full air exchange in a wooden house
VENTILATION SYSTEM IN WOODEN HOUSES
Ventilation in a wooden house: features of use
A ventilation system in a wooden house is an important factor that will constantly keep pleasant, clean air inside it, affecting the health and living comfort of all its residents.
Contents
Air exchange norms for the rooms of a wooden house
- for living rooms (living room, bedroom) – a minimum of 30 m3/h per person;
- for a kitchen with a gas stove – 60 m3/h. While cooking, air exchange should increase to 180 m3/h
- for a kitchen with an electric stove – 50 m3/h. While cooking, air exchange should increase to 180 m3/h;
- for a bathroom – 25 m3/h;
- for a toilet – 25 m3/h;
- for a combined bathroom – 50 m3/h;
- for utility rooms, storage rooms and walk-in closets – 15 m3/h.
For the whole house, except the kitchen, bathroom and balconies, a value of 3 m3/h is usually taken for every square metre of the cottage’s area.
Passive (natural) ventilation in a wooden house
This type of airing assumes that air moves from outside into the house naturally. Inflow happens through open windows or doors, and outflow – through air ducts.
So that the air flow does not meet obstacles when passing through the ventilation channel, its inner surface should be smooth and have no narrowing at the joints.
Pros:
Cheap. Air duct costs start from a hundred hryvnias, and an open window is free altogether.
Simple. Exhaust chimneys can be laid by hand with a little preparation and by following the recommendations.
Cons:
Nature will not always be on your side. Natural air exchange almost stops in the warm season, because there is no temperature difference between outside and inside the house. In the cold season there will be big losses, and you will have to spend more on heating.
The option of opening windows is not always there.
Exhaust channels may not be able to handle all the spent air.
In a forced exhaust system, as in a passive one, spent air is removed through ventilation channels, but now with the help of an electric fan. Fresh air enters naturally.
When installing the fan, connect it to the light switch in the bathroom, then it will stop at the same time as the light is turned off.
Pros:
Efficient. With a fan, air leaves a wooden house much faster than without one.
Convenient. The power of most fans can be adjusted, so it’s easy to control the airflow speed.
Cons:
Not enough fresh air. Inflow is either absent altogether or small.
Supply ventilation in a wooden house
As the name suggests, it provides an inflow of fresh air. Since “used” air is displaced from the wooden house by fresh air, inflow must definitely be organised – otherwise the extraction will be ineffective.
It is possible to install air ducts with a fan, as for extraction, but there are also more compact and cheaper options – air valves. Air valves include window and wall valves, breathers, and other devices.
The diameter of all air ducts should be the same, to prevent the airflow from slowing down at the joints.
Pros:
Freshness. When fresh air constantly comes to us, we feel more invigorated.
Cleanliness. Ventilation systems are most often equipped with air filters. Different filters clean different contaminants: for example, a breather has three filters – for dust, allergens, and harmful gases.
Functionality. The configuration of ventilation systems may include a heater, humidifier, noise silencer and other useful options.
Cons:
Some devices, such as window valves, have low productivity: the fresh air they carry is enough for a maximum of one person. To guarantee a sufficient volume of fresh air, it’s better to use a breather
Supply-and-exhaust ventilation in wooden structures
The combined ventilation system provides both inflow and outflow of air. In this case, it is important to balance the capacity: the amount of air inflow into the wooden house must equal the amount of air outflow from it.
When installing a ventilation system, it is quite common to add a ground heat exchanger. Its air duct is laid in the ground at a depth of 1–2 m. The soil temperature remains around 8–10 °C throughout the year. In winter the air passes through the ground heat exchanger and warms up, and in summer it cools down. With such a heat exchanger, heating and air-conditioning costs are reduced.
Some systems are equipped with a built-in recovery unit. In winter it warms the incoming air using spent heat. In summer the recuperator works together with the air conditioner and, conversely, cools the air. The flows are not mixed in the process.
Pros:
clean;
fresh;
functional;
efficient.
Cons:
high price;
complex installation;
the equipment does not work without a power supply.