Arrangement of ventilation to the ceiling: types of ventilation systems and features of their arrangement

The need to install a ventilation system often arises only if natural ventilation does not provide adequate air exchange indoors. Such ceiling ventilation, installed in the bathroom, kitchen or bathhouse, prevents the occurrence of mold, which is harmful to human health.

In addition, the mechanical ventilation system contributes not only to airing the room, but also to clean, heat or cool the air coming from the street. Agree, it’s quite convenient to have a ventilation system in the house that performs several functions at once, allowing you to save on heating or installing an air conditioner.

Before starting the installation of ventilation on the ceiling, it is important to determine the type of system to be installed, as well as to draw up a detailed ventilation scheme for a particular room. Later in the article we will tell you what type of ventilation is better to choose depending on its purpose, and what nuances are worth paying attention to during the design process. If you wish, you can arrange ventilation yourself, which will allow you to save quite a large sum of money.

Why is natural air exchange not enough?

Natural ventilation is a free, simple but completely ineffective way to ventilate your living space. Depending on the features of functioning, it is customary to divide it into two types - unorganized and organized.

Unorganized ventilation is carried out through the opening of windows, doors and also gaps in the window frames. Of course, in the warm season, such a “draft” may and will be appropriate, but in winter it will entail many problems.

The kitchen and bathroom especially need the installation of mechanical ventilation, because it is in these rooms that condensation accumulates, which, settling on the walls and ceiling, creates ideal conditions for the appearance of mold

Organized ventilation in an apartment building consists of ventilation ducts located in the building structure, which are connected to each apartment. The system is based on pressure differences between the head of the ventilation duct and the grill inside the room.

Since pressure differences cannot be called a constant phenomenon, this method of ventilation can not provide sufficient air exchange in the rooms.

Also, natural air exchange may be ineffective for the following reasons:

• the tightness of the plastic windows prevents them from letting fresh air into the room. So, room air goes into the exhaust duct, and instead of a fresh stream, air enters the room from the entrance, which is hardly distinguished by a special freshness;
• due to improperly installed ventilation system, the staircase may freeze in the winter, and the exhaust pipe will freeze. Since there is no hood, there are no areas of low pressure, which means that it is impossible to provide sufficient ventilation.

Also, the problem may be in weather conditions. At high wind speeds, street air seems to be sucked back into the exhaust pipe.

So, it accumulates in the ventilation duct, and since the pressure only increases, dirty air can penetrate back into the room.

To ensure natural air exchange in an apartment building, it is necessary to regularly clean the ventilation ducts, because it is because of their pollution that the quality of the ventilation of the rooms deteriorates

Unlike natural ventilation, which depends solely on weather conditions, forced ventilation is fully mechanized. A powerful fan provides complete air exchange in the room, filling the room with fresh air around the clock.

Types of mechanical ventilation systems

Before you engage in the construction of an artificial air exchange system, it is important to familiarize yourself with the main types of ventilation and their application for specific rooms.

Depending on the purpose, the following types of ventilation systems are distinguished:

1. Supply. Provides a forced flow of street air into the room, while the incoming air masses can not only heat up or cool down, but also can be cleaned of micro-pollution.
2. Exhaust. Designed to quickly and efficiently remove contaminated air from the room. Such exhaust ventilation is often installed in the ceiling of a bathroom or kitchen, where there is the highest concentration of odors and moisture.
3. Supply and exhaust. Combined ventilation, providing simultaneous air inlet and outlet artificially. The most effective installations are those with a recuperator, which allow to utilize the heat of the exhaust air and give it to the incoming stream.

If the first two systems are installed only in specific rooms (kitchen, toilet), then the supply and exhaust ventilation is intended to serve all rooms in the apartment or house.

The installation of supply and exhaust ventilation in a private house allows minimizing the costs during operation of the units, because, in addition to ventilation, the system performs the functions of a heater, air conditioner and air cleaner

Each of the systems has its own characteristics of installation and operation, which should be carefully studied before drawing up a project for ventilating a room or building.

For example, it makes no sense to install a supply and exhaust system in a small apartment with one room, if you can choose the budget option - supply ventilation.

