Ventilation plays a huge role in creating a favorable microclimate in the apartment. Its incorrect design or malfunction can lead to very unpleasant consequences: the appearance of condensation, the spread of unpleasant odors, the formation of fungus or mold. This is especially true for rooms with excessive humidity. Therefore, ventilation in the bathroom and toilet requires special attention.
Types of ventilation
By its nature, ventilation can be natural or forced.
In the vast majority of old-built apartment buildings, it was planned to install natural ventilation at the design stage. In this case, the movement of air around the apartment is carried out only due to pressure drops in the room and outside it. Taking into account these factors, the dimensions of the exhaust vents and air ducts and their configuration were calculated. But such ventilation in the toilet and bathroom does not always cope with the task assigned to it. And the point here is not always in the wrong calculations of designers.
The fact is that for good circulation, a constant supply of fresh air is necessary. In the Soviet period, it was carried out due to the shortcomings of the materials used at that time: through cracks in wooden window frames, walls, doors that did not close tightly. Improving their homes, people gradually eliminated these sources of fresh air. Thermal insulation of walls, installation of seals on doors, replacement of windows with plastic double-glazed windows - all this reduced air exchange with the environment to a minimum. Therefore, more and more often resort to the installation of forced ventilation, especially in the bathroom and toilet.
The operation of this type of ventilation is based on the use of fans to circulate air. It has become practically the norm in the construction of private houses, but even in apartments it is being used more and more often. Mechanical ventilation allows you to provide the necessary microclimate in the room without changing the parameters of existing air ducts.
With all the shortcomings, natural ventilation has one big plus: it always works. If, for example, there is a power outage for a long period, then this will not affect the operation of the system. The effectiveness of forced ventilation in this case will decrease very significantly.
What type of ventilation to choose for an apartment?
According to the principle of operation, the air exchange system can be divided into the following types:
- Exhaust ventilation is the most commonly used scheme. The air flow occurs naturally, and the fan captures and removes warm air from the apartment rising to the ceiling through the ventilation duct. It is this option that is most suitable for enhancing natural ventilation in cases where it does not cope with its task.
- Forced ventilation - air is forced into the apartment, and its extraction occurs only due to the pressure difference in the room and on the street.
- Supply and exhaust - fans provide both air supply and its exhaust from the room. Quite an expensive option, in the conditions of city apartments it is used extremely rarely. Its scope is premises with a large area, such as country cottages.
How to check and improve natural ventilation?
Before embarking on fundamental changes, you must first check the ventilation in the bathroom and toilet. It is possible that their work can be improved without resorting to major alterations. How to do it?
A piece of plain paper must be brought to the ventilation grill. With proper ventilation, it should stick to the grate, especially if you open the door to the bathroom.If he fell, then the air exchange system obviously can not cope.
On the Internet you can find a description of the method of checking with a burning match or candle. They work, but there is always the possibility of unpleasant surprises when using them. No one knows what gases can get into the common air duct of the house from neighboring apartments. The probability of their explosion or ignition is small, but it is. In addition, if you do not follow the flame a little, the debris present there, for example, cobwebs, can ignite. So the paper way is much safer.
How to try to improve the regular ventilation?
- The problem could be a clogged air line. It is not recommended for residents of apartment buildings to clean the ventilation duct on their own; it is better to call a specialist from a service company. But it happens that a simple cleaning of the ventilation grill helps.
- It is necessary to ensure the flow of air into the apartment. Special air intakes are installed on plastic windows, in some models they are present “by default”. There are ventilation devices that are mounted in the walls. They are recommended to be placed under the windows, not far from the heating radiators. So they will be less noticeable, besides, the air entering the apartment will immediately heat up.
- In the apartment itself, there should also be no obstacles for air circulation. It is for this that a gap of 1–2 cm is left between the door and the floor surface. If it is impossible to make it in the bathroom or toilet for some reason, then ventilation grills installed at the bottom of the door will come to the rescue. Some models of grills even have sound-absorbing valves, and proper ventilation will prevent the spread of smell from the toilet.
If all these measures did not lead to the expected result, then you will have to install a fan and force circulation.
What should I pay attention to when choosing a fan?
By design, fans are divided into axial and radial, according to the installation site - into duct and wall. In apartment buildings, it is most convenient to use axial overhead fans. The main part of this device is placed in the air duct channel, and only the air intake grille remains on the wall surface. Mounting holes are also located in it, which is quite convenient when mounting the fan.
There are several important points that you should definitely pay attention to when buying a forced ventilation device:
- The fan will work in a room with high humidity, so it must have a certain degree of protection against moisture penetration. On the case of the device there is a mark showing the level of such protection. You should choose a fan with a marking of at least IP 44.
- Noise of the device should not exceed 35 dB. Usually this parameter is indicated in the technical data sheet. It should be noted that it is better to choose the fan power with a margin: when operating at maximum speed, not only the noise level increases, but also the service life of the device is significantly reduced.
- The power of the forced ventilation device can be calculated by knowing the air flow into the room. Such calculations are quite complicated, but they can be omitted: the vast majority of bathrooms require a fan with a capacity of at least 100 m3 per hour.
- Additional devices. You can start forced air circulation manually through a fan or automate the process. The easiest way - the device turns on simultaneously with the inclusion of lighting. But in this case, the ventilation system will not have time to remove steam from the bathroom. More expensive, but also more convenient options - setting special timers, regulating the shutdown delay, or humidity sensors.
Forced ventilation installation
The order of work at forced ventilation device will be as follows:
- Installation of ventilation in the bathroom begins with the laying of electrical wiring. Due to the high humidity in the room, you will have to clean it in a strobe. Another option is to remove it behind a suspended ceiling made of moisture-resistant materials. But even in this case, it is enclosed in a cable channel.
- Before installing the fan, the air duct should be cleaned, if possible, of debris and dust accumulated there.
- The grid is removed from the overhead axial fan, after which the device is attached to the wall. For this, dowel-nails, self-tapping screws or other types of fasteners can be used, depending on the surface material. The mount must be reliable, it will have to withstand considerable vibration loads.
In order to maintain natural ventilation when the fan is turned off, it is recommended to leave a gap of 1.5–2 cm between the device case and the wall.
- The fan is connected to the power supply.
- Mounted in place decorative grille.
A properly installed ventilation system with your own hands will provide comfortable conditions in the apartment and will last for many years.
