The Importance of Ventilation in Your Home

If we sealed our home completely, we should only get fresh air inside when we opened a door or window. To replace them with fresh air, exhaust unwanted smells, water vapor and pollution we need ventilation, but we can turn it on and off as we need it, and direct it where it is necessary we also need to control ventilation.

In this way we can prevent the waste of heat by using energy savings roof ventilators. We then only lose the heat in air allowed to escape for ventilation purposes.

Conventional wisdom has established that an average-sized room requires at least one air change per hour when occupied. However this varies and is dependent on such factors as the number of occupants and the number and nature of the sources of pollution. Traditionally, ventilation was achieved with the use of air bricks and infiltration; however, as our energy conserving becomes more sophisticated, we need to develop a correspondingly more sophisticated ventilation strategy like the energy savings roof exhaust fan. Let’u look at ventilation for combustion and heat exchangers.

Permanent ventilation for combustion

These are the possibilities for you to consider:

• Decide whether to install a heat exchange system.
• Fit controllable trickle ventilators in each room to obtain cross ventilation.

Ventilation strategies

Install energy savings roof fan in kitchen and bathroom, controlled by a timer or humidistat (moisture control switch).

Install permanent ventilation for combustion appliances which rely on a supply of air from inside.

Use defunct chimneys as channels for ventilation or ducting. This may be particularly useful if it is difficult to fit ventilators to the windows. Consider also using your chimneys to recirculate warm air to upper storeys or vice versa.

Install air-cleaning measures: either mechanical or biological, ionizers or filters. If the main problem is humidity then consider using a dehumidifier and if lack of humidity then consider a misting humidifier or again the use of plants.

Opening and closing windows as necessary: if external doors are constantly being used, this may provide sufficient ventilation for much of the day.