Home ventilation is an important part of maintaining high indoor air quality. Without a properly-operating vent system, your home would retain too much moisture, quickly becoming stuffy and full of chemical contaminants, such as those produced by household cleaners and plastics. A properly-working vent system can help eliminate some of these problems.According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), a home should have about 0.35 air changes per hour to maintain healthy indoor air quality. This means that the air in the home completely changes about once every three hours. The best way to ensure proper ventilation is to use a three-part strategic plan to keep the air flowing in and out of your home. These parts include natural venting, spot venting and whole-house venting.
Natural ventilation is the venting process that occurs naturally throughout the house by opening and closing doors to the outside, or when air escapes under door cracks, out windows, or through outdoor air vents. This natural venting is good for airflow, but bad for energy consumption. Most homes try to eliminate much of the natural venting to save on heating and cooling costs.
Spot venting is the type of venting used in bathrooms and kitchens to force indoor air out. These spot systems are especially beneficial while cooking and cleaning when smells and chemicals are in the air. ASHRAE recommends continuous or intermittent use of spot ventilation while cooking or cleaning.
Whole-house venting uses the home's vent and duct system, including fans and blowers. This system is part of every forced-air venting system and brings in new air from outside and draws out stale air.
Most homes already have at least the first two vent systems built into the heating and cooling system. However, there are always ways to improve on existing systems in your Broken Arrow home. Contact us at Air Assurance Heating and Air Conditioningfor more information on how to properly vent your house and improve the indoor air quality inside your home.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today! Insulation and ventilation material image via Shutterstock