What is forced ventilation and how to organize it?

Every day more and more houses and apartments acquire modern plastic windows. And this is understandable, because they are completely sealed, thanks to which it is possible to ensure a high level of thermal insulation and thereby save money on utility bills. No one argues with the fact that metal doors and plastic windows to fully cope with their obligations.

However, in winter, certain problems may arise. If the windows and doors are securely closed, then the apartment may have problems in the form of high humidity, which will certainly lead to the appearance of fungus. Without regular air exchange in the room, good living conditions cannot be guaranteed. The channels of the ventilation system, which are equipped in rooms such as a kitchen or bathroom, do not have the ability to divert the waste air masses. The ideal solution is to use fresh air ventilation, which is considered one of the most effective and popular versions of such systems. Over the years, it has been able to establish itself as one of the most reliable ventilation systems, which are simply equipped and serve for a long time.

Fresh air ventilation is a unique system that is needed to deliver air to an apartment or a country house from the outside. Many are inclined to believe that the arrangement of such a system is a waste of time and money however, an insufficient level of air exchange can have the following consequences:

• with a lack of oxygen in humans, problems begin with the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
• efficiency drops to a minimum, which affects the productivity of people in the room;
• humidity in the room is growing, namely, it is considered the main cause of fungi and the reproduction of harmful bacteria;
• the amount of hazardous substances in the air increases.

The first place in this list is taken by a fan, the essence of which is to draw air into the room. It is best not to save on this device, since its power has a direct impact on the performance of the system as a whole. Of course, if the system includes only a fan, then it will hardly differ from an ordinary hinged window. Along with clean air in the room will be dirt, dust, bacteria and cold.

That is why very often a compact filter is installed that prevents wool, down and gases from entering the room. There are many air filters on the construction market that are suitable for use in the process of creating a ventilation system. Some options allow you to cope with even small contaminants. Here you should take into account the features of the area in which the house is located.

A typical intake ventilation system includes the following elements.

• Air intake grillesending air straight to the ventilation system. These lattices, like the rest of the system, can be in the form of a rectangle or a rounded shape. Most people believe that this component plays only a decorative role, but it also provides effective protection against the ingress of water and various objects.
• Air valve. It is necessary in order not to allow air to infiltrate uncontrollably into the room in case the intake ventilation is turned off. This element is indispensable in winter, as cold air will regularly make its way into the room. An ideal solution is to install an electrically operated valve, which makes it possible to fully automate the control of the system. In other words, if the fan is working, the valve is in the open state, and when the fan is off, it closes automatically.

• Air heater. This element is only necessary if the ventilation equipment will be used in the winter season. The heater is both water and electric. The latter is considered a better option for small systems, since its installation does not require large investments.If the room is characterized by large dimensions, it is best to install a water heater, otherwise the cost of electricity will be enormous. If you want to save as much money as possible, you can install a special heat exchanger. This is a unique device that allows to heat the air due to heat exchange with the air removed from the room.
• Silencer. Considering the fact that the fan is a source of noise, it is necessary to take care of the presence of a silencer next to it. Otherwise, the sounds from the operation of the unit will be distributed throughout the system.
• Air ducts. For these purposes, an air duct network is used, which includes the air ducts and fittings themselves. In the process of their selection should be taken into account such parameters as the sectional area, shape and rigidity.

Most people prefer this particular type of ventilation system, as it has a lot of advantages. Among its distinctive advantages are the following:

• External factors have no effect on the amount of incoming air in an apartment or house, regardless of the temperature difference or the number of installed window openings. In the house on a regular basis will be fresh and clean air.
• The ability to reduce the cost of the heating system. The use of ventilation allows not only to remove excess air, but also to preserve it, which will certainly affect the temperature in all rooms.
• Even the smallest systems are equipped with special filters that provide reliable air cleaning from dust and dirt. It is extremely important for allergy sufferers.
• Automatism. To eliminate the used air, it is not necessary to constantly open windows and doors, because the system will be able to conduct air exchange on its own.

Despite the huge number of advantages of this system, it also has certain disadvantages that must be taken into account before installation. Among them are the following.

• Difficulty to install. The ideal way is considered to be thinking through the ventilation system before the construction of a country house begins. But in the already finished house or apartment installation will be quite complicated.
• It is not always possible to find a sufficient amount of space for the installation of equipment, which is quite large in size.
• Elements of the system emit strong noise and vibration, so you need to take care of sound insulation in advance, which will further reduce the useful area of ​​the room.
• The building must be equipped with air ducts, and the designed project must be competent with accurate calculations.

Initially, it seems that the installation is quite simple, and the system is so efficient that no problems will arise during the operation. However, the air without special heating will not be characterized by comfort, even if it is cold outside. In addition, the intake ventilation provides for the installation of special filters that will trap pollution, dust and harmful substances. Equipment for such ventilation must necessarily be insulated, without which temperature drops outside the camp will cause condensation and high humidity, which, in turn, will lead to the occurrence of fungus.

Today, there are a huge number of types of ventilation systems, each of which has its own advantages and strengths.Such a system can be domestic and axial, wall-mounted, heated and without it. Depending on the installation of air ducts, this system may be of the following types.

• Channelless. The essence of such a system is that special openings in the door and window openings are used to supply oxygen.
• Channel. Here the air is supplied through a special apparatus.

If we take into account the design features of ventilation, it can be:

• team, when the system includes many different parts that are connected via an air duct;
• monoblock - in one case the main elements are combined.

