In household and outbuildings, as well as in the house, a microclimatic balance is required. One of its components is a high-quality ventilation system. In addition to the car's containment area, ventilation of the inspection pit in the garage is necessary, because and she participates in the general air exchange of the garage.
We will tell you how to organize a stable change of air mass in a box buried in the ground. We will show you what type of system you want to prefer, and explain the reasons. Our recommendations will come in handy for independent home craftsmen who want to keep both buildings and equipment in order.
The content of the article:
- Benefits of a ventilation pit
- Types of ventilation for the inspection pit
-
Organization of ventilation of the inspection pit
- Natural ventilation installation technology
- Forced ventilation system
- Combined pit ventilation system
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Benefits of a ventilation pit
Despite the small dimensions of the viewing compartment, its constant drying and ventilation is very important. Moisture from the car often gets into it, therefore, condensation accumulates, destroying the walls. Because of this, the pit gradually comes into a state that is not suitable for repair work.
The correct organization of ventilation will give a positive result:
- Will normalize the temperature background.
- Normalizes the humidity indicator, which will have a good effect on the condition of the car, tools, metal surfaces of the garage. In addition, dampness can create preconditions for the short circuit of the electrical wiring of the pit lighting line.
- It will exclude conditions favorable for the appearance of fungus, which is able to destroy even concrete and brick elements of both the premises in general and the inspection pit in particular.
- Prevents the accumulation of harmful vapors of fuel, paints and varnishes, machine oil, technical fluids. This is important because reaching a certain concentration, they can cause fire and poisoning.
From a pit in which ventilation is not provided, air saturated with moisture and various vapors will enter the room. This will negatively affect the health of the motorist.
The lack of air flow in the inspection compartment will lead to the fact that the car body will have to be overhauled in 2-3 years.
Since the car enthusiast sometimes spends a lot of time in the inspection department, the air in it must be regularly renewed.
Types of ventilation for the inspection pit
When arranging ventilation in the inspection pit, as in other cases, proceed from the laws of aerodynamics. Consequently, there are three options - natural, forced ventilation, as well as combined. The first method, due to the successful coincidence of price and quality, is preferred by many motorists.
Air masses circulate due to the difference in pressure of air streams with different temperatures. In this case, fresh air jets squeeze out the warm exhaust air. The circulation becomes more intense if the pressure difference, and therefore the thrust, increases.
Natural ventilation does not work well during warm weather. This is explained by the insignificant discrepancy between the outside and inside air temperatures. This circumstance makes one think about a device for forced ventilation, although natural ventilation is often enough to dry out such a small compartment.
SNiP numbered 21-01-99 stipulates that every hour the air masses in the room must be updated. When the vehicle is in working condition, the indicator increases by 4 times
Considering that the requirements for air exchange for a garage are increased, it should be possible to increase the amount of supply air. Maximum efficiency can be achieved with a forced two-channel ventilation system.
In this way, both the optimal inflow of fresh air masses through mechanical devices and the timely removal of contaminated ones will be ensured.
Organization of ventilation of the inspection pit
The ventilation system of the overground part of the garage is extremely simple, and the hood in the inspection pit of the garage is more difficult to arrange, since it has its own characteristics.
It can be implemented in two ways:
- By means of a ventilation device, which is part of the ventilation system of the entire building.
- A separate system of the viewing compartment, separated from the general ventilation.
The most effective solution is autonomous supply and exhaust ventilation system as a supplement to the air exchange of the main building.
Before starting to equip ventilation in the inspection pit, a general scheme should be developed for the entire garage building. Holes in the wall, foundation, basement for the subsequent placement of air ducts are marked on it.
In order for ventilation to work efficiently, it is necessary to observe the ratio of the diameters of the exhaust pipe to the supply pipe. The first must be equal to the second or slightly less, but not more
The project takes into account such points as the volume of the room, the number of cars, underground or above-ground option for placing pipes. The optimal route for the movement of air masses is also being considered.
If the groundwater is not deep enough, in addition to the ventilation system, it is necessary to provide for a good waterproofing of the inspection pit. Then dampness will not accumulate through the floor and walls, and ventilation will do its job better.
For waterproofing, trenches are dug along the walls of the pit. A waterproofing layer of durable polyethylene is laid from the very bottom. Further, the soil is returned back and compacted
Guided by building codes, it should be borne in mind that with natural air exchange, about 1.5 cm of the duct diameter should fall on each square meter of the garage. So, if you take a garage with an area of 10 m², then pipes with a diameter of 15 cm will be required for the installation of the ventilation system.
In the case when the area of the room is 2 times larger, then the diameter of the pipe increases by 2 times. If there are several holes, the calculated diameter is divided by their number.
There is another formula for determining the parameters of the ventilation holes. Their total size should correspond to 0.3% of the area of the room. This method is usually used when calculating a mechanical one-channel system.
