The need to ensure the exchange of air in the apartment is becoming more urgent - this is facilitated by the widespread use of more and more airtight entrance doors, plastic windows and balcony blocks. In this regard, the importance of the availability and serviceability of systems that provide air exchange, which is necessary to maintain oxygen balance and a normal level of humidity, increases. Of particular importance is well-equipped forced ventilation in the bathroom, without which high humidity in this closed room can lead to very negative consequences.
Types of ventilation
Before we talk about how to make ventilation in the bathroom, let's determine what types of humid air removal exist. Ventilation systems can be divided into several types depending on their purpose, design and type of air exchange.
Ventilation in the bathroom can be:
- exhaust, providing air outflow through ventilation shafts;
- supply, aimed at providing an additional influx of fresh air, which creates pressure and helps to remove the old;
- mixed, based on the combined action of exhaust and supply ventilation.
Depending on its design, ventilation in the bathroom can be:
- channelless, carried out at the expense of wall openings leading to the common ventilation ducts of an apartment building;
- channel, used to supply a ventilation pipe to places that need intensive air exchange to remove steam, dust, odors, and high humidity.
According to the method of organizing the movement of air, ventilation in the apartment is divided into natural and forced.
- Natural ventilation. The intake of fresh air into the house in a natural way is carried out through window and door openings due to their incomplete tightness, as well as through ventilation. The movement of air directed inside the room occurs due to the difference in temperature and pressure outside and inside. More recently, this type of ventilation was the main one in residential buildings, but due to the increase in the tightness of windows and doors, it has practically lost its effectiveness.
- Forced ventilation. Air exchange is carried out due to the operation of the fan, which discharges the air pressure and pulls it into the ventilation duct. New air comes from other rooms.
Requirements for the ventilation system
Insufficient ventilation in the bathroom contributes to the creation of an unfavorable microclimate, the appearance of a smell of sewerage, condensation on the walls, the development of mold harmful to human health, and damage to the finish. Air exchange should be carried out by removing stale old air containing carbon dioxide and water vapor, and replacing it with new, fresh air.
According to the norms of SNiP, the inflow rate should be 25 m3 / h for a separate bathroom and 50 m3 / h for a combined bathroom.
Examination
Checking the sufficiency of air exchange in the bathroom and the working condition of the common channel of the house can be carried out without any devices. To do this, with the doors and windows closed, they bring a paper napkin to the ventilation grate. If it is attracted, the ventilation is working properly. When not attracted, the procedure is repeated by opening the door or window. If after that the napkin sticks to the grate, it means that the apartment is too tight, there is not enough air flow. The lack of attraction in this case also indicates that the ventilation in the bathroom is not working.
Based on the test results, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- if ventilation works when the window is open, but not when it is closed, then you need to take care of installing micro-ventilation devices on the windows;
- in the event that when closing the door to the bathroom the air flow stops, care must be taken to install an additional grille on the door or in the wall of the bathroom;
- if the vent is not working, you need to think about cleaning the vent duct.
How to improve ventilation in the bathroom with your own hands? You can try to clean a clogged vertical channel with a vacuum cleaner, success is likely for the inhabitants of the upper floor. In other cases, you will need to call plumbers to clean the roof of the house. Another option is a forced draft device. The fan will remove the old air if there is at least a small gap left in the channel.
Regardless of the results of checking the operation of natural ventilation in the bathroom, it is recommended to install forced exhaust ventilation, which will help solve the problem of dampness and eliminate other negative factors.
The basis of effective ventilation is a combination of natural and forced ventilation.
Organization of forced ventilation
To install ventilation in the bathroom, you will need to do the following:
- choose the right fan
- determine the connection diagram of the device;
- prepare the ventilation duct for work (clear debris);
- install a device for forced air exchange.
Fan selection
A key role in the correct selection of the device is played by its performance, which must be calculated based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. For effective airing and ventilation of the bathroom, the air in it must be updated 5 to 8 times per hour.
[smartcontrol_youtube_shortcode key="select bathroom fan" cnt="2" col="2" shls="true"]Therefore, the fan performance must be calculated using the formula:
5(8) X bathroom area + 20% = required performance
Important! When choosing, you need to pay attention to the fan noise level - it should be within 35 dB.
Installation and connection of the device
The fan can be placed inside the duct or at the outlet of the ventilation duct. Currently, the second option with the placement of an axial radial fan is the most popular. The method of mounting the device depends on its design: the fan can be fixed with liquid nails or dowels, which may come with the device.
Connection options
The hardest part of installing a fan is connecting it correctly. To do this, you need to choose from the proposed options the most convenient connection scheme for you.
- The simplest scheme is to connect the device to a separate pull cord or key switch, which is purchased separately and connected with a wire according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- As a more rational solution, you can use a connection scheme that will synchronize the operation of the fan and the light switch in the bathroom. This connection method is best implemented at the stage of bathroom renovation.
- The most convenient option is to install the device with a built-in or connected timer. The fan, equipped with a timer, will turn on automatically after a specified period of time, providing the most high-quality and efficient ventilation.
- A non-standard and non-common solution is to connect a device with humidity sensors. The cost of such a device is quite high, but it is the best fit for the conditions of the bathroom.
Mounting methods
Installing forced ventilation in the bathroom is not as difficult as it seems.Most often, the ventilation device in the bathroom does not require the use of additional air ducts. If the niche of the exhaust shaft is located in a bathroom or a combined bathroom, simply install a fan in it.
With a separate bathroom, the exhaust outlet is usually located in the toilet, and the bathroom has a grate connecting the two rooms. In this case, ventilation in the toilet can be organized using a device of higher power serving both rooms. You can also use two fans of lower performance: one will distill the air from the bathroom to the toilet, the second will drive it into the common channel.
