Newer, tightly built homes in Tessera, Waterford and the Hollows trap stale air, CO2 and smells. An energy recovery ventilator brings in filtered outside air and exhausts the old without throwing away the cooling you paid for. Written price, $65 trip charge applied.
Licensed & Insured · TDLR AC Contractor TACLA22663C · Texas Responsible Master Plumber RMP44420 · 4.9 stars on Google · Family-owned since 2018 · Mon to Fri 7:30 AM to 8 PM, Sat 8 AM to noon
Real Texas Plumbing - Heating and Air installs energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) on heat pumps, furnaces and air handlers across Lago Vista, Jonestown, Point Venture, The Hollows and Lakeway. Older lake houses leak enough air that they ventilate themselves; the newer, well-sealed homes in Tessera, Waterford, Lakeshore Ranch and Northshore do not, and they can feel stuffy and smell closed-up even when they are clean. An ERV is the fix built for that. Written price before any work starts; the $65 trip charge goes toward it.
A newer, tight house that feels stuffy, especially in the bedrooms overnight
Headaches or grogginess in the morning, worse with the doors closed
Cooking, pet or bathroom smells that hang around for hours
Condensation on windows in winter
A CO2 monitor that climbs past 1,000 ppm with the family home
You crack windows for fresh air and then pay to cool the house back down
An energy recovery ventilator is a small ducted unit that pulls stale air out of the house and brings the same amount of filtered outside air in, and passes the two streams past each other through a core that transfers heat and moisture between them. In a Lago Vista summer that means the incoming 98-degree, humid air is pre-cooled and pre-dried by the outgoing air before it reaches your system, so you get fresh air without the energy penalty of an open window. In winter it works the other way. It runs continuously at low speed or on a schedule, quietly, and the filter is changed a couple of times a year.
There are two kinds of recovery ventilator. An HRV transfers heat only and is built for cold, dry climates. An ERV transfers heat and moisture, which is what you want here: in summer it keeps most of the outdoor humidity out, which matters on the lake. We install ERVs.
Priced for the house and system and given in writing before any work starts. What moves it: the size of the house (which sets the airflow needed), where the air handler is and how the ERV ducts in, the outside wall penetrations for intake and exhaust, and whether the controls tie into your thermostat. The $65 trip charge covers the visit and is applied to the installation.
We look at the house and the system. How tight it is, where the air handler and an outside wall are, and what the house needs in airflow.
Written price with the trip charge applied.
Install. Unit mounted by the air handler, intake and exhaust through an outside wall or roof, ducted into the return, wired and set to run on a schedule or continuously.
Set up and show you. Speeds, schedules, and the filter change.
Lago Vista, including Highland Lake Estates, Bar-K Ranches, Lago Vista Country Club Estates, Tessera on Lake Travis, Lakeshore Ranch and Waterford; Jonestown, Point Venture, The Hollows, Lakeway, Leander, Cedar Park, Bee Cave and northwest Austin.
Lago Vista shop: 20811 Dawn Drive, Unit 706, Lago Vista, TX 78645. Lakeway location: 2802 Flintrock Trace, Lakeway, TX 78738.
Stuffy house? Call (512) 662-2949 or request service online.
Related services: indoor air quality, air purification, whole-home dehumidifiers and duct sealing.
How tight the house is, where the air handler and an outside wall are, and the airflow the house needs.
Sized to the house, priced in writing with the $65 trip charge applied.
Mounted by the air handler, intake and exhaust to outside, ducted into the return, wired and set.
Speeds, schedules and the filter change.
What owners of newer Lake Travis homes ask us about ERVs.
See what local customers notice most—fast help, honest work, and repairs done right.
"We had a great experience with Real Texas Plumbing! We came home to our grinder pump being out. They were here first thing in the morning on a Sunday replacing it. They beat our first estimate by around $1500. They will be our go to company for plumbing and HVAC in the future."
"Friendly and knowledgeable techs came out, confirmed the problem and replaced what was needed. A very fair price compared other companies I had come out the day before."
"Very prompt arrival to fix leak in-ground, fixed everything in about an hour, very reasonable price, and glorious to be able to turn on a faucet or shower and get WATER!. I would/will use them again should any need arise. RECOMMENDED!"
"Amazing service. The day I called about my hot water heater, they came right out, tested it and replaced it!"
"Efrain, who is actually the business owner, did the service. He’s very nice, helpful and professional. We’re hoping that the grinder pump they installed lasts 2 decades."
"I had a fantastic experience with Real Texas Plumbing Heating & Air! Our grinder pump backed up, but their team responded quickly. The technician arrived on time, diagnosed the issue immediately, cleaned and serviced the unit, and tested the alarm and float switches before leaving. They were prompt, honest, and kept the area spotless. Exceptional service from start to finish."
"Super impressed with the detail of real Texas, plumbing and heating and air-conditioning. It was a Superfast transaction I’m really thankful they came out. Took care of everything. My hats off to Efrain and the whole company I live in Leander, Texas and for your heating and air-conditioning needs check out real Texas."
"Great service! These guys do a detailed inspection at a great rate. I wouldn’t use anyone else!"
"These guys are great. Scheduling was quick and easy. Derek came out and got my AC back up and running in no time. Polite and professional. I will be using them for my HVAC services in the future!"
"Same day service. Replaced the capacitor. Fast, reliable. Will use in future."
"Real Texas is the only company i will ever use after going through 3 others. They are fast, reliable and trustworthy. Derek is the best and truly cares about getting the job done right"
"Efrain and his team are phenomenal! Responses were timely with same day service. They went above and beyond to get our grinder pump running again on a holiday weekend. I highly recommend Real Texas Plumbing and Heating! Mary X."
