The ventilation system is one of the more humble parts of a house’s overall heating and cooling setup. After all, the V in HVAC stands for ventilation. To get the most from your home’s HVAC system, you must understand how ventilation factors into the equation.
Understanding What a Home’s Ventilation Is
People often think that ventilation is the same as running a fan or providing airflow in and out of a house. The presence of a proper ventilation system implies more than just airflow. A ventilation system is a series of ducts that specifically move air out of the house. Typically, this occurs through some combination of fans and dampers.
Notably, control is the identifying feature of proper ventilation in an HVAC context. Your ventilation system should be able to move a certain amount of air each second. This guarantees that the system will provide the expected level of airflow to remove things like moisture and pollutants.
Without control, a house doesn’t have a ventilation system. At best, it has some airflow, and at worst, it has a bad draft.
Air Balancing
A good ventilation system should be part of the overall air balance in the HVAC system. You want the HVAC to remove a specific amount of air each second. This allows you to balance the exhausted air against the air intake during the heating and cooling cycles. Also, it reduces the draftiness of the house because a stable amount of air is coming and going.
Moisture Control
People often focus on ventilation systems to control moisture in their homes. Unsurprisingly, the most common place for ventilation in a house is the bathroom. Steam can accumulate from showers and baths, and people want to be able to see the mirror when they get out. Drying the bathroom makes it safer by eliminating wet spots on the floor.
You also will see ventilation in kitchens. The logic here is similar, except the focus is on getting steam and smoke from cooking out of the house.
A commonly overlooked part of good ventilation is protecting the basement from moisture accumulation. A well-ventilated basement will be dry enough that the moisture won’t promote mold growth. Mold prefers a moist environment, which can develop in basements in even the driest parts of the world. The temperature difference between the ground and the basement’s air can cause condensation. Similarly, the heat and moisture from systems like hot water tanks, water pipes, and HVAC units can cause moisture to build up. A high-quality ventilation system will dry the space out. Many of the same issues can occur with service closets if you don’t have a basement.
Removing moisture from the house also protects its structure. Humidity can accumulate inside walls, undermining wood and other materials—even in a dry region like Orange County. High-quality insulation is important for keeping your house cool in the summer, but it can also trap humidity in the building. Ventilation is how your HVAC gets that moist air out of the building.
Indoor Air Quality
Take Control of Your Indoor Air Quality: The Role of Ventilation in Reducing Irritants. Even simple things like dust or cooking smoke can be problematic if not properly ventilated. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) can develop from cooking or using chemicals, causing breathing issues. This is especially concerning if someone in your household already has a health issue. By understanding the role of ventilation, you can take steps to improve your indoor air quality.
Carbon dioxide can also build up in a house, lowering indoor air quality. A controlled ventilation system will reduce CO2 accumulation. Notably, CO2 accumulation is also a good proxy for other accumulations. If you’re worried about respiratory viruses, getting the CO2 level in your home will also reduce your virus risk.
The radioactive gas radon can leach into houses through their foundations. The problem is more common when a home doesn’t have sufficient ventilation.
Not all respiratory issues will manifest as a cough. For example, if you’ve had unexplained headaches, it might be time to look at your home’s ventilation system as the culprit.
Smells
It is less of a practical issue, but a steady air exchange in your house will minimize bad smells. The ventilation system will transport the molecules, making the house smell bad outside. Particularly, if you notice the smell of the last meal you cooked lingering in the house, your home probably has a ventilation issue you’ll need to address if you don’t want odors hanging around for days.
Also, if you notice any smells from the outdoors, that’s another sign that you may have a ventilation issue. The system may not work well enough, and smells are infiltrating the house. The HVAC system’s intakes in an optimally balanced house should filter all the incoming air. Consequently, you should only notice clean and fresh air. If the ventilation system isn’t balanced against the intake rate, then unfiltered outside air might push into your home.
Cost and Energy Efficiency
How well your HVAC exhausts air is as essential to the system’s efficiency as its fuel source and design. The same ventilation problems that can draw smells into the house can also draw hot or cold air into your house. After all, you don’t want to pay to heat more air than necessary. With poor ventilation, your home’s HVAC could be battling to heat cool air on cold days and cool hot air during heat waves. None of this is good for its efficient operation.
Also, all of this additional work is hard on the HVAC system’s components. Every cycle it runs will bring it closer to the end of its service life. A well-balanced ventilation system ensures that your HVAC won’t need to heat or cool more air than is necessary for your house to be comfortable.
Comfort
Finally, ventilation simply makes your home more comfortable to be in. A well-designed system with top-quality ventilation cycles that run less often means a quieter operation. You will also notice less airflow because the system won’t run as much. The temperature and humidity levels in your house will fluctuate less, too.
White Mechanical, Inc. is a trusted HVAC company that handles heating, cooling, ductwork, and indoor air quality needs. We tackle maintenance, repair, and installation projects for HVAC customers. Our technicians are available 24/7 to deal with emergency repair needs, too. We frequently offer online specials, and rebates are available for many of our products and services.
If you want to upgrade to a new HVAC model, be sure to inquire about our financing options. With our partner Service Finance Company, LLC, we can offer financing on credit approval. You can pay over time rather than all at once, making a new system more affordable for your budget.
To ensure your home’s ventilation system runs well for many more years, contact White Mechanical, Inc. in Foothill Ranch, CA, today.
