Air renewal in the house in summer, how to improve it?

The air renewal in the house is essential above all for health reasons. Although it is in winter when it is more concerning -since we tend to keep everything closed to prevent heat from escaping or cold from coming in from outside-, it is also essential to ventilate in summer and with this, in addition, we will not only improve our health, but we will also increase our comfort.

If our homes are not prepared for the arrival of extremely high temperatures, we can open windows and seek other solutions, but the best way to avoid heat is not by using air conditioning units, but by properly conditioning homes. Thermal insulation and mechanical ventilation can offer pleasant indoor temperatures without the need for high consumption, thanks to air renewal. But, why is it necessary to renew the air in the house during the summer months?

Hot air tends to accumulate in the upper areas of rooms. Therefore, if we turn on the air conditioning, we notice our feet are colder than the rest of our body. If we manage to eliminate the hot air found in the upper part of the house, we can prevent hot air from settling in our homes.

There are several ways to eliminate that hot air, with the most effective being a mechanical ventilation system:

• Single-flow mechanical ventilation system. It will be responsible for extracting the stale air and that which has been contaminated in the house. The admission of air will take place through grilles that will connect with the outside. By eliminating the hot air from the rooms, it can perform a renewal and improve comfort indoors, in addition to ensuring air flow and the healthiness of each room.
• Double-flow ventilation system. In addition to extracting stale air, humidity, or pollution produced in the home, it also introduces pre-filtered air from outside. By passing through a heat recovery unit with a bypass system, what is achieved is that cold air enters each room, which increases comfort and avoids the use of air conditioning units in most situations.

In case there is no good tightness in the house and no options for mechanical ventilation, air renewal can be accomplished in other ways. For example, it is advisable to close windows during sunny hours -when outside air is hotter than the indoors- and open at night to let it cool down.

It is also possible to create drafts for natural ventilation, for example between opposite doors and windows, so that air would come in and out forming a current that would soothe the high temperatures, providing a greater feeling of comfort and well-being. On the other hand, common fans can also help create a better sensation at home.

The importance of air renewal

Currently, modern homes are required by the Technical Building Code to maintain high tightness and good thermal insulation, so ventilation is more necessary than ever. But air renewal has always been a very important necessity indoors, since even the carbon monoxide we produce when breathing can be a harmful gas in environments.

But beyond our breathing or our physical activity at home -such as sweating- air conditioning solutions also produce pollution. In summer, for example, the air conditioning in many homes is not clean enough and can pollute rooms where windows are also closed.

If the necessary air renewal is not carried out, it is possible to produce stale air in the home and condensations from water vapor in the environment. Fungi and bacteria can proliferate, making diseases easy to catch and even allergies. Some of the main problems arising from poor air renewal are related to allergic processes and also with asthma, alongside all types of respiratory complications.

This is why proper ventilation indoors is essential to improve the health of the inhabitants at home. In summer, using air conditioning can alleviate high temperatures, but it does not improve healthiness indoors, since the air is not renewed. In case there are no mechanical ventilation systems, it is important to open windows when cooking and cleaning. And at least to carry out a natural air renewal that prevents bacteria and stale air from settling in our homes.