Most home heating and cooling systems have two separate parts: The furnace or heat pump, responsible for indoor air temperature control, and the air conditioner, responsible for removing humidity from the air.
This article will focus on a single system responsible for both of these tasks – the dedicated outside air system (DOAS).
What Is A Dedicated Outdoor Air System?
A DOAS is the component of a home’s HVAC (heating, ventilation, and cooling) system that brings outside air into the house. It consists of two major components: A metal blower-fan unit located on your home’s exterior underneath or next to your furnace) and an intake duct running from this unit to the inside of your home.
How Does A DOAS Function?
Most homes have a heat pump or furnace responsible for heating and cooling the air in the house. When you want to heat your home, this unit pulls outside air from around your home and pushes it through a filter before distributing it throughout your living space.
The heat pump/furnace can switch the airflow direction depending on whether you are heating or cooling your home, making it possible for this unit to also function as an air conditioner in the summer months.
Aids in Air Circulation for Your Home
The outdoor metal blower-fan unit functions by pulling in outside air and blowing it through the intake duct, which funnels air into the furnace or heat pump. It means that the air pulled in by your DOAS is not just coming from outside – it is also coming through your home’s return ducts, which are located near the inside of your home. These return ducts bring air back into your living space that has already been heated or cooled by your furnace or air conditioner.
Benefits Of Installing This Unit
The main benefit of installing a DOAS is that you can ensure your home has clean, fresh air from the outside. When installed, this unit will pull in outside air from around your home and force it into your furnace or heat pump to be filtered before being pushed back into your living space.
It ensures that the air you’re inhaling in your home is as clean and pure as possible, especially during the summer months when insects, pollen, and other allergens are more abundant.
Complete Temperature Control
In a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), two systems work together to control indoor humidity and temperature: the furnace/air conditioner and an exhaust fan. The furnace or heat pump heats or cools your home.
To remove humidity from the air, it uses a device called a desiccant dehumidifier (or simply dehumidifier). A standard dehumidifier can remove just enough moisture from the home’s air that your furnace or A/C doesn’t have to function as rapidly, reducing energy consumption.
Keeping Your Home’s Air Fresh and Maintained
If your home does not have a special outdoor unit, you also cannot take advantage of the benefits offered by installing an exhaust fan. An exhaust fan brings in outside air and exhausts indoor air that has been warmed or cooled by your furnace/A/C to outside – while also removing humidity from the home’s air.
If you don’t have a dedicated outdoor system and do not install an exhaust fan, warm or humid air is simply recycled back into your living space by your furnace/A/C until it eventually escapes through the ducts.
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