Modern homes are well insulated for efficient heating and cooling but need ventilation from the outside to prevent stale indoor air, often described as “stuffiness”.
Any of the following mechanical systems will improve your indoor air quality, bringing the outdoors inside:
- Exhaust ventilation systems use a fan to force indoor air outdoors through installed vents, lowering the pressure inside your home and drawing outdoor air in through leaks and/or installed vents. Although inexpensive to install and most appropriate in cold climates, they raise heating and cooling costs and also draw pollutants indoors (including fumes from an attached garage).
- Supply ventilation systems draw outdoor air inside through vents, pressurizing your home and forcing indoor air out through leaks and/or installed vents. Also inexpensive, these are appropriate in hot climates, yet still raise heating and cooling costs. They do allow filtration of outdoor air before it enters your home.
- Balanced ventilation systems use two fans to keep the pressure inside balanced with the outdoors; one fan draws air into your living room and bedrooms through vents, the other forces indoor air out, usually though vents in your kitchen or bathrooms. These systems cost more to install and do raise heating and cooling costs but are appropriate in all climates and allow filtration of outdoor pollutants as well.
- Energy recovery ventilation systems mix filtered, incoming outdoor air with indoor air to minimize any increase in heating and cooling costs. Although most appropriate for moderate climates, finding a capable installer can be challenging and systems are more costly to install than others.
When choosing and designing a system, homeowners should look for the following features:
- Quiet fan motors, as a noisy unit is much more likely to be underutilized.
- Control knobs that are easily accessible
- Proper distribution of fresh outdoor air where you need it, mainly bedrooms and your living room
- Adequate filtration of outdoor air before entry into your home
Homeowners interested in improving indoor air quality can contact the professionals at Aladdin Heating and Cooling; with three offices in Warren, Lake Orion, and Novi, we have been serving southeast Michigan since 1945!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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