Why Whole House Ventilation Is Crucial?

Energy efficient homes consider mechanical ventilation as the ideal home building strategy. You may have heard a lot about the whole house fans, whole house ducts, full house ventilation, etc and all these terms possess no significant distinction and somewhat used interchangeably.

It’s hard to sense the effects of failing ventilation system early on. However, homeowners need to keep a close eye to the old or destructive ventilator to pre-avoid any health-related problems.

What is whole house Ventilation?

Whole house ventilation is the latest expression of a mechanical system where an air continuously moves through the house at a considerably low rate. The aim is to provide your home with a consistent fresh air to maintain impeccable indoor quality.
Generally, two fans and duct systems are employed to remove the stale air and to bring the fresh air in. We classify whole house ventilation into various types, and each has pros and cons associated with it.

Supply ventilation:

In supply ventilation, a home gets pressurized air, meaning a fan is used that pushes outside air inside while a duct or vent helps in leaking the stale air. Supply ventilation is not what we prefer for extreme weather but can go a long way for the mild climates.

Exhaust Ventilation:

As opposed to the supply ventilation, exhaust ventilation is functioned to depressurize a home by exhausting air from a place. The major disadvantage of this ventilation is that pollutants or mold or dust from the attic, are more likely to draw into your home.

Balanced Ventilation:

In balanced ventilation, two fans and ducts are used that banish the air wherever pollutants are likely to grow. This type of ventilation is the amalgamation of both supply and exhaust ventilation as the home neither gets pressurized nor depressurized.

HRVs and ERVs

HRVs and ERVs are the energy system with a tendency to receive 60%-80% of energy exiting the system. These systems are built to minimize energy loss and control the ventilation inside a home.

Signs the ventilation needs attention:

To live in a healthy and comfortable place; we need to ensure our home meets all standards for an authentic style and ideal amount of ventilation.

Feeling tired to the bone due to high fatigue: The poor IAQ (indoor air quality) means the more exposure of occupants with contaminants or dust particle. When the air with pollutant is inhaled, it may impede the function of the lungs, making oxygen circulation difficult and a person feels more overtired or drowsy.

Stuffy air that leads to improper breathing: The visible sign of poor ventilation is when the air feels more stuffy, and you can’t breathe properly. Generally, a malfunctioning ventilation system that does not let the adequate amount of fresh air enter raises such issues.

Horrible smells: A horrible smell more like smelly socks and musty odors or feeling of dampness are the symptoms of poor ventilation.

What happens if ventilation does not work:

Never let the ventilation system fail as it generates many issues related to your home aesthetics and health, including:

- Running water and moisture from cooking begins to build up around the ducts
- Accumulation of volatile organic compound
- High level of carbon dioxide

Posted by Heating And Cooling

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Ways to keep kids cool when there's no Air Conditioning available

Thermal discomfort is something that can severely affect sleep quality as well as general health for
adults and children alike; this particularly impacts babies and young children. If the Air Conditioner has gone for the emergency repair or you don’t just want to fire it up or save energy money, then we have some great tips to keep you and your children protected from the heat when the mercury level on the thermometer rises.

Stay Hydrated:

No one likes to sit around being hot, sweaty, and gross - the first step to mitigating the heat is to reduce the body temperature. And the best way to do that is to fill your body with cooling foods
and fluids. Otherwise, when the Air Conditioner dies or goes out for an emergency repair you will find yourself scrambling to keep your kids cool. Children need to drink more water to fulfill their body's effort to stay cool. Children aren’t as hydrated as adults, so it is your responsibility to make sure they drink plenty of fluids.

Sleep in the basement:

One of the significant drawbacks of life without an air conditioner is having to sleep in a hot, sweaty
room. The higher the temperature, the more difficult it is to get the right amount of night-rest.
If you are lucky enough to live in a multi-story house, then there is an escape: the basements! They are comfortable than the bedrooms on the first or second storey. So, how about letting the children sleep for a night in the basement while the AC is out?

Body’s cooling spots.

Do you know a cold washcloth over your wrist or neck will assist in reducing your body temperature
faster than trying to put it on your forehead? It enables to target cold compresses. You can use wet towels, or ice packs to get the best results.

Make a specialized DIY AC

Need ac for a few days out of the year? Then consider saving money on real things and make your very own air conditioner for free.
· Get a shallow bowl or roasting pan and fill it up with ice and bring it in front of a fan.
· Take a sheet, wet it, and then hang it in front of an open window.
· Roll up a wet towel and attach it to the front of a box fan.
These methods are quick and convenient to keep the children fresh while you are waiting for the completion of an emergency ac repair.

Unplug

How to keep the place cool when the electronic appliances start working against you?
Any home devices and appliances with a standby or sleep mode, consume phantom power, which means they produce heat even when not in use. Some of the biggest offenders are your satellite or cable box, a stereo system, video game consoles, your PVR, computer, and speakers. Therefore, when you try to stay cool without air conditioning, make sure to unplug all devices running standby. It saves energy cost and reduces the excessive
heat loss.