To remove unpleasant odors and prevent colonization by mold and fungal colonies, the proper organization of the home ventilation system is necessary. If the sources of fresh air into the apartment are reduced exclusively to natural ventilation through the windows, tenants can freeze or catch a cold from the draft. Ventilation in the apartment can be arranged in various ways.
Standards and requirements
To properly make ventilation in the apartment, you need to study the sanitation requirements prescribed by SNiP. In general, it is believed that apartment air masses should be updated every half hour. Moreover, the requirements for different types of rooms are different. The most active air supply is needed in the kitchen, especially equipped with a gas stove. Here, the norms are 60-90 cubic meters hourly. For room air in bedrooms and living rooms, the minimum is calculated by multiplying the area (in m2) at 3. In pantries and hygienic facilities, the indicator is 25 m3 in hour. The air temperature in the cold season should be 20-22 ºС, in the summer - up to 25 ºС.
Ventilation of sewer pipes that implement wastewater outflow is carried out through risers. In the latter, the hood should be removed through the prefabricated shaft of the building or through the roof. This helps prevent odors in the toilet.
Varieties of ventilation in the apartment
There are several types of tasks solved by ventilation units: air inflow into the apartment, exhaust gas removal and recovery. To implement each of them, certain devices are used.
Supply
Supply ventilation for the apartment provides clean air from the street. It is possible to install a small stand-alone device or a complex installation of central ventilation. The simplest device is a wall mounted valve. Sometimes it is placed above the radiators to ensure the warming of the incoming air masses. In the cold season, such devices create strong traction. In summer, air exchange can be improved by simple ventilation.
There are also breather units that provide fresh air and are able to change its parameters - for example, temperature. The most sophisticated models are also equipped with options for ionization, fine filtration, humidity control. They are comparable in performance to the most efficient of the valves.
Exhaust
Exhaust ventilation in the apartment provides the exit of stale air and odors through air ducts or other channels. In the toilet and in the kitchen, special grilles are necessarily mounted. This prevents the spread of odors and harmful suspensions (e.g. from smoking) in living rooms. Systems of this type are local and general exchange. A typical example of the first category is a fume hood installed in the kitchen above the stove. Sometimes small fans are located in the ventilation shafts of the toilet and the bathroom. This helps remove odors and regulate moisture.
Supply and exhaust with heat recovery
In this scheme, forced supply air is combined with exhaust devices. Valves or special electrical appliances can work for the latter. With the right selection of parameters, the design allows you to balance the circulation (flows of incoming and outgoing air) and achieve the optimal microclimate in each of the premises of the home. Recovery ensures minimization of the return of home heat to the external environment in winter. The weaknesses of this solution are the high cost of the devices, as well as the cost of installing a false ceiling.
Creating conditions for ventilation
Air exchange should be organized so that the air masses move inside the home even with the windows locked. This requires the arrangement of openings for the hood and the presence of a 5-10 mm slot in the door frame. To achieve the latter, the installation must assume the absence of a threshold.
Mine check
Before organizing home ventilation with your own hands, you need to check whether the ventilation shaft is working normally. In the absence of clogging and malfunctions, no noise or other signals occur that allow you to quickly detect that something is wrong. You can find out about problems using the following methods:
- The most accurate and reliable way is to use an anemometer. For home use, a simple device is suitable. Specialized services use models with sophisticated electronics that capture the quality of indoor air exchange.
- Place a piece of paper in front of the hood. During normal operation, he should be attracted to it.
- Presentation of a burning candle to the ventilation duct. Problems are indicated by the immobility of the flame or its evasion towards the room. But resorting to this method is not recommended: a gas leak may cause an explosion.
Methods based on bringing objects to the hood work with the window open and only in the cold season. They are based on temperature differences inside and outside the home.
Arrangement of exhaust openings
Plastic gratings are often installed on the exhaust openings in an apartment using self-tapping nails or dowels. For ceramic wall cladding, silicone sealant can also be used. It is advisable to lay the power cable for the ventilation device before installing the tile. The problem of excessive humidity can be solved by an exhaust device or a special sensor.
On the passage to the general ventilation in a multi-storey building, you need to put a check valve. Its function is to block the entry into the home of contaminated air masses from a common mine. Such a problem can be caused by clogging of the ducts or the ingress of a foreign body into them.
Fresh air management
In addition to valves mounted in a wall or window, there are controllable devices that provide airflow from the street. For this purpose, you can buy an inexpensive ventilator with a filter that traps large dust particles.
There are more complex devices - breathers. They are equipped with several ventilation programs and a screen on which the parameters are displayed during control. In winter, the supply air can be heated. The installation of such a device is advisable if an allergic person lives in the apartment: the air is filtered from pollen particles and mold spores.
Installation of channel systems
Before purchasing ventilation equipment, you need to prepare a system design and perform power calculations. The indicator of the required performance depends on the dimensions of the channel, the cross section of the device, and the location.
Design rules
When preparing a ventilation project, you must first measure the cross section of the channels and the rate of air exchange. Then, targets are determined for all premises of the apartment. Based on these data, you can do the selection of system components. They should be convenient for maintenance and affordable at the cost of acquisition and operation. The noise generation factor is also taken into account. You also need to consider optimizing the functioning of the system in the cold season.
Mounting Features
Air duct structures for urban apartments are usually made of plastic. They are easy to install, light in weight and neutral in design. Multi-section allows you to choose the configuration that best suits the parameters of the system.Metal structures are designed for use in industry in conditions that place high demands on strength (for example, operation at sub-zero temperatures).
Above the cabinets, the parts are fixed with self-tapping nails or holders. The sections of the passage through the wall are insulated to prevent shaking. The distance between the fasteners should be approximately 1 m.
Installation in an apartment with suspended ceilings
A ventilation duct running on a concrete surface, which is then planned to be closed with a stretch ceiling, should be tested with the greatest possible load. This will allow you to detect flaws and work on them before access is closed. Joints are recommended to be treated with sealant with silicone. Liquid nails or ordinary glue should not be used - with such a "dead" fastening, it will not work to repair the structure.
When arranging apartment ventilation, you need to build on the results of measurements of the air exchange of the premises. The combination of supply and exhaust devices will provide the proper level of oxygen and prompt removal of exhaust air.
