About Ventilation
Good indoor air quality is the key factor for a healthy lifestyle, since so much of our time is spent inside buildings.
Eliminating unpleasant smells, smoke, and steam is crucial for our comfort and reduces the risk of respiratory diseases and allergies.
Controlling the condensation prevents the formation of fungi and mould, as well as reduces the aging process of the premises.
Choosing the right fan:
Efficient ventilation depends on the type of fan or several fans with the appropriate capacity. The following factors should be taken into consideration:
- a) volume of the premise V=LxWxH(m³ )
- b) air exchange per hour (P), table #1 and #2
Air exchange per hour
- c) volume coefficient of the room furniture “K” (K=0.7-0.95 depending on the volume and quantity of furniture in the room).
How to calculate the fan capacity:
For a bathroom measuring 2,2 min length, 1,8 m width, and 2,44 m hight, the volume
V of the room is
V=LxWxH= 9,66 m³.
The fan capacity D is calculated by the formula:
D=V x P x K =9,66 x 5 x 0.9 = 43,47 m³/h
where:
– “P” is the recommended air changes per hour on Table 1 and 2;
– “K” is the volume coefficient of a bathroom.
Efficient ventilation depends on choosing the right place for the extractor fan and the location of the air inlets.
When the doors and windows are closed, fresh air flows in through apertures, vent openings or inlet fans.
The air inlets and outlet must be installed in specific places so that fresh air evenly spreads all around the premises (Diagrams A, D, C and F as above). It is advisable that instead of one big ventilation device, several smaller ones are installed, equivalent to the capacity of the bigger ventilation device as shown on diagrams.
This will create an active (as opposed to passive) intake system. Typically, when your extractor fan sucks air out of your room, air is passively going to be drawn back into the room (Diagrams A, B, D and E).
By installing a second fan on the intake side (Diagram C and F), you will reduce the amount of negative suction created, thereby allowing much more air to pass through.
