What happens if the home air is not ventilated properly?

It is estimated that we spend between 80% and 90% of our time in enclosed spaces. The office, home, or restaurants are just a few examples. Properly ventilating these types of properties is essential to preserve air quality. However, it is not always possible to achieve this by opening windows. It is in these cases that mechanical ventilation plays a key role.

What happens if the home air is not ventilated properly?

The lack of ventilation generates a series of palpable consequences at first sight. We are talking, for example, about:

• Appearance of condensation-related humidity, especially in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Mold that proliferates on the walls of those rooms and on clothes and footwear in the closets.
• Bad odors resulting from that humidity.
• Allergies due to dust mites and spores that reproduce fungi.
• Higher risk of transmission of viral and bacterial diseases that generally affect the respiratory system.

One only has to consider the special emphasis placed on ventilation by health institutions during the past health crisis to realize its importance. Without a doubt, a basic issue in terms of health.

But what elements cause the air inside a home to become stale? Fundamentally, the hair and dandruff of pets, cigarette smoke, and byproducts of cooking or using cleaning products. However, simply having people inside releases large amounts of carbon dioxide that end up accumulating.

The importance of mechanical ventilation to address these problems

Natural ventilation is the most effective method to renew the air inside a property. Simply opening a couple of windows is enough to create a current that quickly performs this replacement. However, it is not always possible to carry it out. We just need to think about enclosed spaces without this type of elements. Or in those cities where the cold is harsh in winter and letting heat escape represents a significant energy expense.

In such cases, mechanical ventilation systems play a fundamental role. What they do is extract air from the interior and expel it to the exterior a specific number of times per hour. Additionally, by using heat recovery units, the waste of energy invested in heating is minimized. Normally, it should not exceed 20%.

Furthermore, in summer, it is also useful. How? By maintaining the previous temperature. By using heat exchangers, mechanical ventilation systems ensure that the air that reaches the interior of the property is at 21º C. The savings in air conditioning during the hottest months of the year are also undeniable.

Moreover, mechanical ventilation systems filter the air before bringing it inside. To do this, they use a series of filters designed to retain pollen and dust particles. This is essential for people who suffer from respiratory allergies. They also eliminate viruses and bacteria, for example, by using appropriate ultraviolet lamps for this purpose.

In short, mechanical ventilation offers many advantages over other ventilation systems. Therefore, when it is impossible to carry it out naturally, it is essential to have a system capable of doing so. Only through it is it possible to guarantee the health and hygiene of indoor spaces, enjoy a pleasant environment, and waste a minimal amount of energy. Another very important aspect in these times.