The need to install a ventilation system often arises only if natural ventilation does not provide adequate air exchange inside the room. Such ventilation on the ceiling, installed in a bathroom, kitchen or bath, prevents the formation of mold, which is harmful to human health.
In addition, the mechanical ventilation system helps not only to ventilate the room, but also to purify, heat or cool the air coming from the street. Agree, it is quite convenient to have a ventilation system in the house that performs several functions at once, allowing you to save on heating or installing an air conditioner.
Before starting the installation of ventilation on the ceiling, it is important to determine the type of system to be installed, as well as draw up a detailed ventilation scheme for a particular room. Further in the article, we will tell you which type of ventilation is better to choose depending on its purpose, and what nuances you should pay attention to during the design process. If you wish, you can arrange ventilation yourself, which will allow you to save a fairly large sum of money.
The content of the article:
- Why is natural air exchange not enough?
- Types of mechanical ventilation systems
- Supply ventilation device
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Supply and exhaust systems - which one to choose?
- Option number 1 - ventilation with a recuperator
- Option number 2 - air conditioning system
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Why is natural air exchange not enough?
Natural ventilation is a free, simple but completely ineffective way to ventilate your living space. Depending on the characteristics of its functioning, it is customary to divide it into two types - unorganized and organized.
Unorganized ventilation is carried out through the opening of windows, doors and cracks in window frames. Of course, in the warm season, such a “draft” may and will be appropriate, but in winter it will entail many problems.
The kitchen and bathroom especially require the installation of mechanical ventilation, because it is in these rooms condensation accumulates, which, settling on the walls and ceiling, creates ideal conditions for the appearance mold
Organized ventilation in an apartment building consists of ventilation ducts located in the building structure, which are supplied to each apartment. The system is based on pressure differences between the ventilation duct head and the grille inside the room.
Since pressure drops cannot be called a constant phenomenon, this ventilation method cannot provide sufficient air exchange in the rooms.
Also, natural air exchange can be ineffective for the following reasons:
- the tightness of plastic windows does not allow them to let fresh air into the room. So, room air goes into the exhaust duct, and instead of a fresh stream, air from the entrance enters the room, which is unlikely to be particularly fresh;
- due to an incorrectly installed ventilation system, the staircase may freeze in winter, along with which the chimney will also freeze. Since there is no extractor hood, there are no areas of low pressure, which means that it is impossible to provide sufficient ventilation.
Also, the problem may lie in the weather conditions. When the wind speed is high, the outside air seems to be sucked back into the chimney.
So, it accumulates in the ventilation duct, and since the pressure only increases, dirty air can penetrate back into the room.
To ensure natural air exchange in an apartment building, it is necessary to regularly clean ventilation ducts, since it is precisely because of their pollution that the quality of ventilation deteriorates rooms
Unlike natural ventilation, which depends solely on weather conditions, forced ventilation is fully mechanized. A powerful fan provides full air exchange in the room, filling the rooms with fresh air around the clock.
Types of mechanical ventilation systems
Before building an artificial air exchange system, it is important to familiarize yourself with the basic types of ventilation and their application for specific premises.
Depending on the purpose, the following types of ventilation systems are distinguished:
- Supply. Provides a forced flow of street air into the room, while the incoming air masses can not only be heated or cooled, but also cleaned of micro-pollution.
- Exhaust. Designed for quick and effective removal of polluted air from the room. Such exhaust ventilation is often installed in the ceiling of a bathroom or kitchen, where the highest concentration of odors and moisture is observed.
- Supply and exhaust. Combined ventilation, which ensures the simultaneous inflow and outflow of air by artificial means. Installations with a recuperator are considered to be the most efficient ones, which make it possible to recover the heat of the exhaust air and give it to the incoming stream.
If the first two systems are installed only in specific rooms (kitchen, toilet), then the supply and exhaust ventilation is intended to serve all rooms in an apartment or house.
Installation of supply and exhaust ventilation in a private house allows you to minimize operating costs installations, because, in addition to ventilation, the system performs the functions of a heater, air conditioner and air cleaner
Each of the systems has its own characteristics of installation and operation, which should be carefully studied before drawing up a ventilation project for a room or building.
For example, it makes no sense to install a supply and exhaust system in a small apartment with one room, if you can choose a budget option - supply ventilation.
