Ventilation Plays an Essential Role in HVAC

When it comes to HVAC, the “V” is the forgotten letter. The “H” and “AC” – heating and air conditioning – get all the attention. However, “V,” for ventilation, is also a key ingredient in creating home comfort, health and energy efficiency.

Without adequate ventilation, the air inside your house will turn stale, stuffy and unhealthy. In addition, some types of mechanical ventilation can help provide cooling or heating in the home.

The best heating and cooling companies will always take care to ensure your home has adequate ventilation.

Why Ventilation is Becoming More Important

Before going into that, however, it’s essential to understand why proper ventilation is more important than ever in modern homes and other buildings.

In recent years, more attention has focused on the importance of saving energy, both for environmental and financial reasons. As a result, homes are built tighter than ever, with very little opportunity for air to escape or infiltrate.

This does create a negative situation, however. Whereas older homes had a significant amount of natural air exchange – air coming in and out through cracks and gaps between building materials, windows, utility penetrations and other openings — air exchange in a typical contemporary home only happens at a significant level when you open windows or doors.

That’s why, mechanical ventilation is often necessary.

Types of Residential Mechanical Ventilation

Take, for example, the switch on the wall in the bathroom that starts fan operation. This probably is a common exhaust fan that expels dirty, moist, smelly air from the bathroom. It also helps defog the bathroom.

Likewise, most kitchens have exhaust fans, often attached to the stove. The fan removes smells and contaminants that result from cooking and food preparation.

Effective attic ventilation is also necessary. Without sufficient air exchange, the sun beating down on the roof will superheat attic air, which ends up transferring down into the house.

During the cold winter months, an attic without adequate ventilation can contribute to damaging ice dams forming on the roof and eaves.

An effective whole-house ventilation system – whether supply-only or balanced – will guarantee a steady exchange of fresh outside air with stale indoor air.

Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators (HRVs and ERVs) are among the most popular and effective ventilation systems on the market today. They employ parallel air streams, one in-flowing and one out-flowing, that exchange heat energy (in an HRV) or heat and moisture (in an ERV) to help with heating or cooling, and humidity control.

Ask an HVAC Professional

If you have any doubts about the ventilation in your home, ask for an inspection by a trusted Cincinnati HVAC service repair company like Jansen Heating & Cooling.

They’ll be able to tell you how effectively your home is exchanging stale and fresh air. If it’s coming up short, they can tell you what steps you can take to improve the ventilation.

After all, the “V” wouldn’t be in HVAC if it weren’t an essential component of effective home comfort.