The aluminum grille: general characteristics

The Technical Building Code in its Basic Document HS-3 "Indoor Air Quality" specifies a series of conditions that require the placement of grilles or openings in certain areas within ventilation systems. The following are some of these indications:

• "Air must circulate from dry rooms to wet rooms. For this, dining areas, bedrooms and living rooms must have admission openings; washrooms, kitchens and bathrooms must have extraction openings. The partitions located between the rooms with admission and the rooms with extraction will have passage openings."
• "When any room with extraction is compartmentalized, passage openings must be provided between the compartments; the extraction opening must be located in the most contaminated compartment, which, in the case of washrooms and bathrooms, is the one where the toilet is located, and in the case of kitchens, it is the one where the cooking area is located; the passage opening that connects to the rest of the house must be located in the least contaminated room."

Aluminum grille: general characteristics

Grilles can be manufactured in different shapes and materials. Regarding their installation on-site, they can be embedded in walls or ceilings using welded angular frames. These frames form a structure on which the grille is installed, and can also be directly screwed to the surface where it is located. The material used to manufacture grilles is usually hot-dip galvanized steel, although other materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, or PVC are also used. Other accessories that accompany the installation of an aluminum grille can be hardware, hinges, or locking devices. In cases where stabilization of the extraction or admission flow to a predetermined value is desired, self-regulating grilles are often used. These may also have an acoustic covering made of a plastic material and a phononic ring located in the duct that accompanies the grille. This last one is responsible for reducing the acoustic transmission between homes.

Other self-regulating systems: the air valves

Air valves are other components of a ventilation system indicated in the C.T.E. as elements that can be located in the admission mouths. They can also be self-regulating, in which case an air flow whose volume is automatically regulated can be introduced. This system provides some benefits such as the absence of unpleasant drafts and a significant energy saving since the supplied air flow is not intensive. The principle of operation is a blade that acts like a valve, partially obstructing the air flow when pushed by wind pressure. Other characteristics provided by self-regulating air valves are:

• The introduced air flow does not depend on atmospheric conditions.
• No drafts are generated and therefore comfort is increased.
• They improve the acoustic and thermal performance of the ventilation system.