Do you know what ventilation systems are currently used?

Why is ventilation necessary?

Ventilation is a process that helps prevent humidity and harmful substances from remaining inside homes, causing discomfort and adverse effects on health. People tend to exhale around 19 liters of CO2 per hour of breathing. The air also accumulates bad odors from the kitchen, smoke, formaldehyde, and other pollutants that can cause allergies. The Technical Building Code in its document HS-3. "Indoor Air Quality" mandates the inclusion of hybrid or mechanical ventilation systems to adequately ventilate all spaces.

Natural and Mechanical Ventilation Systems

Natural ventilation systems use the wind pressure on exterior closures and the air movements that occur with temperature variations. This system has been used in older homes, where air intake is received through the poor sealing of doors and windows. Currently, it is a system that is falling out of use due to the high energy consumption it produces. In mechanical ventilation systems, air intake can be natural or mechanical, while extraction is always mechanical.

Whether using a natural or mechanical ventilation system, the effectiveness of any ventilation system depends on several factors such as:

• Indoor climate: Environmental conditions such as pressure or temperature influence people's perception and can therefore alter their sense of comfort.
• Energy savings level: The technical characteristics of the ventilation system will determine the efficiency of the system and thus its energy consumption.
• Regulation level: This is one of the factors that most affects the energy consumption of a building where a ventilation system is installed.

In turn, the indoor climate depends on various factors such as indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and noise levels.

Several elements directly influence air quality, such as the presence of CO2 or nitrogen oxide. Particulate matter such as dust, asbestos, or microorganisms can also have harmful effects on health. All these products are always present inside a home as they come from construction materials and the users themselves.

Thermal comfort includes all parameters that affect a person's thermal sensation. For example, air currents can be beneficial in summer but decrease the sensation of heat in winter.

Noise is one of the main complaints of ventilation system users. It can come from inside the home through the installations themselves or be introduced from the street through the ventilation grilles.