Innovative Dehumidifier Systems Cautions Homeowners, Property Managers: Don't Depend on Energy Recovery Ventilators to Dehumidify Homes

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C., Oct. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) and heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) are popular and affordable ways to reduce energy costs while maintaining a residence's tight air envelope, but they shouldn't be relied upon to reduce indoor humidity. That's the guidance from award-winning Innovative Dehumidifier Systems (www.innovativedehumidifiers.com), maker of the ENERGY STAR®-certified IW25 in-wall dehumidifier.

Traditional home construction allows for passive air exchange through vents that often connected to attics and crawlspaces. However, modern building practices have resulted in increasingly airtight homes and apartments. One consequence of this phenomenon is stale indoor air and, especially in humid climates, high indoor humidity. And humidity is one of the key ingredients mold and mildew need to grow.

ERVs and HRVs are an effective way to bring outdoor air in while pushing indoor air out. These systems use a set of ducts, fans and filters to keep air streams separate. They are designed, however, to allow the indoor and outdoor streams to exchange heat and moisture as they pass. What this means is that during the winter months, air from the outside is pre-heated before being introduced to the living space. Likewise, the air is cooled during summer so that AC units don't have to work any harder than normal.

Their ability to exchange not just heat energy but also moisture is why so many people think of ERVs/HRVs as dehumidifiers, but this isn't accurate. These systems can somewhat reduce the amount of moisture coming in, but they do little or nothing to remove moisture that's already inside. And the effectiveness of that process depends a lot on the relationship between the outdoor and indoor humidity levels. Evidence of moisture not being removed is there is no collection pan or drain hose for water to be removed.  A tropically humid day equals a humid living space, regardless of whether an ERV is running.

At best, the net effect of installing an ERV/HRV can be a relatively lower humidity level than there would be without the system, but not lower than can be achieved with a dedicated dehumidification system. That's where the IW25 from Innovative Dehumidifier Systems comes in.

The IW25 is an in-wall (or surface-mounted) and fully independent system that removes up to 25 pints of moisture from the air every day. The newest model (IW25-2) meets the strictest energy conservation standards, consuming about a third less power than its predecessor. This degree of energy savings has earned Innovative Dehumidifier Systems the ENERGY STAR® certification. Builders who install the IW25-2 as part of new construction or renovation are eligible for points on LEED and EarthCraft projects.

Energy efficiency isn't the only area where the IW25 is a cut above any other standalone hardware. Innovative Dehumidifier Systems manufactures each unit to stand up to regular, long-term use. Epoxy-coated coils resist corrosion and contribute to better indoor air quality. The unit's delicate circuit board is well-protected, and should the condensate pump fail, it's designed to shut down immediately. When installed between studs, the IW25 can be connected to a building's plumbing, so residents never have to think about draining a reservoir. In apartment units, control panels can be locked under a cover so that tenants can't tamper with their settings.

As a testament to the company's emphasis on quality engineering, Innovative Dehumidifier Systems was honored by "Commercial Construction & Renovation" as the leading HVAC energy controls manufacturer for 2016. The company continues to research new and better solutions to indoor humidity problems and, by extension, is helping to create healthy and inviting indoor spaces.

About Innovative Dehumidifier Systems

Innovative Dehumidifier offers its premier product as the only multifamily unit dehumidifier system on the market. Innovative Dehumidifier is an Ocean Isle, North Carolina based company created by Brian Smith and Tom Honeycutt, who developed the IW25 to meet the building industry's growing demand for an appropriate humidity solution for multifamily spaces. Learn more about Innovative Dehumidifier at www.humidityhappens.com.

Contact:
Patricia Davis
Product Manager, Innovative Dehumidifier Systems
[email protected] 
Office: (910) 579-3348

SOURCE Innovative Dehumidifier Systems