Supply ventilation device
In residential premises, an air supply system is often installed in the form of a monoblock. Compared to the type-setting installation, the supply ventilation monoblock works almost silently, and it is quite easy to hide it in the suspended ceiling.
In this case, it is recommended to select a device with fresh air heating. So, in the cold season, the room will be filled with street air heated to the optimum temperature.
When installing a supply ventilation system, it is important to correctly determine the installation location. Ideal places for placement are kitchen, hallway or balcony. You should not install the monoblock ventilation unit next to the living room or bedroom, as there may be noticeable noise during the operation of the device.
Give preference to a system with high-quality sound insulation, thanks to which you can enjoy not only clean air in your home, but also silence
In a private house, you can install the systems in a storage room, basement or attic. This will isolate the source of noise, and therefore save money on the purchase of a monoblock.
You can assemble and install the structure yourself, for which you need to familiarize yourself with its device:
- fan. It is he who "draws" fresh air into the room, significantly speeding up the ventilation process;
- filters. Installation of filters allows you to protect the room from the ingress of wool, fluff, dust and exhaust gases;
- a heating element. Heats the air in the cold season, while in order to save money, for large rooms, it is recommended to choose water heater;
- air ducts. Such pipes can be made from both plastic and aluminum or stainless steel;
- automatic control system. Regulates the independent operation of the ventilation system, allowing you not to worry about switching modes.
In addition, the package may include a humidifier and an air disinfectant. The main component of the supply system is an air valve, which is necessary to regulate the flow and block the ingress of air when the ventilation mode is off.
Supply and exhaust systems - which one to choose?
This type of ventilation allows you to balance the air flow circulating between the room and the outside. The supply and exhaust system removes polluted air from the room, and at the same time provides an inflow of fresh air.
When self-assembling the system, special attention should be paid to the fan power, on which the degree of efficiency of the ventilation system will depend.
There are several supply and exhaust ventilation systems, each of which has its own unique configuration and functional features. When choosing such a system, it is important to take into account not only the dimensions of the rooms, but also the degree of their natural ventilation.
Option number 1 - ventilation with a recuperator
The presented system allows you to significantly save on electricity in the winter. In this case, the exhaust air is not only removed from the housing, but also passes through the heat exchange unit, leaving its heat there for the cold outside air. That is, the room is saturated with fresh air, heated by the heat obtained from the polluted room air.
This process is ensured recuperator. Depending on the field of application, it can be of two types: plate and rotary. The first is used in areas with a temperate climate, where there is no severe frost in winter. Ventilation units used in regions with colder winters are recommended to be equipped with rotary recuperators.
The system is designed so that both flows (incoming and outgoing) do not mix with each other, while the cold air is heated due to the stored heat inside the device
Since such a system can significantly reduce energy costs, it is often installed in large facilities: country cottages, offices, hotels and restaurants. This is an ideal option for a two-story house, thanks to which the owners will also be able to save not only on electricity, but also on heating.
Option number 2 - air conditioning system
In one insulated unit, this system combines ventilation and air conditioning, providing a direct supply of heated or cooled air. Includes several power modes, which are set depending on the temperature change inside the dwelling.
Such forced ventilation systems are often installed in a false ceiling, which allows you to disguise the structure itself. Due to the low level of noise, supply and exhaust system can be placed in any room, even in the children's bedroom.
Such designs represent a compact monoblock, so there is no need for external pipeline networks.
The automated device independently sets the required mode depending on the change in external temperature, so the user does not have to adjust the settings himself
The high power allows the device to purify the air and regulate the temperature inside large rooms such as country cottages, offices and large halls. When installing such a system in your own home, you do not have to assemble the device from scratch and fiddle with air ducts.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
You can learn how to independently equip forced ventilation in a new apartment from this video:
When self-installing forced ventilation in a private house or apartment, you must first decide on the type of system. Depending on the size of the room, the number of people living in the house, as well as the degree of functioning of natural ventilation, you can install a supply or supply and exhaust system.
Some systems can combine a cooler, heater and air purifier, which saves on the purchase of additional devices.
If you have previously had to independently install forced ventilation on the ceiling, then please share your experience in the comments below the article. Your experience will be very useful to many of our readers who are just faced with the problem of choosing a suitable ventilation system.
