There are many different types of home ventilation systems from simple trickle vents all the way to mechanical ventilation systems including heat recovery. But many people are not sure why we need ventilations in our homes, let alone a dedicated system for home ventilation. Home ventilation is extremely important as without it, the air inside your home would be damp, stale, and unpleasant in general. The right ventilation within your home helps you make sure that the air changes on a frequent basis to avoid it going stale. In the past, the way that homes were built often made them quite draughty, so ventilation was not as big of an issue as it is today. However, as seals for doors and windows became more effective and insulation was added to help homes retain heat for longer, stale air and black mould were some of the biggest side effects.
Controlled Vs Uncontrolled Ventilation
Uncontrolled ventilation refers to when you have natural ventilation within your home that you can’t switch on and off, such as draughty doors and windows. On the other hand, controlled ventilation refers to a dedicated ventilation system in the home that offers a controlled number of air changes throughout the day.
What a Home Ventilation System Does
In an ideal world, homes would be insulated well and free from draughts. You would be able to simply replace the low-quality, moist, and stale air in your home with fresh air from outdoors, without having to switch on your heating system to warm the air up. A mechanical home ventilation system with heat recovery is designed to do this. Other ventilation systems may not be as effective in keeping your home’s air fresh and warm at the same time but have a similar purpose of replacing the stale air inside your home.
Benefits of a Dedicated Ventilation System
You might think that since your home is already quite draughty or you can just open a window, that a home ventilation system might not be necessary. However, the truth is that regardless of how well-insulated your home is, if you open a window or have any draughts in the home, they will provide ventilation but, at the same time, make your home harder to heat by cooling it down. This may not be such an issue during the summer, but it can be a problem in the winter with your heating system working overtime to keep your home at the right temperature.
What’s the Solution?
To ventilate your home while making sure that you can also heat it, it’s important to start with increasing the airtightness of the property by sealing up any draughts that should not be there such as gaps around windows and doors. Then, have a home ventilation system installed to provide controlled ventilation in your property. There are several systems to choose from including options that filter the air coming into your home or even pre-heat it. You can also recycle warm air in your home and remove moisture and contaminants.
While keeping your home warm is important for most people, good ventilation is also crucial to ensuring good home air quality.
