Ventilation

Understanding Ventilation: The Dilution of a Pollutant Source.

Controlling pollutants at the source is the most important strategy for maintaining clean indoor air. Ventilation is the second most effective approach to providing acceptable indoor air. There are three ways that air enters and leaves a home:

1. Infiltration & Exfiltration: Outdoor air flows into and out of the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors. Infiltration & Exfiltration is not the best source of ventialtion because the air enters and leaves the home in an uncontrolled manner.
2. Natural Ventilation: Air moves through opened windows and doors. Natural ventilation is where the building occupant purposely opens a home to increase ventilation in a controlled manner. While natural ventilation is very effective, it allows for expensive conditioned air to leave a home, and allows for possible pollutants to enter a home (pollens, dust, etc.)
3. Mechanical Ventilation: There are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from outdoor-vented fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and air ducts to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the house. Mechanical ventilation allows the greatest ability to control an environment, however it must be periodically maintained to ensure it’s effectiveness through qualified HVAC contractors and Air Duct Cleaning contractors.