Mold on the slopes, stuffiness and “crying” windows are consequences of the tightness of modern plastic windows. Problems are solved by installing a ventilation valve for plastic windows.
Ventilation inlets for PVC windows are mounted on the top of the window sash, creating air supply to the room. The special design of the windows with ventilation does not let the street buzz pass, providing peace and silence without creating drafts. Existing ventilation valve designs are suitable for aluminum windows, plastic and wood.
Having some skills and using our instructions, you can organize the ventilation of plastic windows with your own hands.
How the supply valve works
Properly equipped with window ventilation can only be understood by the mechanism of its operation. This is especially important, since to install the valve of the most common design, it will be necessary to cut a hole 1 cm wide and about 30 cm long in the window. At the end of work, it is closed by the valve body. The valve cannot be removed so as not to open the ventilation gap on the window profile.
The supply valve for PVC windows is part of passive ventilation. Cold air is sucked into the room and pushes warmer air into the exhaust ducts. The movement is provided due to the pressure difference, so natural ventilation operates at an outdoor temperature of less than +5 degrees. In summer, passive ventilation will work only with forced exhaust.
Thus, for the operation of the supply valve, the following conditions are necessary:
- The apartment must be in good condition exhaust natural ventilation. To check its operation, you should close the door to the apartment, open the window in the room as far as possible from the ventilation duct and attach a piece of paper to the grate. If he holds on, the hood is all right. Even when the hood pulls poorly, the valve will slightly improve the air condition in the apartment, but its efficiency will be low;
- The air temperature outside is less than +5 degrees;
- Between the rooms in the apartment there should be free air exchange. That is, the doors are open or slots remain under them 2 cm wide. You can make ventilation holes with a total area of 130 sq. see for bathroom doors and 200 square meters. see for the kitchen;
- To prevent air leaks from the entrance, the front door should be sealed as much as possible.
Many owners are afraid of freezing of the ventilation inlet valve for PVC windows. Indeed, if the ventilation valve is not adjusted correctly, a phenomenon is possible. This is evidenced by the numerous reviews of owners of plastic windows. In severe frosts, the valve must not be closed completely.
Then it will warm up with warm air from the room and icing of a plastic window with ventilation is excluded.
If the ventilation valve must be completely shut off, an air gap is sealed on the outside. The gap closes very carefully, providing complete impermeability.
But the increase in noise in the apartment after installing the supply ventilation valve on the plastic window should not be scared. The gap for air supply is very small, so the noise insulation will decrease slightly, as evidenced by the reviews on the supply ventilation valves for plastic windows.
Supply Valve Efficiency
This question certainly arises for every owner of an apartment with plastic windows without ventilation. In order not to waste money, check the expected effect of the work before buying the valve.
Remove the seal from the top of the sash. No need to trim it, just leave it hanging. To reduce airflow, insert a piece of gum into place. Leave the window in this condition for several days. Pay attention to the following parameters:
- temperature in the room;
- the presence of condensation on the glass;
- whether there was a street noise;
- is there a draft.
After the experiment, the seal is inserted into place.
By the way, the air temperature in the room after installing the ventilation valve for plastic windows will become lower. After all, cold street air enters the room. If the apartment has excellent heating, the owners will not even notice a difference of 2-3 degrees. Otherwise, you will have to abandon the installation of the ventilation valve for the plastic window and think about purchasing a supply unit with air heating.
The need for air inlets on plastic windows
There are owners who prefer warmth to fresh air. And they are wrong. In America and Europe, which have been using plastic windows for 30 years, the term "unhealthy building syndrome" exists. It refers specifically to sealed buildings with poor air exchange. Being in such rooms is harmful to humans. According to the WHO, diseases caused by poor indoor air quality take away 5,000 inhabitants of the Earth every day. It is the internal air, and not the gasified street! In America, up to 30 thousand people a year die from diseases caused by an increase in the concentration of radon in apartments. Gas is released from the ground, building materials and accumulates in houses that are not equipped with plastic windows with ventilation. Radon is completely invisible without special devices.
Air conditioning does not replace the ventilation of plastic windows!
Supply window handle valve
The ventilation valve for plastic windows is installed instead of the standard handle. Many owners of PVC windows do not want to install ventilation air inlets that extend beyond the sash. A convenient solution has been created for them, which allows ventilating the room without disturbing the appearance.
Advantages of window ventilation in the form of a handle valve:
- The ventilation valve is located in the usual place for condensation to appear on the plastic window. The valve creates a natural movement of air, especially important in the cold season;
- The combination of a handle valve and an exhaust ventilation system creates a healthy indoor climate, removes excess moisture;
- The supply ventilation valve in the form of a handle for plastic windows is a direct-flow design. According to the laws of physics, penetrating a warm room, cold air does not create condensation. That is, the valve will not freeze in the winter;
- The valve is equipped with an air filter that does not allow dust to enter the room. Once every six months, the filter changes.
There are still few reviews on the supply ventilation valve in the form of a handle, because this is a novelty. But the principle of its action is similar to the well-proven ventilation devices for metal-plastic windows. This design is also suitable as a ventilation valve for aluminum windows.
Do-it-yourself installation of a valve for ventilation of a plastic window is not difficult. The kit includes detailed instructions and the layout of the holes in the air chambers of the sash. All fasteners are attached.
DIY installation of a supply valve on a window
The supply ventilation valve on the plastic window can be installed independently.A home master with experience will spend no more than an hour on this.
You will need the following tools:
- ruler;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- sharp knife;
- valve.
Do-it-yourself valve for plastic windows is installed on the window sash. First you need to make markings in the middle of the upper part of the sash using a ruler. The procedure depends on the design of the valve. So in some cases, for the equipment of a window with ventilation, you only need to replace the seal portion with the one supplied. For other models, you will have to make a gap in the profile. When choosing a ventilation valve for aluminum windows, it is preferable to stop at the first option, since it is difficult to cut the supply air gap carefully at home.
Manufacturers usually provide their devices with detailed instructions that allow you to equip the ventilation of a plastic window with your own hands.
Step-by-step instructions on how to install the supply valve for window ventilation in the video:
