All About Bathroom Ventilation

Knowing everything about ventilation for the bathroom, it is easy to avoid many errors and shortcomings. It is critical to understand how specific options and models differ. It is no less important to know what this or that characteristic means and what is the general role of ventilation systems.

The practical significance of ventilation for the bathroom is enormous. If it does not work well, mold may appear.

Just where the condensation appears, mold nests will soon form. Cosmetic repairs only temporarily fix the problem, but do not solve it completely.

Also, with poor or improper ventilation:

• the air is oversaturated with harmful substances;
• carbon dioxide concentration is growing;
• there is a feeling of mustiness and dampness;
• dust, other allergens accumulate;
• body tone deteriorates;
• apathy appears and overall performance decreases;
• immunity weakens;
• due to the appearance of condensation, tile may stick to the gypsum board substrate.

A modern ventilation grill with a fan is more efficient than traditional mechanical ventilation. Professionals believe that productivity should be at least 20% higher than the calculated air flow rate. The mechanized system may not always be equipped with fans with an optimal arrangement. Then their power should additionally grow by 2-3 times.

Most often, this role is played by the gap between the floor and the door (yes, this is also a full part of the ventilation systems). In other cases, special grilles are mounted in the lower part of the door. But drilling holes on their own is recommended only as a last resort. Such a performance is not very attractive from the aesthetic side.

The difference in the ventilation device is also associated with the type of exhaust fan, which provides air discharge into the outflow channel.

For forced evacuation of air, an axial or radial ventilation device can be used. The axial system is cheap and relatively powerful. However, its characteristic drawback is excessive volume during operation. An electric motor is used as a drive. The lattice is often used not at the outlet, but at the tributary; This device is responsible for the distribution of air flow.

Different types of gratings are mounted:

• in the ceiling;
• in the wall;
• in the floor;
• as a stand-alone design (this is exactly the option that dominates the bathrooms).

A more perfect version of the classic grille is a diffuser. Its technical capabilities and design are much better than those of the “ancestors”. Some diffusers work exclusively for inflow, exhaust hood or as part of an air conditioning circuit. In private houses, ventilation complexes are sometimes equipped with heaters (if the circuit is directly connected to the street). Avoiding the discharge of dirty air into the room helps ventilation equipment with check valve.

Even in multi-storey buildings, ventilation systems do not always cope well with the arising load. In a private house, knowledge of the requirements for such complexes is even more relevant, especially at the design stage. Of key importance is the ventilation performance of the bathroom. It is characterized by how much air can be moved per hour. The necessary requirements are given in SNiP.

There are two standards: 41-01-2003 (dedicated to heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and 2.08.01-89 ("Residential buildings"). The official standards of Russia require the use of forced hoods wherever there is a lack of daily ventilation and other natural ventilation options. The normal airflow from the living area should be at least 25 cubic meters. m in 60 minutes. The size of the bathroom may be almost neglected. But the smaller it is, the more pronounced is the stagnation of air and moisture after each washing (bathing, washing).

But you must also consider that the authors of SNiP proceeded from the fact that the entire apartment or other housing should be considered as a monolithic whole, and not just the sum of the scattered premises. Therefore, designers and architects are always forced to solve the so-called air balance equation. The amount of inflow should correspond to the amount of outflow. If this rule is violated, the consequences will inevitably be unpleasant.

The most rational general approach involves taking into account:

• sanitary standards (by the number of inhabitants);
• multiplicity of air exchange with the environment;
• typical indicators in terms of unit area (of these three values, choose the highest indicator for optimal comfort).

However, ventilation requirements do not end there. It is necessary to take into account the volume of the sound created by the hood. Noise will be distributed both directly through the air, and through the cavities of the air ducts, and along the supporting structures.

The necessary indicators are given in the technical data sheets of the ventilation equipment. It should be borne in mind that in some cases, the volume is given directly at the device, and in others - at a certain distance from it.Therefore, directly comparing these figures is categorically impossible.

Additionally taken into account:

• maintaining moisture levels;
• degree of air purification;
• amount of delayed allergens;
• air movement speed;
• maintaining temperature (heating or cooling air flow).

In order for air exchange to meet the norm, only two conditions are needed: optimal inflow and optimal outflow. The natural course of air is created due to wind pressure, temperature differences in individual parts of the house. Such movement does not require any additional energy costs. Therefore, the popularity of natural ventilation systems is understandable. But for bathrooms they are, no matter how anyone would like the opposite, a purely auxiliary character.

The fact is that normal natural air movement is ensured only with very large sizes of the constituent elements and the whole complex as a whole. It is extremely difficult to place the required details in a house, especially in a small-sized apartment. The reason is simple: the low speed of air passage through the channel by gravity forces to increase the channel diameter excessively. Such a requirement is clearly formulated both in SNiP and in similar regulatory acts of other countries.

Nevertheless, there is an exception to the rule. Natural ventilation is quite rational where the total area of ​​housing (together with non-residential premises) is 100 square meters. m and less. But in houses where channels specially designed by professionals are brought to the roof, fans are always installed in bathrooms.

When creating natural ventilation, you need to remember the main rule: it works effectively only when air flows into technical rooms (and not into living rooms!), from where this air should go through the allotted channels.

The real use of “simple” ventilation is complicated by other factors. For example, it’s worth somewhere to put an interior door that does not even reach the floor, and the flow immediately weakens. Sealed windows, and impervious steel doors, and airtight heaters cause problems.

In all technical rooms, not excluding the bathroom, they put doors with a lower clearance of at least 0.02 m.

A more rational and modern solution is special grilles or valves. Unlike crevices, they will not let odors out. Some valve models even inhibit the propagation of extraneous sounds. Calculating natural ventilation is very useful, even if it seems that it is completely doing its job. It is equally important, however, to connect the natural and artificial systems into a single whole at the design stage.

All hoods are divided into 2 large groups: simple and automatic. The difference is not only in the design and price, but also in the additional elemental base. Normally, at least 25 cubic meters should be supplied to the bathroom. m of fresh air per hour. For combined bathrooms, this figure is twice as high.

The “simple” type is an electric fan located inside a plastic tube. Such fans can be located separately or built into the ventilation circuit itself. The choice between such options is determined by a number of technical nuances and subtleties.

But anyway automatic hoods are more preferable. They are easier to operate.. And people will have to less often interfere in the process of equipment operation.

In many cases, ventilation starts as soon as the switch in the bathroom is pressed. It is convenient, but not always practical. After all, the need for ventilation during ordinary washing of hands and taking a bath varies greatly.Therefore, there are more and more cases when a separate button is used to control the fan. It is placed next to the switch button.

The electric hood is sometimes equipped with:

• timers;
• special backlight;
• moisture meters.

In private houses, they usually try to put fans with diffuser adjustment on the influx. A useful option is the check valve. But it is recommended rather for those living in a high-rise building, where it is very important to stop the smells coming from other apartments. In any case, for private use, they try to choose the most compact devices. Even if the bathroom area is large, bulky devices are unlikely to make the room more harmonious and pleasant.

Ideally, the design of the fan should match the design of the finish. It is equally important that it coincides in size with the ventilation duct. Wall devices close the hole, while an excessively large sweep of the blades is not allowed. Duct fans are selected so that they are tightly "embedded" in the air passage.

When using a stretch ceiling, there can be a fairly large gap between it and the rough surface. This greatly complicates the normal operation of ventilation. Comes to the rescue ceiling ventilation grill. It is carried out in such a way as to maintain an attractive design and at the same time avoid the penetration of harmful insects, rodents into the house.

Lattices can work both on an inflow, and on an outflow of air (depending on their design). But before installing such devices, it is worthwhile to draw up a diffuser layout in advance. The installation of grilles for forced and natural ventilation is the same. Both them and the diffusers are placed in a layer of stretch fabric. Such a solution guarantees an optimal distribution of air flow.

Many people are interested in the following question: can forced ventilation be silent? The answer is yes: modern fans can work very quietly. Some kind of sound will still be created, but its volume will not exceed 25 dB. This roughly corresponds to a very quiet whisper, and even with highly sensitive hearing at a distance of more than 1 m, it is almost not perceived. Electric motors are placed the same as on the "loud" analogues, but they are mounted in a much different way.

Particularly strong hold reduces vibration and improves the room environment. Additionally, increased wall thickness is provided. And one more thing - high-quality, carefully checked bearings are used. It is easy to understand that such constructive solutions increase the total cost of the device, sometimes several times. But the quiet and calm life of such an extra charge is quite worth it.

Some systems run on batteries. The advantage is obvious - such ventilation systems Do not require mains power. The minimum voltage also allows you to provide much greater electrical, fire safety. The minus is also quite understandable: the batteries have to be systematically replaced. And you will have to do this quite often, because the fan consumes a lot of energy.

Equipping a fan with a humidity sensor in the bathroom is quite logical. Such devices allow ventilation to work automatically, without human intervention. With the active use of the room, humidity increases rapidly, and activation of the sensor allows you to immediately start the hood. When the microclimate is normalized, the device automatically turns off.

Some ventilation systems are equipped with motion sensors.

Even turning off after a while does not always help. After all, energy is still spent a lot.

But the power control option is much more useful. It allows you to reduce current consumption. Some models have the option of continuous ventilation. The bottom line is simple - the hood will work without interruption, but at minimum speed.

The speed increases only when the humidity rises too much. Timers provide work for a specified time after using the bath; appliances start and shut down automatically, without user intervention.

Time tracking is very useful. fans with a clock on the panel. Attractive and solutions with remote controls. Many people like to control the hood at a distance, even while lying in the bath itself. This option is especially important when the fan is placed in hard-to-reach places. The choice of a particular “filling” depends on personal needs.

Choosing the right hood for a private house and apartment is not so difficult. However, only impeccable equipment must be used. Take into account:

• the complexity of a particular system;
• the internal volume of the room;
• the intensity of its use.

Naturally, you need to make a choice in favor of the products of firms with an impeccable or at least just a good reputation. Be sure to find out all the nuances of warranty service and service capabilities. No less relevant is the study of reviews.

If the company does not provide any such services, this characterizes it on the negative side.

In bathrooms and toilets, small axial fans are often used. Their productivity is not too great (from 60 to 250 cubic meters), but in most cases this is enough. To put the device into the ventilation duct, you will have to select it according to the exact fit of the form and the complete closure of the duct. Normally, only a decorative grille is located outside. Her appearance is chosen in accordance with the interior of the room.

As in the bathroom, ventilation equipment will necessarily come into contact with moist air, a very high level of electrical safety is required. Only appliances with a minimum protection level of IP45 can be used in the bathroom and toilet. This code indicates that the ventilation will work properly, even if it gets a trickle of water or a lot of splashes.

Productivity of the device normally exceeds the room volume by 6-8 times. It is impractical to use devices that emit sound louder than 35 dB.

Both very low and very high prices characterize ventilation equipment from a bad side. Very cheap devices are short-lived, they often fail. Extremely expensive devices are either a whole series of obviously unnecessary functions, or overpayment for a big company name.

Speaking about specific models, it is worth pointing out that now fans are very popular:

• Electrolux EAF-150;
• Vents 125;
• Era 4C-02;
• Cata E-100.

But even the best hoods give a positive result only with proper use. From the very beginning, the device must be connected to the mains according to all the rules. If the hood is equipped with a humidity sensor, its maximum permissible level is immediately indicated. Other settings should also be set immediately after installation. External blocks are systematically cleaned and wiped.

If the duct is blocked, it must be cleaned immediately. Delaying this procedure can lead to very unpleasant consequences. It is advisable to “help” the ventilation system by keeping the door open for a while after each bath in the bath or using the shower.

The windows in the next room, of course, should be fully open.Weak traction often indicates not only clogged ventilation ducts, but also their complete destruction. We need to check this assumption as soon as possible.

A more detailed look at the operation of the hood is appropriate for the model Electrolux EAF-150. Other devices are unlikely to have significant differences. The manufacturer strongly reminds that only trained professionals can install, dismantle and maintain the device. The device must not be placed on unstable, shaky bases.

Must take care so that no foreign objects get inside the device. If this still happened, the fan must be de-energized, remove unnecessary and only then start the system again.

It is impossible:

• expose the fan to fall;
• to allow strong blows to it;
• start up the device after exposure to negative temperatures without holding it for at least 2 hours under normal conditions;
• set the fan too low;
• use the wrong electrical network for connection;
• apply untested (with unknown characteristics) network wires.

The features of the installation of forced ventilation in the bathroom can be found in the next video.