice being comfortable or add to your utility bills.
"Most heating and cooling systems merely re-circulate the same air in a
home. If your home has been sealed to prevent the loss of your heated
or cooled air, the air inside can quickly become stale, even perhaps
unhealthy," said Sean F. O'Leary, Advantage.
Opening windows to bring in fresh air would be the simplest solution.
Unfortunately, this lessens the effect of the home's energy-saving
features. Sean F. O'Leary
states that “Bryant's Ventilator Plus™ HRV is an energy-efficient
alternative. Rather than opening a window to relieve indoor humidity,
an HRV can be used as an exhaust in kitchens or bathrooms. HRVs can
also help reduce radon levels in the home.”
Designed to function best in regions with below-freezing temperatures,
the HRV system is ideal for homeowners in parts of the country where
cooling seasons are short, such as the upper Midwest and Northeast, or
arid climates where high humidity is not a significant factor.
Here's how the system works. The HRV draws fresh air from outside the
home and pushes it into channels that run through the unit's central
core. Stale, polluted air is pulled out of the home and into separate
channels of the HRV's central core. As the two air streams move through
their respective side-by-side channels in the central core, much of the
heat is transferred from the stale outgoing air to the fresh incoming
air. The fresh, heated air is then moved into the home. Because much of
the heat is "recovered" from the stale air, the heating equipment does
not have to work as long or as hard to heat the fresh air, resulting in
energy savings. Fresh air entering the house is frequently
cleaner than the air outdoors. HRVs have metal mesh, washable filters
that remove some of the pollen, dust and other airborne contaminants.
HRV maintenance is simple. The core and the incoming-air filter quickly
slide out of the cabinet. The central core and cabinet can be cleaned
with a vacuum, and the air filter should be washed down. Both should be
cleaned at least once each heating and cooling season.
Bryant's HRVs work in conjunction with other reliable Bryant products
to provide homeowners complete Bryant heating and cooling systems.
These include central air conditioners, heat pumps, gas furnaces, fan
coils, humidifiers, air cleaners and zoning and temperature controls.
They can also be retrofitted to existing systems, including those that
use non-Bryant components.
All HRVs can be 100 percent financed through Bryant's Retail Financing
program. HRVs are backed by a five-year warranty on parts and a
lifetime warranty on the central core. For more information, contact Sean F. O'Leary, 508-759-4600.
About Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems
As a leading supplier of HVAC equipment, Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems has been
dedicated to customer comfort and satisfaction since 1904. In
addition to its best-in-class network of distributors and dealers,
Bryant offers exceptional reliability and energy savings through an
extensive line of durable heating and cooling products. Bryant is
devoted to doing "Whatever It Takes" to deliver the highest quality of
HVAC products and services for consumers nationwide, which is why so
many people have trusted their
indoor comfort needs to Bryant. For more information, visit the company's Web site: www.bryant.com.