Natural ventilation installation technology
In the process of finding a solution to the problem, how to make a hood of this type in the inspection pit and in the garage should be guided by the following principles:
- Around the edges of the pit it is necessary to leave a gap of about 150 mm wide.
- Pit boards should be placed with a 100mm gap.
- A clearance is required on the side opposite to the hood.
For the flow of air, in this case, two boards are removed from the boardwalk. To create conditions for the hood, one board is removed. Supply and exhaust ventilation ducts are placed in opposite corners of the inspection section. The end of the inflow pipe is left at an average distance of 25 cm from the floor level.
If the hood is already present in the garage, you can solve the issue of ventilation of the inspection pit by laying existing air ducts into it.
At the next stage, stepping back about 10 cm from the ground surface, place the top of the supply pipe. The exhaust duct is positioned as close as possible to the inspection pit cover. The opposite end of the chimney, extending outward, is raised above the highest point of the garage roof not less than 0.5 m. During installation, the horizontalness of the pipes is monitored.
The inlet must be regularly cleared of snow in winter. It is easier to increase the height of the hood, at the same time the thrust will increase. To improve circulation, pipes are equipped with deflectors. The supply air duct is completed with a grate to avoid insects and rodents from entering it.
In cold winter conditions, pipes must be insulated, otherwise they may freeze. In an unheated garage, natural ventilation can function poorly not only in summer but also in winter.
In the room, plugs are often installed on the pipes, allowing, if necessary, to shut off the circulation completely or limit its intensity
When the car engine is running, it becomes a source of heat, but two hours after turning off the temperature in the room is not much different from the outside. The efficiency of natural ventilation drops.
The solution is simple: in order to maintain air exchange and prevent condensate from freezing in the exhaust duct, an ordinary 40 W incandescent lamp is used. The cartridge is suspended under the channel opening and turned on. The lamp generates heat, which is enough for the air to move at a speed of 0.2 to 0.4 m / s.
It is important to insulate the channel and exclude moisture from entering it. It should be noted that the incandescent lamp gives little heat, and it is unlikely to be enough for the entire length of the ventilation duct.
Replacing an incandescent lamp with an LED or fluorescent analogue is not worth it. They generate much less heat energy. Better to use a low-power infrared device.
Forced ventilation system
A forced ventilation system in the inspection pit is not installed very often. In this case, mechanized incentives are used. Sometimes they also provide for heating the air by means of a duct heater.
The supply of air masses is carried out using duct fan. In this case, it is irrational to use monoblock air handling units. And the inflow fan is not always used, only if there is such a need.
Since the air removed from the inspection pit is filled with moisture, it must not be allowed to directly from the exhaust opening directly to the bottom of the car. This will lead to rapid corrosion of the structure.
To implement a forced ventilation scheme, an electrical supply is required. In addition, the system is sometimes equipped with timers so that it turns on and off automatically. In some cases, the ventilation control is connected to a light switch.
Compared to natural ventilation, a forced system has many advantages:
- Possibility to increase efficiency, as a result of which an increased volume of fresh street air quickly displaces waste masses with an admixture of harmful substances.
- Elimination of the dependence of the air supply on external factors due to the presence of fans in the system. Air masses can be supplied to the desired zone, in a certain volume, at the desired speed.
- The car will always be in a favorable temperature regime.
Unless there are compelling reasons, it is impractical to equip the inspection compartment with mechanical ventilation. This option is better suited for a cellar.
Combined pit ventilation system
The combined type system is the most popular. It provides for both the presence of mechanics in the exhaust hood of a garage or pit, and the flow of air carried out according to a natural pattern.
A fairly rapid intake of fresh air flow into the garage is possible due to the presence of a rarefied pressure zone. It is created by the fan during the extraction of dirty air. At the same time, it is necessary to preserve the possibilities of natural ventilation in case the electricity goes out and the fan does not function.
When organizing a ventilation system in a garage with a viewing hole and a cellar, the prevailing wind direction must be taken into account. It is desirable that the supply pipe is on the windward side, and the exhaust pipe is on the leeward side.
For safety net, two parallel lines are laid, or a hole in the fan installation site is made of a slightly larger diameter. The advantages of the combined system are that it is independent of the outside temperature. This method of normalizing air exchange is quite cheap.
As a minus, it can be noted that the air ducts quickly become dirty, so they must be periodically cleaned. In addition, the air flow is not heated.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Video clip on how to equip the hood in the garage and in the inspection pit in particular:
The experience of creating ventilation in the garage and basement with your own hands:
To obtain the expected effect, ventilation in the viewing compartment of the garage must comply with installation rules and with economic feasibility. The choice of the system should be carried out based on the specifics of the building, dimensions. Only by using these factors, it will be possible not only to create optimal conditions for servicing the car, but also to rationally spend money.
Do you want to share your own experience in the device of air exchange in a garage inspection pit? Do you have valuable information on the topic of the article that will be useful to site visitors? Please leave comments in the form below, ask questions and post photos on the topic of the article.
