How pleasant it is to sit in a warm armchair near the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket and sipping warm aromatic tea, conduct leisurely conversations with friends or family, read your favorite, worn-out book, or watch a good old movie! Unfortunately, for many this remains only a pipe dream: no matter how the owner tries to insulate and secure the home, and the hostess makes it as comfortable and cozy as possible, something is missing. The humidifier does not help: the windows sweat, the silicone sealant turns black, the wallpaper comes off and exposes the walls covered with black mold , the dampness is felt on the skin, the clothes absorb it, unpleasant odors quickly spread around the house. If this describes your home, then know: the ventilation duct is not working. Proceed to repair, otherwise you risk your health.
What is a ventilation duct?
People who are used to being interested in all the details of their improvement, probably know about ventilation in their apartment or private house. A ventilation duct is one that is located vertically (there are two or more of them) and provides a natural and normal movement of air in the room. To understand the principle of ventilation, we need to recall the lessons of physics: air passes from the high-pressure region to the low-pressure region, and the warm air is lighter than the cold one, therefore it moves vertically upward. Due to the normal operation of this system, we do not feel humidity or, conversely, dryness, and the room remains at the optimum temperature. An important point: if the ventilation is too good, the heat loss of the housing can be about half, but when you install a special valve, they will be significantly reduced. The latter are also needed with plastic euro-windows. In addition to ventilation, they provide hoods in the kitchen (and remove the burning, smoke and unpleasant odors that tend to “settle” on clothes and hair), as well as fans, they will be very useful in the summer when you want a chill. Do not forget about modern systems of tight windows and air conditioners.
Inspection of ventilation ducts yourself
Worry if ventilation works well? Suspect a breakdown? Then you need to check the ventilation ducts. It is not necessary to call specialists, just find the grille under the ceiling (this is the ventilation hole), open the door or window. Take a very thin and light sheet of paper (napkins are best) and attach to the grate. If everything is normal, it will be drawn in, and when air stagnation will fall.
Ventilation duct. Alternatives
Of course, many may not like the fact that installing an air duct can greatly ruin the beauty of a home. Imagine: in the middle of a carefully thought-out wall or ceiling, a barred hole flaunts. There are alternatives. Forced ventilation is a rather complicated system of ducts with branches, as well as valves, noise suppressors, filters and so on. But it can fly you a pretty penny, because you need a fairly large amount of energy. Therefore, it is desirable to install a recovery system. Infiltration - ventilation through natural gaps in windows and doors. Airing is good for health, but requires a lot of heat that has gone over a full cycle of air replacement. In addition, you risk catching insects or plant seeds that cause allergies. Remember that the installation of ventilation will bring comfort, warmth to your home, will protect your life and health, and will provide a number of other advantages. Comfort and warmth to you!