How It Works
Basement Homes
When an E·Z Breathe® unit is installed and operating in the basement, the moist, cool air is drawn into the bottom of the unit by a quietly powerful fan and then expelled. This creates an area of decreased pressure at the lower level and causes the warmer, drier air from the upper levels to be drawn downstairs. This is ideal for drying out basements and crawlspaces. The direct effect of the air being expelled and the downward flow of air into the basement or crawlspace creates an air exchange in the house that is six to ten times higher than that of the average home.
In the Summer
Basements typically have poor ventilation. They also are cooler. This results in higher relative humidity, which results in mold.
What’s that smell?
That musty smell is the gases that are expelled by mold during its life cycle. The smell is a clear indication that you have live mold colonies in your home. Mold needs moisture. Control the moisture and the mold goes with it. Enter E·Z Breathe.
E·Z Breathe draws the drier, better air from upstairs and uses it to condition the basement. You control the environment upstairs to achieve a comfortable environment. What is comfortable for you is good for the structure, and bad for mold and dust mites. Ideally you want to maintain a humidity level between 30% and 50% year round – throughout your home.
In addition, by reducing the overall moisture level in the home, you also reduce the workload on your air conditioning system.
To achieve the same level of dehumidification with a dehumidifier you would need several dehumidifiers which will cost you $20 to $30/month for each dehumidifier. And you still won’t be getting air changes.
E·Z Breathe is the one two punch on mold – it not only reduces the moisture that mold needs to survive, it also expels the mold gases (that smell) and mold spores (what makes you sneeze) out of your home. Incidentally, if uncontrolled, the mold gases and spores are often spread throughout your home by your furnace. Now you know why you often get sick the first time you run your furnace in the fall/winter.
Another benefit to moisture control is insect control. Ask any exterminator, and they’ll tell you that if you eliminate moisture, bugs and the things that eat bugs go with the moisture.
In the Winter
In the winter two of the most common problems that E·Z Breathe is designed and proven to improve are:
- Condensation on windows.
- Losing heat through the roof.
Condensation on windows:
You tighten up your home with better windows and/or insulation – and with the first frost you have condensation on your windows. You call the window company, and they are going to tell you that condensation is caused by too much moisture and lack of ventilation.
E·Z Breathe is the proven answer – lower the overall humidity by exhausting excess water out of the home, and move the air better with the ventilation system that is working in 40,000 homes right now! Problem solved.
But wait – you say – I humidify during the winter! Right, often times homeowners humidify in the winter, and usually too much of that moisture ends up on the windows, and in the basement. E·Z Breathe will distribute your humid air more evenly throughout the home. Set the humidifier and the E·Z Breathe at the same level – say 35%, and achieve a healthy level throughout your home.
Lost heat:
E·Z Breathe owners experience not only better moisture control and better air quality, but also better heating bills. Why?
- Damp, dirty air takes more energy to heat and shortens the life expectancy of the furnace. E·Z Breathe controls the moisture.
- By creating a slight negative pressure at the lowest level – E·Z Breathe draws the heat back down into the living area, thus reversing (to a certain extent) the natural rising of heat that results in the loss of heat through the roof. E·Z Breathe won’t completely eliminate heat loss, but it will make a noticeable difference in your home and in your life.
- In addition, because the E·Z Breathe system is controlled by a humidistat, as soon as you have achieved the desired humidity level (30 – 50%), it turns off. Therefore when it detects the heated dry air, it turns off, and doesn’t expel your heat.
We’ve never had a customer report a net heating bill increase after putting in an E·Z Breathe. Most customers experience a reduced heating bill. And we have E·Z Breathe installed in Alaska, and throughout Canada.
The E·Z Breathe process helps to prevent and decrease mold and mildew by not allowing the moist air to condense onto cool surfaces or become stagnant. Gases and pollutants that have built up in the home are expelled and replaced with fresh air.
