The need for ventilation indoors for our well-being

What importance does air have in the world? We could say that all. Of all the unlimited resources necessary for life, it is the only one we cannot do without. For a time we can survive without water, for example, but never without air. And yet, due to its supposed unlimited abundance, we often forget how essential it is for life. From contributing to outdoor air pollution to forgetting how fundamental it is to ventilate indoors.

In contemporary life, what we eat plays a crucial role in our lives. In the race to live healthily, food plays a main role. Of course, also what we ingest and the quality of water. But what about the air we breathe? Why is it often forgotten that we need to breathe healthily?

The dire consequences of breathing poor quality air can be lethal -in Spain, every year there are about a hundred deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning-, but the mere fact of not ventilating properly at home or at work can lead to complex illnesses.

The air is mainly composed of oxygen and nitrogen, but the most important thing is its absolute presence. The problem today is that air carries much more carbon dioxide than necessary, in addition to other harmful compounds. Too often it is estimated that, at home, just opening the windows is enough to breathe clean air. But, unfortunately, it is not always like that.

In large cities -and sometimes in rural areas-, the air that enters workplaces, schools, hospitals or our homes is contaminated. And the problem is that this already contaminated air worsens inside the rooms.

The importance of ventilation and not allowing low-quality air indoors

As we have discussed, a serious problem with indoor air is that if it was already polluted outdoors, in our homes it will be equally dangerous. But it is not just that, as the added problem lies in the proliferation of stale air in the house. Cooking, cleaning, or generating fumes can turn that contaminated air into a much lower quality and can become harmful to the people inhabiting the rooms.

Precisely for this reason, it is essential to ventilate indoors, which sometimes means much more than just opening the windows and letting in street air. What problems can arise due to poor quality air in the rooms we inhabit?

• If we do not have air of sufficient quality, the formation of germs and bacteria in the environment can be something common. For example, in workplaces, it is known as the sick office phenomenon: when there is little air renewal, when one person has a germ it ends up establishing itself in the environment. If everyone at work falls ill with the same symptoms, in that case, there is poor ventilation and inadequate air renewal.
• As we have said, if the air stagnates and is not renewed, it can become stale air, especially if mixed with smoke, vapors, humidity, or chemical products. This stale air can be very harmful to health. This phenomenon does not only occur when the air introduced from the outdoors is of poor quality, but the deterioration of what we breathe can occur based on good quality air.
• Humidity is a huge problem indoors and one of the most common contaminating effects indoors. Excess water vapor in the air can cause the walls or ceilings of homes to deteriorate, but above all, it can provoke respiratory diseases.
• Asthma and respiratory diseases can be triggered in people living in low-quality air environments.
• Comfort and well-being significantly decrease in homes with poor air renewal. Irritability and widespread discomfort are common in heavy environments.
• In workplaces, the drop in productivity can be caused by poor air circulation. Also, sick leave is more frequent due to poor air quality, as many people can become ill more easily.
• Uncomfortable temperatures are also related to poor air renewal. If there is no circulation, hot air settles at the top of a room, which is why in winter we suffer from headaches and do not enjoy good well-being in our feet.
• Insects can proliferate in an environment where air quality is poor.

For all these reasons, we must understand the great importance of ventilating indoors and achieving true air renewal in our homes and workplaces. Always keeping in mind that breathing low quality air indoors and outdoors can be a problem.

Why can it be considered that ventilating indoors is perhaps more important than being concerned about outdoor air? Mainly because, in contemporary life, we spend more time inside walls than outside. In addition to sleeping hours, most jobs are focused in closed spaces, and also electronic leisure and modern comfort make spending hours inside the house appealing.

Improving our health with proper air renewal at home

While the deterioration of outdoor air and pollution in cities are part of a serious problem -which we must certainly try to remedy among us all-, regarding our health, it is essential that we soon become aware of how problematic poor quality air indoors can be.

The main culprit of us suffering dangerous air indoors is not renewing the air properly. But along with that, several factors can promote stale air. For proper air circulation -and if we do not have mechanical ventilation systems- the first step is to ventilate, even if it means just opening the windows when we live the following at home:

• Cooking is the main source of stale air. Before starting to cook, during, and at least a few minutes afterwards, it is essential to allow air to pass so that fumes do not stagnate in the house.
• Heating with fire or butane burners generates too much residue that mixes in the air. Considering that they are systems used in winter -when it is harder to renew air due to all the rooms being closed-, it is advisable to avoid using these heating systems. And if there is no other remedy, at least use extractors and ventilate often.
• Cleaning, using chemical products, fills the air with gases that can be very harmful. Every time the home is cleaned, it must be properly ventilated to let the dirty air escape.
• Smokers should avoid doing so indoors.
• Pets can be a source of bacteria. It is important to wash them well and carry out their check-ups properly. Likewise, we must be careful with those invisible companions: dust mites or insects.
• Trash not only emits bad odors but also pollutes the air. Make sure to throw it away very frequently.
• If you're remodeling your home, remember to ventilate properly to avoid dirt.

Both in summer and winter, knowing the causes of stale air and the factors that can pollute what we breathe is essential to improve our health. While many people would never drink dirty water or eat spoiled food, it is very common every day to breathe poor quality air. If we do not achieve ventilating indoors properly, health problems multiply and can even be lethal.

The best ways to ventilate at home

The health problems caused by poor ventilation usually appear in the medium or long term. Are you very tired for no apparent reason or do you catch colds regularly? It could be a harmful effect of poor ventilation.

To ventilate indoors, whenever there is no other alternative, at least the windows should be opened. This is the case in many old houses and buildings in Spain that lack ventilation solutions. In these cases, at least when fumes are produced, the windows should be kept open and fans used if possible.

In old houses, it is important to install a kitchen exhaust hood and, if possible, a bathroom extractor. Both solutions greatly improve air extraction for it to be renewed.

The best solution is to have a dual flow ventilation system, especially in newly built homes. Its advantages are:

• Air extraction is done automatically, supported by sensors and meters that detect when the air is contaminated or when there is excess humidity.
• Air introduction is done through ducts, and always in a regulated manner. The air is filtered, so its quality is maximum, much better than breathing outdoors.
• Heat in summer and cold in winter are more moderate as it recovers the warmth and cold generated indoors, so it's not often necessary to use traditional climate control systems.

Mechanical ventilation is the best solution to ventilate indoors. There is not only the option of dual flow, but it is also possible to find controlled hybrid ventilation, which is a great alternative for the older housing stock.