Air ventilation purification systems

 
 

Do you or any of your family members seem to get sick as it grows cold every year? This, or health issues including asthma, allergies, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, or nausea, could reflect a problem with the air in your home. The solution is a good air purification system.

  

 

An older, ineffective means of controlling air and moisture problems in the crawlspace was to install foundation vents. Allowing hot, humid air to blow through a cooler crawlspace creates condensation that can sometimes create a rain forest environment beneath your home. These conditions cause mold and insects to thrive, and damages the building structure and the health of the residents.

 

Without an effective air purification or ventilation system in your home, your family could be breathing the following harmful contaminants:

 

 

A good air purification system works by air exchange. Proper ventilation exchanges stale air, its contaminants and excess moisture with fresh air from outside. It accomplishes this air exchange through open windows and doors, using the ventilation system already in place.

 

Most homes have a closed-loop ventilation system that simply recirculates the same air in the home over and over again. This causes contaminants to build up at levels that are hazardous to occupants. A better way is to create an exchange of stale air for fresh air, which creates a healthy, comfortable atmosphere. 

 

An ideal home ventilation system does the following:

 

 

Each system, including a new one, should be carefully evaluated to ensure that it does its job.

 

 

The ventilation system is usually located in the basement, because it tends to be the biggest problem area. However, sometimes the system is installed in a crawlspace. As a result of inadequate ventilation, these areas can develop unfortunate levels of moisture, musty odors, insects and mold. The musty smell indicates the presence of live mold colonies in your home, because the odor originates from gases that mold expels during its life cycle. Mold needs moisture, so if you get the moisture under control, you can also eradicate the mold.

 

Fortunately, conditions that are comfortable for you are also beneficial for buildings and detrimental for mold and dust mites. To create favorable conditions for your household and to rid the basement or crawlspace of excess moisture, a good ventilation system is key. It will pull the moist, cool air into the ventilation unit, and then expel it. This creates an area of decreased pressure at the lower level and draws drier, safer air down from higher, often better ventilated floors. Ideally, the humidity level throughout your home will be between 30 percent and 50 percent, to avoid mold.

 

The direct effect of the air being expelled and the downward flow of air into the basement or crawlspace is an air exchange in the house that is six to 10 times higher than that of the average home. This helps to dry out the basement or crawlspace, creating a safe and dry environment. In addition, by reducing the overall moisture level in the home, you will save money by reducing your air-conditioner’s workload.

 

Some homeowners attempt to achieve this same level of dehumidification with a dehumidifier. The problem is that, even with several dehumidifiers at $20 to $30 per unit each month, you would still not cause any air exchanges. The right ventilation system not only reduces the moisture that mold needs to survive, it also expels the mold gases that smell, and the mold spores that make you sneeze. Incidentally, if uncontrolled, your furnace will often spread mold gases and spores throughout your home. Now you know why you may grow ill the first time you run your furnace in the autumn or winter.

  

 

In addition to possible illness, two of the biggest problems homeowners face in the winter are condensation on their windows and heat lost through the roof. Many homeowners tighten up their homes with new and better windows or insulation, yet with the first frost, they still have condensation on their windows. If you call the window company, they will say that the condensation is caused by too much moisture and a lack of ventilation.

 

The right solution is to lower the overall humidity by exhausting excess water out of the home and using the ventilation system to move air more effectively. While many residents use humidifiers in the winter, too much of that moisture still ends up on the windows and in the basement. The ventilation system should distribute the humid air more evenly throughout the house to achieve a healthy and comfortable environment.

 

The heat-loss problem can be caused by several factors. First, damp, dirty air takes more energy to heat and shortens the life expectancy of the furnace. The right ventilation system controls the moisture and helps filter out the dirt. 

 

Second, by creating a slight negative pressure at the lowest level, the ventilation system should draw the heat back down into the living area, thus partially reversing the natural rise of heat. This eventually results in the loss of heat through the roof. It does not eliminate the heat loss completely, but it should make a noticeable difference in your home, in your utility bill and in your life.

 

One helpful tool to control moisture and stop mold growth before it begins is a humidistat. This regulates the humidity level by turning a humidifier or dehumidifier on-and-off. As soon as you have achieved a desired humidity level of 30-percent to 50-percent, the system should automatically turn off.

 

The right ventilation system should decrease the growth of mold and mildew by keeping the moist air from condensing onto cool surfaces or becoming stagnant. Gases and pollutants that have built-up in the home are expelled and replaced with fresh air. The proper ventilation system creates a healthier, more comfortable living space.