Breathe Easy: Home Ventilation Matters More Than You Think

We don’t really think about the air in our homes, until we have to. You probably will notice stale air, maybe lingering smells or possibly that heavy, humid feeling after a shower or that the AC’s been running all day. The truth is the air inside your house can be much worse than what’s outside. Poor home ventilation can be a big part of the problem.

Houses, these days, are more tightly built and more energy efficient. This is great for your utility bill, but not always for your health and comfort. Without a way for fresh air to come into the home and without a way to get stale, polluted air out, you’re basically recycling the air inside and mixing it with cooking fumes, pet dander, cleaning chemicals, moisture, even CO₂ from just breathing. Let’s talk about how to fix these issues.

🚫💨Common Signs YouR Home Might Have a Ventilation Problem

Before diving into solutions, here are some red flags to look out for:

• Persistent odors (cooking, musty smells, etc.)
• Condensation on windows
• Mold or mildew, especially in corners or bathrooms
• Allergy flare-ups
• Rooms that feel stuffy or overly humid

If one or more of these hit home, it’s time to take a look at how your house is (or isn’t) breathing.

🌬️ Why HOme Ventilation Matters

Many don’t know that the air inside a home can be way more polluted than the air outdoors. If the air indoors does have issues, then the homeowner can experience a wide variety of problems such as:​

• Health Issues: One of the main problems may be respiratory problems or allergies. Resolving home ventilation issues in the home, can make a huge impact on the wellbeing of the sufferer.
• Moisture Problems: When the home has excess humidity, then there is a good chance of mold growth. Mold growth, of course, can lead to expensive damage. This is the largest asset for most people, so taking care of it is critical.
• Unpleasant Odors: We have all walked into someone’s home and it had a very distinct odor. This is most likely due to poor ventilation allowing stale air and lingering smells.​

Proper ventilation helps move stale air and odors from indoor to outdoor while bringing in the fresh outdoor air.

🛠️ Ventilation Solutions to Consider

• Whole House Fans

Adding a whole house fan can cool the home and remove stale unhealthy air. They work by pulling in cool outdoor air while expelling warm indoor air through the attic. This process provides an efficient way to cool and ventilate the home. Along with fresh cool air they also remove the stale indoor air.

Benefits:

• • • Energy Efficiency: The fan should be used as an alternative to the AC, thereby saving on energy costs
    • Improved Air Quality: Replaces stale and possibly polluted air inside the home with fresh outside air.

• Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are typically installed near the air handler and connected to the return. However, some may need to be connected via its own dedicated duct system. The ERV works in tandem with your existing HVAC system to deliver fresh outdoor air while simultaneously exhausting stale indoor air. The ERV also captures and transfers the heat and moisture from the outgoing air to the incoming air. By transferring the air the system does not need to reheat or cool that air, which in turn helps to balance humidity, temperature and save money.

Key Features:

• • For humid climate: Transfers excess indoor moisture back outside.
  • For cold or dry climates: Retain moisture indoors, so the air doesn’t get uncomfortably dry

• Ventilation Dampers and Controls

A ventilation damper regulates the flow of fresh air into the home. It works with the HVAC system to balance airflow and maintain indoor air quality. While often overlooked, dampers play a vital role in ensuring the system operates efficiently and that the home stays comfortable.

Highlights:

• • Fresh Air Dampers (FAD): A motorized damper that controls when the system intakes fresh air, preventing unwanted infiltration during off periods.
  • Ventilation Controls: Automatically operates the damper based upon indoor air quality.​

• Zoning Systems

A zoning system breaks the home into separate areas with its own temperature control. This setup gives the homeowner the flexibility to heat or cool specific areas based upon how they use the home. This will also help eliminate hot or cold spots in the house. For example, if the main bedroom is warm, but a secondary bedroom is cold, a zoning system can help fix this problem. It is also a great way to save on energy costs by turning off certain zones if they don’t get used often.

Advantages:

• • Enhanced Comfort: Helps even out the temperature throughout the home. No more hot or cold spots.
  • Energy Savings: Reduces energy by limiting the HVAC use in areas not used.​

🏡 Ensure the Health, Comfort and Efficiency of a Home by investing in Proper Ventilation

The solutions listed above can significantly improve indoor air quality and reduce energy costs. Choose all these or any of them and experience better home ventilation.

However, before going and buying any of the above options, consider consulting with an HVAC expert who can determine what your home needs and recommend the best ventilation strategies.​ Once you have determined a plan, these should be installed by a licensed professional.