Ventilating is the process of “changing” or replacing air in any space to control temperature or remove moisture, odours, smoke, heat, dust and airborne bacteria. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in buildings. Methods for ventilating a building may be divided into mechanical/forced and natural types. Ventilation is used to remove unpleasant smells and excessive moisture, introduce outside air, and to keep interior building air circulating, to prevent stagnation of the interior air.
There are TWO kinds of common ventilation systems in NZ but the most energy efficient and effective system is termed ‘balanced air’, has two fans (intake and exhaust), may be connected to a ducted Aircon system (see the Mitsubishi Lossnay) and works day and night every day of the year. These systems are now price comparable to positive ventilation systems and worth consideration for energy savings and climate control in our muggy Auckland climate.
Please contact us to assist you with determining which system is best suited to your needs as we are an independent ventilation business with a great deal of experience in commercial and residential ventilation designs.
Mechanical or forced ventilation
“Mechanical” or “forced” ventilation is used to control indoor air quality. Excess humidity, odours, and contaminants can often be controlled via dilution or replacement with outside air. However, in humid climates much energy is required to remove excess moisture from ventilation air.
Kitchens and bathrooms typically have mechanical exhaust to control odours and sometimes humidity. Factors in the design of such systems include the flow rate (which is a function of the fan speed and exhaust vent size) and noise level. If the ducting for the fans traverse unheated space (e.g., an attic), the ducting should be insulated as well to prevent condensation on the ducting. Direct drive fans are available for many applications, and can reduce maintenance needs.
Ceiling fans and table/floor fans circulate air within a room for the purpose of reducing the perceived temperature because of evaporation of perspiration on the skin of the occupants. Because hot air rises, ceiling fans may be used to keep a room warmer in the winter by circulating the warm stratified air from the ceiling to the floor. Ceiling fans do not provide ventilation as defined as the introduction of outside air. Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation is the ventilation of a building with outside air without the use of a fan or other mechanical system. It can be achieved with operable windows or trickle vents when the spaces to ventilate are small and the architecture permits. In more complex systems warm air in the building can be allowed to rise and flow out upper openings to the outside (stack effect) thus forcing cool outside air to be drawn into the building naturally through openings in the lower areas. These systems use very little energy but care must be taken to ensure the occupants’ comfort. In warm or humid months, in many climates, maintaining thermal comfort via solely natural ventilation may not be possible so conventional air conditioning systems are used as backups. Air-side economizers perform the same function as natural ventilation, but use mechanical systems’ fans, ducts, dampers, and control systems to introduce and distribute cool outdoor air when appropriate.
Enjoy the benefits of having a proven ventilation system in your home.
Improve your family’s health.
When you ventilate your home with fresh air, you vastly improve the quality of the air that you and your family breathe. That’s got to be better for your health, especially when you consider that ventilating can eliminate:
Excess moisture
Showers, cooking and people produce large quantities of around 10 to 12 litres of water per day for a typical household of two adults and two children! Too much moisture leads to condensation and the growth of mould, mildew and dust mites that can cause or aggravate allergic reactions and lung problems such as asthma. It also rots window sills, peels paint and shortens the life of furnishings.
Common household chemicals and other air-borne pollutants
A ventilation system reduces air-borne chemicals such as those found in tobacco smoke, common household cleaners, and formaldehyde from furniture, carpet and building materials. It also reduces contaminants such as dust and dust mites, pet dander and pollen, which can trigger asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.
Combustion by-products
Potentially dangerous gases – such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide – can be produced by fuel-burning heating equipment such as unflued gas heaters. Without a ventilation system, these unhealthy gas by-products can remain in the air.
Save money on power bills.
A drier home requires less energy to heat than a damp one. Not only that, a ventilation system can supplement your existing home heating (and potentially reduce your power consumption) by capturing free, solar-heated warm air from your home’s roof space on sunny days.
A balanced – air (two fan) ventilation system can actually reclaim energy from the stale air that is extracted from your home, recycling and transferring that same energy to the incoming fresh air so that less heating or cooling is required to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. And that means less pressure on the power bill – and the environment.
Control condensation.
Tired of mopping up crying windows? A ventilation system will help to reduce condensation, giving back your time and view.
Improve security, safety and noise control.
A ventilation system ventilates day and night with fresh, filtered air without having to open doors or windows. This means better home security, greater personal safety and a reduced risk of burglary or intruders. It also means less ambient noise from the neighbourhood.
Rid your home of odours.
Because a ventilation system naturally ventilates your home with fresh, filtered air, it’s very effective at removing household odours caused by smoking, pets, cooking – even teenage boys!
Protect your investment and increase saleability
By getting condensation under control, ventilation systems help protect your windows, curtains, wall coverings and furnishings from the damage that mould and mildew cause. In fact, many real estate agents are now marketing homes with ventilation systems as being drier and better maintained.
Having a home that is well ventilated is an important thing in New Zealand’s sometimes-muggy environment. We believe all of these elements to be essential in the home. Having clean air in the home makes it a more comfortable and healthy living environment. If air is not well circulated around the house, it can become stale. Using dry air is great way to dehumidify any home that is riddled with dampness and condensation. This makes it harder for harmful mould and mildew to grow, which can sometimes cause extremely damaging rot to a home.