In addition, the system can be divided into types depending on the method of ventilation.

• Local Its essence lies in the fact that air is supplied only to certain rooms.
• Integrated. A distinctive feature is that the air is distributed evenly.
• Emergency. Provides for the presence of special devices that do not allow the spread of smoke in the event of a fire.

In order for this type of ventilation system to be able to fulfill its obligations to the maximum extent, it is necessary to correctly calculate and set parameters for each of its components.First of all, you should pay attention to the equipment for heating the air. For an apartment, it is usually sufficient to install a heater whose power is 5 kW. But in the case of a private house, everything is much more complicated: it will be necessary to carry out some calculations, taking into account the outdoor air temperature and the power of the equipment.

It is extremely important to correctly determine the load on the electrical network of an apartment or a country house with a working state of the electrical network. Remember that too much load on the network can cause an emergency. If it is wrong to calculate the parameters of the device for heating the air, then with strong frosts it will not have time to warm up to the desired temperature, as a result of which cold air will penetrate into the apartment. To cope with this problem will be possible only if the fan speed is reduced. The slower the air masses move, the longer the heater will have to warm up.

To ensure that the operation of the ventilation system does not have any negative impact on the comfort of living,It is necessary to correctly calculate the parameters of the acoustic power of the equipment. Experts identify three indicators: the input, output and the body. Careful attention should be paid to the noise output. If this figure is high, then you can additionally install a special noise absorber. This element will be able to perform all the functions assigned to it only if its length is more than 90 cm.

Forced ventilation cannot work normally without automation. Even the most primitive variants of this system are equipped with special devices for independent control of air temperature and the speed of the fan blades. But the use of more advanced automation allows you to make settings for different times of the day. For example, if at night it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the supplied air, as well as to reduce the speed of the fan, since the need for air at this time of day is minimal.

For the most comfortable control it is best to choose devices that have the following characteristics:

• the fan boasts 5 or more speeds;
• the ability to control the speed in real time;
• control of the filters and the possibility of remote control.

The calculation of air exchange can be carried out on certain conditions: the calculation of the removal of excess heat, the calculation of cleaning and from the ingress of dirt. Professional calculations are required only if the system is designed for shopping centers and other huge commercial buildings. In the case of living quarters things are much easier. Among the main criteria are such.

• Room area - a value that determines how many times in each hour a room or apartment receives the required amount of air from the outside.
• Multiplicity - for carrying out this calculation it is necessary to take into account two figures - the speed of the air supply and the size of the room. At the same time, the number of people who live in a wooden house or apartment does not matter. The main thing is to simply know the size of the room, which will allow you to calculate the volume and performance indicators of ventilation.
• Sanitary standards - in these calculations it should be understood that for each person who is in the room, 60 m3 / h of air is needed.

Depending on how exactly the air handling unit, differing in small dimensions, will be mounted, the installation process can be significantly different. So, if you use ordinary ventilation equipment, which includes an air intake grille, a valve and several filters, the process will be quite simple and straightforward.

In order for the system to work properly in the future and to fully fulfill its obligations, close attention should be paid to preparatory work. First of all, it is necessary to make sure that the general ventilation system of the building is in working condition. Prevention and timely cleaning of ventilation in an apartment building - the work of the management company or the owner of the house.

After the preparatory work and the selection of the most suitable equipmentYou can proceed to installation, which includes the following steps.

• Determine the place to install the equipment. This is a very important and crucial stage, since the performance and efficiency of the whole system depends on it. Experts advise to pick a place near the windows.
• Determine the place in which the drilling will be carried out.
• Drilling holes channel type, the diameter of which should be no more than 125 mm. Masters advise to make such holes with a small slope to prevent moisture from entering.
• Manufacturing and installation of air vent. At the same time, the valve must necessarily be outside and be placed vertically.
• Installation of the housing of this ventilation system to the wall using pre-made holes and a set for fasteners.
• Installation of the heating element and filters for forced air cleaning.
• Mounting a grill that will protect the system on an external wall.
• Connecting equipment to the electrical network.

It should be noted that the installation of the intake ventilation system in an apartment or a country house with their own hands can be done using an ordinary intake valve, which includes a grille and plastic duct.In addition, if necessary, you can use heat-insulating element and filters. In this case also, preparatory work should be carried out to ensure that the ventilation will be connected to the general system of the house. You can also make a control panel, which, judging by the reviews, greatly simplifies the monitoring process.

Special attention is given to the ventilation system with a heat exchanger. If until recently the mechanical system in apartments or houses was not popular, then with the development of advanced technologies on the market, such a system has become extremely popular. The principle of its operation is based on carrying out heat recovery. Thanks to this heat exchanger, the air used in the room returns a certain amount of heat to the supply air.

Installation needs to be given close attention, as correct and competent performance of all installation work makes it possible to guarantee the provision of clean air from the street and heat it to the optimum temperature.Such a system will not only be easy to manage, but will also be able to serve for a long time, doing its job well. It is best to use quality blocks that do not need repair or maintenance, even after years of work.

Thus, the intake ventilation is a high-quality system that not only provides fresh air to the room, but also performs a number of other functions, including heating the air and cleaning it from harmful substances. The most important thing is to correctly calculate and install elements of the system, since this has a direct impact on its efficiency and productivity. Automation of such a system allows not to worry about its work and maintenance.

For information on how to mount the inlet ventilation for an apartment with your own hands, see the following video.