Home air ventilation systems constantly work to replace stale and polluted indoor air with fresh, filtered outdoor air. As a part of a well-maintained HVAC system, home ventilation is one important component of improving your home's indoor air quality. We'll cover how home ventilation works and what else you can do to improve airflow in your house.
What is a home ventilation system?
Home ventilation systems use different methods of accomplishing the same task. An effective home ventilation system regularly cycles indoor and outdoor air. Most homes completely replace indoor air four or more times per day! This helps remove harmful indoor air pollutants that pose a serious health risk.
The most common types of home ventilation systems in central Florida are:
- Supply ventilation systems, which pressurize the home to create an imbalance between the air pressure inside and outside the home. This pulls in fresh outdoor air, while stale indoor air exits via several vents instead of a single point. This option is more prevalent in warmer climates, including Brevard County HVAC systems.
- Balanced ventilation systems, which use two fans and two duct systems. One fan and one duct are dedicated to bringing fresh outdoor air to bedrooms or living rooms, while the other pulls stale indoor air from bathrooms or the kitchen. Balanced ventilation systems are becoming more popular in many parts of the US.
The best way to optimize the performance of any ventilation system is with regular maintenance from an HVAC professional. We'll include your home's system as a part of our comprehensive indoor air quality services.
What is cross-ventilation in homes?
You can supplement the hard work of your HVAC system by using cross-ventilation to improve airflow in your house. It's a simple and accessible way to utilize a natural breeze or fans to replace indoor air with fresh air from outside quickly. Here's how:
Open a few windows on one side of your home, then open the corresponding windows on the side of the house directly across. They don't have to be lined up, but the more direct passage of airflow, the better! Be sure to leave all doors open as well. This allows a natural breeze to move across your home, cycling air quickly. It's a nice way to air out your home after traveling or after having your place closed up during poor weather.
Thank your biggest fans (Any size Will do)
You can use portable fans to accelerate the cross-ventilation process.
- Find the side of your home that's getting a breeze and open the windows. Right next to one of those windows, place a fan pointed in toward the room. This will pull more outdoor air into the house.
- Find a window on the other side of the house. Once it's open, place another fan pointed out the window to push inside air through the window. This is also handy to clear out odors or smoke from the kitchen whenever your chicken tetrazzini goes awry.
How can I improve ventilation in my home?
In addition to regular HVAC maintenance, make a conscious effort to open windows for short periods whenever the weather allows. Take time every few months to check on your home ventilation system:
- Check that indoor air vents are free from obstructions like furniture, tables, or dirty clothes!
- Check that all outdoor vents are clear of debris like leaves, dirt, or animal infestations.