Fan types

In most cases, “European-style renovation in the Soviet style” begins with the installation of double-glazed windows and conscientious battening down of all ventilation vents (“There is no need for neighbor cockroaches to run on our bread!”). It’s funny, but few people realize that by destroying the existing ventilation system, you can be left without clean air. Knowledgeable people act differently. Even if the ventilation system does not pull, it is not broken. Why, because the situation can be easily corrected by using inexpensive supply and exhaust fans that can significantly increase the efficiency of an existing system.

The fact is that in most residential and office buildings ventilation with a natural air flow is provided. If it is not cleaned, debris accumulated in the air ducts begins to interfere with the normal circulation of flows and the system stops working. If the air is driven with a fan, even the lumen remaining in the duct is enough for it.

In order to understand how cluttered the ventilation system of your house is and what kind of fan is needed, it is enough to bring a candle to vents in the kitchen, toilet or bathroom. If the flame deflects towards the grate, then there is a draft and you can get by with a simple fan. If the candle does not react in any way to the proximity of the ventilation grill, a “centrifugal” fan is required, which creates a higher pressure. The cost of such a device is 2-3 times higher, but if the air duct is thoroughly clogged with all sorts of rubbish, a standard “axial” fan simply will not help. In any apartment there are at least three places where the presence of a fan will not be superfluous. This is a toilet, bathroom and kitchen.

FANS FOR TOILETS

If the ventilation system is not completely dead, a simple exhaust fan will suffice in the toilet. It is selected at the rate of 30 cubic meters. m / hour for one “seat” and are fixed directly to where the air grill is now flaunting. And so that the fan does not buzz constantly, but only turns on on business, it is connected to a light switch. Some fans are included with a cord, but even better if this device is equipped with a timer. Then he will start working in a couple of minutes after you leave your home. After working for a set period (usually 5-15 minutes is enough), the fan will turn off and will patiently wait for the next time.

The price of a standard toilet fan is in the range of $ 20-40, for a device with a cord you will have to pay $ 5-10 more, and finally, the presence of a timer increases the price by $ 15-25. And if the toilet has a common duct with a bathroom or kitchen, the check valve ($ 10), which prevents odors from entering the room, will not damage.

BATHROOM FANS

It is best to install a splash-proof fan in the bathroom – and a short circuit will not happen, and water will not get into the duct. This pleasure costs $ 35-50, and if you don’t mind another $ 30-35, install a fan with a humidity controller in the bathroom. As soon as it exceeds a certain value, the fan will remove the moisture-laden air. And it’s easier to breathe, and the mirror won’t fog up, and even linen in such a bathroom dries much faster.

KITCHEN FANS

In the kitchen, the need for air is higher, and therefore a more powerful fan is required than in the bathroom or toilet. Its performance can be selected by multiplying the kitchen volume by 10 and subtracting the volume occupied by the furniture. That is, a 6-meter kitchen will require a fan that produces 120-180 cubic meters per hour, and for a 10-meter kitchen, 220-300 cubic meters per hour. Moreover, unlike a bathroom and a restroom, in the kitchen you can organize not only an exhaust hood, but also an inflow, for which fans inserted directly into the window are used. A standard window fan costs $ 50-55, but the presence of additional amenities: a cord, a humidity controller, a presence sensor, a timer can increase the price up to $ 150-200.

FANS FOR RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Sometimes living rooms are also ventilated, only unlike a kitchen, when selecting a fan, the volume of a room is multiplied not by 10, but by 3. Sometimes they do it differently, buying a device at the rate of 30 cubic meters. m hour for every living soul. Finding such equipment today is not a problem – it is sold in specialized firms, at construction exhibitions and even in stores..

However, if you have fenced off from the street with modern double-glazed windows and locked yourself on a bulletproof door, then ordinary exhaust fans are indispensable. Since almost no air enters your home, you need to create a more sophisticated ventilation system, like those used to supply air in office buildings..

FANS IN A MODERN APARTMENT

Currently, the most widespread option is using modular ventilation systems built on the principle of a designer. In addition to a variety of fans, it includes silencers (to keep the room quiet) and heaters (so as not to supply cold air in winter). But besides this, the air must be cleaned using special filters and evenly dispersed throughout the room through air distribution grilles.

In addition to this, there are a lot of all kinds of accessories: check and fire-retardant valves, air intake grilles, etc. All these units are assembled into a single system using flexible or rigid air ducts and placed behind the suspended ceiling. This option is good because the ventilation system does not take up space in the room. In addition, various nodes can be located at a decent distance from each other. And since all the elements of modular ventilation systems are standardized, you can easily combine products from different manufacturers. The cost of the finished system, depending on the number and area of ​​the ventilated premises, can range from $ 600-700 to tens of thousands. The pleasure is not cheap, but for that all year round there are no problems with fresh air.

There is another option – to purchase a ready-made supply and exhaust unit. It is a little more expensive, but more practical. A device designed for an apartment, as a rule, is no larger than a suitcase, and therefore can fit on a mezzanine or in a built-in wardrobe. Sometimes a local lowering of the false ceiling is organized for him, for example, in the corridor or toilet. Then, in the rest of the rooms, the suspended ceiling will eat up a minimum of useful volume – if only the air duct would pass. If you wish, you can do without false ceilings altogether by hiding the duct in a decorative box running along the wall. A small “inflow”, designed for one room, can cost $ 700-1500, and an installation that provides oxygen to an entire apartment or office will cost $ 6000-10000 or more.