‘HVAC’ is an acronym that stands for ‘heating, ventilation, and air conditioning’. The heating and air conditioning we get. Both are easy enough to understand. But what about ventilation? Wouldn’t we want to close off ventilation in order to better maintain the desired temperature in our homes? No.
Ventilation seems contrary to the idea of heating or cooling a space. If heat can be transferred from indoor spaces to the outside, and vice versa, an HVAC unit needs to work harder. That’s why builders do what they can to insulate homes. Yet those same homes are still ventilated. So what’s the deal?
The Basics of Ventilation
Ventilation is not the same thing as a leaky house that lets air escape through windows, doors, and other places. Ventilation is a controlled process. And according to SameDay, a Utah HVAC contractor serving the Salt Lake City area, it is absolutely critical to modern HVAC systems. An improperly vented house will not heat or cool properly. Likewise, the furnace and air conditioner servicing that house will not work as intended.
In a nutshell, ventilation is a method whereby the air in a home is regularly exchanged. Fresh air is allowed in from outdoors while stale air, moisture, and airborne pollutants are forced out. Ventilation can be achieved passively or actively. A passive system allows the exchange of air to occur naturally. Active ventilation utilizes fans, a pump, or something similar.
HVAC Systems and Air Pressure
From a mechanical standpoint, ventilation is important because it impacts air pressure. Modern HVAC systems are designed to work best when air pressure inside a home remains balanced with the pressure inside the system. Balanced pressure ensures HVAC efficiency.
A home that is sealed up too tightly can create negative air pressure whenever the furnace or air conditioner runs. This causes problems. For example, it could create a backdraft for a gas or oil-fired furnace. Negative air pressure can lead to drafts in general. It can also make it difficult to open windows and doors.
Along with negative air pressure is mechanical inefficiency. Modern furnaces and air conditioners rely on a certain volume of air exchange. As explained earlier, stale air inside the home is exchanged with fresh air brought in from outdoors. Insufficient air exchange means the HVAC unit needs to work harder. It is likely to be less effective at maintaining consistent temperatures.
Air Quality Is Affected
Ventilation isn’t just about ensuring that an HVAC system is operating properly. It also impacts indoor air quality. Exchanging air helps to clear a home of all sorts of pollutants. From pollen to dander to airborne dirt, we want as much of those pollutants out of the house as possible. We also want excess humidity addressed. That’s what ventilation does.
Without proper ventilation, indoor air becomes stale. Any pollutants in the air get trapped. This can make a home increasingly more uncomfortable over time. And in especially humid environments, humidity building up inside the home could create additional problems with mold and mildew.
The big problem with mold and mildew is getting rid of it. Once it is embedded in a home, it can be very difficult to deal with. Severe cases of mold or mildew could require completely gutting the affected room and rebuilding it.
Though it would seem as though ventilation runs contrary to heating and cooling, it’s actually a critical part of keeping our homes comfortable. If your home isn’t maintaining a consistent temperature despite an HVAC unit that seems to be in perfect working condition, maybe a lack of ventilation is the real culprit.
