All you need to know about ventilation in the apartment

Agree that there is nothing worse than entering a stuffy apartment. And the point is not only unpleasant sensations: the correct air circulation is important for our health and well -being. It helps to cleanse the air of pollution, regulates humidity, creates a pleasant microclimate, eliminates unpleasant odors and provides the health of the eyes and respiratory tract.

Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure the circulation of clean air in the living room. What types of ventilation exist and how to properly organize air circulation in the room, we will tell in this article.

Content:

1. Types of ventilation
   1. Natural ventilation
   2. Mechanical ventilation systems
2. Devices and compulsory ventilation systems in the apartment
   1. Brisers
   2. Supply and exhaust installations (PVA)
   3. Channel air conditioning
3. How should ventilation work in the apartment?
4. Useful tips for organizing and maintaining ventilation in the apartment

Types of ventilation

There are two main types of ventilation systems: natural and mechanical.

Natural ventilation

This is an influx of fresh air to your apartment from the street. Natural ventilation includes ordinary ventilation through an open window or special valves and ventilations. This option has its advantages and disadvantages:

Natural ventilation works best in small apartments without overlapping ventilation ducts, like a kitchen hood. If you have a one -room apartment or studio, this is suitable, but for larger apartments it is better to consider other ventilation methods.

Photo: Natural ventilation in the apartment is especially important if you have pets

Mechanical ventilation systems

The exhaust ventilation system extracts contaminated air from the bathroom or kitchen and blow it out through pipes and hoods. There are systems that attract fresh air from the street and distribute it through the rooms.

Another option is a system with automatic control. It regulates the ventilation rate in each room depending on how much air is necessary to ensure a comfortable atmosphere. For example, when steam forms in the bathroom, the system automatically enhances ventilation to remove wet air and prevent mold.

In this case, the combined ventilation system is most often used. For example, for ventilation, special valves are installed on windows and doors (this is natural ventilation), and a fan (this is mechanical ventilation) to remove contaminated air. Such a system can work very efficiently and is much cheaper than complex ventilation systems with channels.

Devices and compulsory ventilation systems in the apartment

Brisers

These are devices that automatically serve and purify fresh air from the outside. They are often used in ventilation systems to maintain air quality in apartments. Brysers can be installed in separate rooms or connected to the central ventilation system. Usually they are equipped with filters for cleaning air of dust, pollution and allergens, which helps to create a healthy and comfortable atmosphere in the room.

Photo: Briser is a device for supply ventilation, that is, it serves fresh cleaned air into the apartment

Supply and exhaust installations (PVA)

These are ventilation systems that simultaneously supply fresh air (supply part) and remove contaminated air from the room (exhaust part). They provide constant air updating in the apartment, maintaining the optimal quality of air for the health and comfort of people.

Unlike PVA brisers, these are complex systems that provide both the supply of fresh air and the removal of the contaminated. Brysers, on the other hand, work to supply fresh air without an extract function. They can be used in addition to the ventilation system, but do not completely replace it, unlike PVA.

Channel air conditioning

This is an air conditioning system in which air conditioners and air ducts are installed inside the building and connected by special channels. The air is supplied and stretched through these channels. This allows you to evenly distribute air conditioned air throughout the room.

But do not confuse channel air conditioning with split systems. Split systems consist of two main components: the internal unit (which is installed indoors) and the outer block (which is placed outside the building). Split systems are suitable for air conditioning of individual rooms or small zones, while channel air conditioning is used for centralized air conditioning through unified ducts.

Photo: channel air conditioning in the apartment

How should ventilation work in the apartment?

Ventilation requires special calculations. For residential premises, a standard is used in which all air should be completely updated every hour. This amount of air is calculated by the formula: the frequency of air exchange (how many times per hour the air needs to be updated) is multiplied by the volume of the room.

Suppose you have a children’s room with an area of ​​18 square meters and a ceiling height of 2.5 meters. To ensure normal air exchange in this room, you will need a certain amount of fresh air every hour. This is calculated by the formula: the frequency of air exchange (how many times per hour the air needs to be renewed) is multiplied by the volume of the room. That is, for a children’s room in 18 squares with a ceiling height of 2.5 m you will need 45 cubic meters of fresh air per hour. Less than half of this value enters the room without competent ventilation.

It is also important to consider that in different rooms you need a different level of air exchange. For example, in the living rooms, the influx of fresh air is important, and in the bathrooms and the kitchen you need to ensure high -quality removal of contaminated air using exhaust fans.

To avoid smells and ensure the correct circulation of air in the apartment, it is recommended to make an extract in the “dirty” areas a little stronger than the air flow to avoid moving air from one zone to another.

It is important to remember that any ventilation system requires regular maintenance and cleaning. Therefore, key installation units should be easily available for maintenance and replacement of parts.

In the hood above the stove, filters are usually changed (every 3-6 months), channels from fat and other pollution are cleaned, sometimes they check and clean the fan, and also control the condition of the case and lighting.

A common -house hood under the ceiling requires the maintenance of central filters and checking ventilation shafts and connections.

Photo: The organization of forced ventilation is especially important in wet rooms, for example, in the kitchen and in the bathroom

Useful tips for organizing and maintaining ventilation in the apartment

1. Keep fans and ventilation holes in the walls open. Make sure that you are not blocked by curtains or furniture. This will ensure the circulation of fresh air. If in winter you are very cold, you can close the ventilation holes so that there are no drafts.
2. Spended and clean the ventilation holes and fans regularly. In bathrooms and kitchens, this must be done at least every 6 months. This can be done independently using a soft brush or vacuum cleaner to remove the accumulated dust and dirt.
3. Replace the filters of ventilation holes and mechanical ventilation systems according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For mechanical ventilation systems, this must be done at least once a year.
4. Use the kitchen hood during cooking to remove excess moisture and harmful pollutants.

In conclusion

We will summarize. There are two main types of ventilation for rooms: natural and mechanical.

Natural ventilation is carried out through open windows, doors and ventilation holes. Mechanical ventilation includes the use of special devices that provide fresh supply and removal of contaminated air using supply devices and exhaust fans.

To make the apartment more fresh, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the rooms, install special ventilation devices (valves on windows, exhaust fans), use air conditioners, monitor the cleanliness and performance of ventilation.