Supply ventilation device

In residential premises, an inflow system in the form of a monoblock is often installed. Compared to a type-setting installation, the supply ventilation monoblock works almost silently, and it is quite simple to hide it in a suspended ceiling.

In this case, it is recommended to choose a device with fresh air heating. So, in the cold season, the room will be filled with street air, heated to the optimum temperature.

When installing a ventilation system, it is important to determine the installation location correctly. Ideal places for accommodation are a kitchen, a corridor or a balcony. Do not install a ventilation monoblock near the living room or bedroom, as during the operation of the device noticeable noise can be observed.

Prefer a system with high-quality sound insulation, thanks to which you can enjoy not only clean air in your home, but also silence

In a private house, you can install systems in the pantry, basement or attic. This will isolate the noise source, which means saving on the purchase of a candy bar.

You can assemble and install the structure yourself, for which you will need to familiarize yourself with its structure:

• fan. It is he who “draws” fresh air into the room, significantly accelerating the ventilation process;
• filters. Installing filters allows you to protect the room from getting inside wool, fluff, dust and exhaust gases;
• a heating element. Heats the air in the cold season, while in order to save money, for large rooms, it is recommended to choose water heater;
• air ducts. Such pipes can be made of both plastic and aluminum or stainless steel;
• automatic control system. Regulates the independent operation of the ventilation system, allowing you not to worry about switching modes.

In addition, a humidifier and an air disinfectant may be included in the package. The main component of the supply system is the air valve, which is necessary for regulating the flow and blocking the ingress of air when the ventilation mode is off.

Supply and exhaust systems - which one to choose?

This type of ventilation allows you to balance the air flows circulating between the room and the environment. The supply and exhaust system removes polluted air from the room, and at the same time provides an influx of fresh air.

When self-assembling the system, special attention should be paid to the fan power, on which the degree of efficiency of the ventilation system will just depend

There are several systems of supply and exhaust ventilation, each of which has its own unique configuration and functional features. When choosing such a system, it is important to consider not only the dimensions of the rooms, but also the degree of their natural ventilation.

Option No. 1 - ventilation with a recuperator

The presented system allows you to significantly save on electricity in the winter. In this case, the exhaust air is not just removed from the housing, but also passes through the heat exchange unit, leaving its heat there for cold street air. That is, the room is saturated with fresh air, heated by heat obtained from polluted room air.

This process is provided. recuperator. Depending on the field of application, it can be of two types: lamellar and rotary. The first is used in areas with a temperate climate, where there are no severe frosts in winter. Ventilation systems used in regions with colder winters are recommended to be equipped with rotary recuperators.

The system is designed so that both flows (incoming and outgoing) are not mixed together, while the cold air is heated due to the stored heat inside the device

Since such a system can significantly reduce energy costs, it is often installed in large objects: country cottages, offices, hotels and restaurants. This is ideal for a two-story house, so the owners will also be able to save not only on electricity, but also on heating.

Option number 2 - air-conditioning system

In one heat-insulated unit, such a system combines ventilation and air conditioning, providing a direct supply of heated or cooled air. It includes several power modes, which are set depending on the temperature change inside the living room.

Such forced ventilation systems are often installed in a suspended ceiling, which makes it possible to mask the structure itself. Due to the low degree of noise, supply and exhaust system can be placed in any room, even in the children's bedroom.

Such designs are compact monoblock, so there is no need for external pipeline networks.

The automated device independently sets the necessary mode depending on the change in external temperature, so the user does not have to adjust the settings with his own hands

High power allows the device to purify the air and regulate the temperature inside large rooms, such as country cottages, offices and large halls. When installing such a system in your own home, you do not have to assemble the device from scratch and mess with the air ducts.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

You can find out how to arrange forced ventilation in a new apartment on your own from this video:

When installing forced ventilation in a private house or apartment, you must first determine the type of system. Depending on the size of the room, the number of people living in the house, as well as the degree of functioning of natural ventilation, you can install a supply or exhaust system.

Some systems can combine a cooler, heater and air purifier, which saves on the purchase of additional devices.

If previously you had to install forced ventilation on the ceiling yourself, then please share your experience in the comments under the article. Your experience will be very useful to many of our readers who are just faced with the problem of choosing the right ventilation system.