"Prompt, professional, and all around EXCELLENT!! Thank you for the attention to our sump system, we are very happy!"
"Honestly, great service.They made an appointment.They were on time, they were prepared.And they got the job done."
"Great service! I’m extremely happy with the experience. It was very easy to schedule, they arrived when they said they would within an 1 hr window so I didn’t have to wait around all day, and they were able to fix my issue in short time. Very happy with the work and the fair price, will definitely use them going forward and recommending to everyone."
"I found Efrain four years ago and have used him for all of my plumbing needs since. Reasonably priced, responds quickly, and does a great job! I have used him to find and fix a leak near the valve by the street, replace exterior faucets, and replace a busted water heater. I consider him “my guy” for all plumbing needs."
"We called Efrain Saturday day about noon with a leaking disposal. He was out here in the 2 hours he promised with a new garbage disposal in hand. Took about an hour to replace and we don't have anymore to worry about. Appreciate his quick response and competent work. We will call Real Texas Plumbing in the future."
"Excellent service. Efrain and his buddy are heros. They fixed the grinder pump professionally, great attitude, no up selling, fair to good deal on pricing. Even triaged a sink leak for me. Highly recommend Efrain."
"We were out of town when we were notified that our septic alarm was going off. Real Texas Plumbing came out right away and replaced our lift system pump with one that should last for many years. They sent photos and explained what they had done which brought me a good deal of relief. Happy to have them on my team in case of an emergency."
"My grinder pump quit working this morning. I called Efrain and less than three hours later he had replaced the broken line and fittings inside the tank. He also bundled and tied up the electrical wires to get them away from the floats. I am very pleased with the quick response and excellent work."
"Hot water heater went out...shopped for "best" deal I could get on short notice. Efrain gave me "BEST" of 4 quotes...And came out same day and Removed and Replaced my water heater for MUCH less than other local in area dealers! He SAVED our Christmas!!!"
"Efron and his guys were at my home within a couple hours of my SOS for the dreaded grinder pump red light! They were on top of it and sent me a diagnosis quickly. Thank you so much for all of your assistance.!"
"They did a great job with fixing my ac unit and arrived on time and professional highly recommended"
"Excellent service! Efrain did an amazing job replacing my pump. He was on time, professional, and made sure everything was working perfectly before he left. Highly recommend!"
"These guys (Efran and his brother) are great. Efran answered his phone and came out the same day to fix my grinder pump. Great to work with and very knowledgeable. I would recommend highly."
"I ended up not needing service but they were so helpful on the phone while trying to reset my water heater! I will definitely use them in the future!"
"We are so grateful to have the team at Real Texas to help us w our plumbing and other needs at our house. We've had them come out for big issues and small and the price is always fair and the team friendly and reliable. Peace of mind for our home."
"New go to plumbing service! They came out to fix our water heater. They were prompt and thorough and very reasonable. Will definitely call Real Texas Plumbing for any future plumbing needs."
"If you have a grinder pump, these guys are the people to call! I had a grinder pump poorly installed by another company, and Real Texas Plumbing came out the same day I called and took care of everything."
"Used Real Texas for many projects at multiple properties and they consistently do top of the line work. They are our absolute go to for all things plumbing"
"I had a great experience with texas plumbing. They were professional on time and explained everything clearly before starting the work. The job was done quickly, i highly recommend them for anyone needing reliable plumbing service!"
"Great service, worked with me on the price and recommended a good brand on the new grinder pump they installed. Would work with them again."
"Had a great experience with Real Texas Plumbing! Efrain & Ben were polite, professional, and took the time to throughly explain my hot water heater replacement. The work was completely promptly and for a reasonable price. I will be using them in the future for any plumbing repairs."
"Real Plumbing was quick, clean and very respectful when they came to my home to replace 2 toilets. I will definitely have them back to do more plumbing work!"
"These guys were great. Upfront about everything and explained what was wrong with my laundry drain issue. Very professional and took care of my problems as soon as they arrived. Highly recommend. Thank you Efrain and Ben!"
"They were very professional and helpful at my new house, took care of grinder pump service for a good deal and helped check out other hvac issues in the home!"
"We called Real Texas Plumbing Heating and Air when we lost heat at our house in Lago Vista. They came out the same day, found the issue, and fixed it. They did a great job. I would definitely recommend them to anyone."
"Very happy with the service and quality of the work done at our home. They came out the same day I called and completed the work within a day!"
"Always quick to respond and get the needed work completed. Efrain is very knowledgeable about his work and simply, a nice guy to do business with!"
"Real Texas Plumbing came out early to repair my water heater and repair a tub faucet with new parts and did a great job. He took extra care to make all was working correct. I will recommend this company for good honest reliable work."
"Efrain is such a breath of fresh air and an asset to the Lago Vista community. His work is impeccable. He shows up on time and gets the job done in a timely manner. Highly recommend."
"Real Texas Plumbing replaced our hot water heater today. We are very happy. *price was fair *great appliance *Efrain (owner) arrived on time, was knowledgable and installed the heater perfectly. I recommend Real Texas Plumbing and will use them again!"
"Efrain is honest, reliable, gets the job done and no up-selling. He diagnosed, replaced a water heater pump that sprung a leak because of a faulty install of sub standard materials & parts by the builder. Would recommend him 100%"
"I had a broken grinder pump and my usual plumber wasn't responding to my calls. Efrain offered his services and came to my rescue. He is professional, experienced, trustworthy, and best of all, he shows up exactly when he says he will. Needless to say, my "usual" plumber has been replaced by Efrain."
Call (512) 662-2949 or request service online. Written price before we start, $65 trip charge applied to the work.
