Does an air exchanger cool the house?

Author: Evan O'Hara DVM  |  Last update: Tuesday, May 20, 2025

An air exchanger should not make your house cold if it is functioning correctly. It is designed to exchange indoor air with outdoor air without significantly affecting the indoor temperature. If your house feels cold, it could be due to other factors or an issue with the system that needs to be addressed.

Should you run air to air exchanger in summer?

Run your air to air exchanger in the winter months and turn it to standby in the spring, summer, and fall. You should still press your fan button control in all times of the year to remove that surge of moisture when we bath or shower, but the air exchanger itself will be fairly dormant during the summer months.

What are the disadvantages of air exchangers?

Not only does it require electricity to run the air exchanger, but the air the exchanger brings into your house must be brought up to temperature. This may require that more electric is used to cool your building or that more fuel is also required for heating.

Should you leave your air exchanger on all the time?

The exchanger really should not run more than 20 minutes out of the hour as you are causing the furnace to have to run to heat the cold outside air you are drawing in. A better way to keep air fresh is to allow the exchanger to run 20 minutes but keep fan in on position on furnace to keep circulating air.

Are air to air exchangers worth it?

An air exchanger constantly renews your indoor air, bringing several advantages: Significant improvements in air quality. Moisture evacuation. Superior ventilation.

How Does Energy Recovery Ventilation Work? | This Old House

Do air exchangers use a lot of electricity?

The cooler indoor air cools the heat exchanger core, which subsequently cools the incoming warm outdoor air. This results in less reliance on your air conditioning system, translating into lower energy usage.

How much does a whole house air exchange system cost?

The average whole house air filtration system costs $2,610, but it can range between $419 and $4,962, depending on the system size, filtration type, and the installation requirements.

What is the lifespan of an air exchanger?

Air exchangers are quite durable, and can easily last 15-20 years. With proper maintenance, it's possible for air exchange units to last as long as 25 years.

Why is my air exchanger blowing cold air?

Sometimes, the heat exchanger can get too hot and overheat. Your system can sense this overheating and will turn off the burners but keep the blower (fan) on to help the heat exchanger cool down. If this is your issue, you'll notice cool air blowing from your vents instead of heated air.

Should you turn off HRV in summer?

Technically, neither answer is wrong. That said, we suggest using your HRV system anytime all of your windows and doors are closed. The system can cool the incoming air during the summer in the same way that it heats the air during the winter. So you won't be sacrificing efficiency during the summer months either.

Are air exchangers a fire hazard?

The agency says it is “normal” for an air exchanger's motor to overheat, make noise and emit smoke when it reaches the end of its life, but the integrated safety device and current limiter shut off the power supply to prevent a fire. A total of 207,000 units of the affected products were sold in Canada.

Do air exchangers cause heat loss?

A poorly maintained air exchanger can lead to negative or positive pressure inside the home, resulting in heat loss and the appearance of mold and mildew, among other problems.

Does air exchanger make house dry?

Regulate humidity: Air exchangers eliminate excess moisture, which helps keep your home comfortable—not too humid and not too dry.

How do I know if my air exchanger is working?

Signs of a Properly Functioning Air Exchanger

Stable Indoor Humidity Levels: One of the main roles of an air exchanger is to regulate humidity levels. If your indoor humidity is stable and within a comfortable range (between 30% and 50%), it's likely your air exchanger is functioning correctly.

Can a heat exchanger cool your house?

As the fans draw warm air from the room over the heat exchanger, the cold water within cools the air. This cooled air is then dispersed back out into the room, reducing the temperature.

Do you need an air purifier if you have an air exchanger?

If an air exchanger is an essential component of a central heating and air conditioning system, adding an air purifier will give you incomparable air quality. Discover their respective roles below, and the products recommended by our team.

Should the air exchanger be on in summer?

The answer depends on your home's air conditioning system, your ERV wall control, the outdoor temperature and, most importantly, the outdoor relative humidity. As a rule of thumb, if you are more comfortable outside than inside your house, you should run your air exchanger in the summer.

Does an air exchanger bring in cold air?

An air exchanger should not make your house cold if it is functioning correctly. It is designed to exchange indoor air with outdoor air without significantly affecting the indoor temperature. If your house feels cold, it could be due to other factors or an issue with the system that needs to be addressed.

Why is my heat blowing cool air in my house?

The heater might blow cold air rather than warm if the gas line supply has been turned off. This usually happens when something goes wrong with the heater, and it breaks. For example, maybe there was a problem with a gas valve, the gas supply pipe, or something else in your furnace broke down.

Should you turn off air exchanger in winter?

We recommend that you run your air exchanger for twenty minutes every hour, this will save you money on your heating. By ensuring your appliance is properly installed, this will provide you with more comfort, better air quality, a good way to control humidity inside.

Should air exchanger run constantly?

Your air exchanger is most effective when run continuously. As long as it's on, your exchanger continuously filters out polluted air and brings in the clean stuff. If you turn your exchanger off, pollutants can build up in your indoor air.

Does an air exchanger act like a dehumidifier?

The purpose of these air exchangers are to provide fresh air into the air system along with dehumidifying the existing air to ensure your home isn't creating mold growth. These systems also clean the existing stagnant air inside the home, allowing fresh air to move around freely.

Can you install an air exchanger in an older home?

For several years now, all new dwellings include an air exchanger to compensate for the improved airtightness of the buildings and thus ensure that the air circulates properly. However, it's often advantageous to install this type of apparatus in an older home, as well, as long as the home is well insulated.

What is the most expensive part of an HVAC system?

The compressor is the most expensive component to replace in an AC unit, and it can cost up to $4,000. It's expensive for two major reasons. First, it's responsible for circulating the refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser coils. Secondly, it's a highly complex equipment with intricate details.

How many air exchanges does a house need?

ASHRAE and the CDC now recommend a minimum of 5 air exchanges per hour (ACH) in homes. (The minimum standard used to be as low as 0.35). Yet the Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV / HRV) on the market for residential buildings barely have enough CFMs for one ACH, let alone five - even in my small 600sq2 studio.

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