Advantages and disadvantages of natural ventilation
When designing a ventilation system in a residential building, the positive and negative aspects of installing natural-type ducts should be considered.
TO positive qualities of natural ventilation include:
- Low cost of work;
- The ability to independently equip air exchange without involving hired force;
- Low prices for materials;
- Maintenance of ventilation ducts with a natural type of organization of air exchange does not require high costs and is rare
- No electricity required;
- Lack of consumables.
TO negative qualities include:
- The air circulation in the natural ventilation system occurs due to the difference between the external and internal temperatures, but in hot summer weather, the opposite effect is observed when, as a result of the formation of back draft, the used air from the system gets back into the room;
- Dependence on outdoor temperature and wind speed makes such a system unreliable, not guaranteeing the process of air exchange;
- The intake of external air through open sources of inflow (windows, doors, vents) does not provide high-quality cleaning, as a result dust, seeds, insects and spores of fungi penetrate into the room;
- The organization of air exchange in winter is difficult. To maintain optimal humidity and freshness of the air, it is necessary to open the windows, but the resulting strong traction leads to significant heat loss. As a result, residents have to choose: either breathe fresh air and live in a cold room, or keep warm, but tolerate stale air;
- When installing filter materials in the supply elements, to ensure the receipt of the required volume of fresh air, you need to get a strong draft, which is impossible with a natural type of ventilation;
- The main negative point is the impossibility of effectively regulating the system (supply and removal of air). As a consequence of this drawback, the room does not have the ability to control the level of humidity, which leads to the appearance of fungus, mold and fogging of the windows. This deficiency is especially noticeable on wet summer days;
- In winter, another effect is observed: due to the large temperature difference, a powerful draft appears in the ventilation shaft, which leads to a significant dehumidification of the air in the room;
- It is impossible to provide reliable natural ventilation in the bathroom or toilet, especially in the summer. In this case, as for the organization of the hood in the kitchen, a combination of natural and forced ventilation is required.
Advantages and disadvantages of forced ventilation
To decide on the organization of ventilation in a private home of a natural or forced type, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the latest systems.
TO merits forced type include:
- The forced way of organizing air exchange does not depend on weather conditions and provides a reliable inflow and outflow of used air at any time;
- This type of ventilation allows you to arbitrarily change the operating parameters by adjusting the settings;
- The air flow passing through the supply valves is effectively cleaned of dust and microorganisms by filtering elements;
- When supplying air to the room, it is possible to organize heating in the winter;
- The use of a recuperator in a forced air exchange system allows you to maintain a comfortable thermal balance in the room and reduce heating costs.
TO disadvantages forced systems include:
- The high cost of materials;
- The need for complex calculations when designing a compulsory system in an apartment or house;
- The difficulty of installing equipment with your own hands. Requires the involvement of expensive hired professionals;
- The need for regular technical inspection of the system and routine maintenance with the replacement of individual elements;
- During operation of the air exchange system, noise occurs;
- The dependence of this type of ventilation on the availability of uninterrupted power supply.
Which is better to choose
In most cases, the organization of natural ventilation will be enough for a private one-story house building, but to ensure a comfortable living environment (humidity, freshness of air), you will need to install additional equipment:
- Baffles. They are installed at the end of the ventilation duct to provide more powerful natural traction in the system.
- Supply valves in plastic windows. This element allows you to adjust the flow of fresh air through the windows without opening them.
- Soil heat exchanger. Allows to provide an inflow of warmed up fresh air in the winter.
In two-story houses, buildings with residential attics and in buildings with higher floors, it is recommended to use combined ventilation systems or an exclusively forced way of air exchange.
What and where to use
The natural ventilation system is best used in wooden buildings. Walls of timber or logs provide a natural flow of fresh air inside the home, but in rooms with excessive humidity it is recommended to combine natural draft with the installation of artificial hoods.
For frame buildings It is necessary to use a forced air exchange system. The technology of building frame objects implies ensuring reliable vapor impermeability of the walls, which significantly limits the flow of fresh air in a natural way.
For some rooms inside the same building, it is recommended to provide separate ventilation. So, to ensure air exchange in the living quarters of a wooden house, it is recommended to install a natural system, but for the ventilation of a garage, workshop or boiler room, a forced system is required.
When deciding on the choice of natural or forced ventilation in TP, you should pay attention to the operating conditions of this room, but, in most cases, a forced inflow and exhaust system is required.