Ventilation is important in every home. It impacts your home’s indoor air quality as well as your comfort. Most newer homes were built with a tight building envelope, so you’ll need to take specific actions in order to increase the ventilation rate. Read on to learn about three ways to improve the airflow in your Kitty Hawk, NC home and how our HVAC contractors can assist you.
Enhance Natural Ventilation
Natural ventilation is air exchange that takes place passively through doors and windows. It also occurs around little gaps in door and window frames, flues, plumbing and electrical openings and crawl spaces or attic vents. Older homes often have too much natural ventilation, while newer homes lack it. You can enhance your home’s natural ventilation by opening the windows on a mild day. Keep in mind that natural ventilation could increase your heating and cooling costs.
Add Spot Ventilation
The Department of Energy recommends adding spot ventilation for rooms of your home where humidity- and particulate-generating activities take place. For example, adding an exhaust fan to your bathroom is a type of spot ventilation. Your kitchen’s range hood is another type of spot ventilation. Get a fan that offers a flow rate of 20 cubic feet per minute for a bathroom and 25 for the kitchen.
Install Whole-house Ventilation Systems
A whole-home ventilation system increases the airflow throughout your entire house. It’s a good idea because even with spot ventilation augmenting natural ventilation, your home is unlikely to get enough airflow. When it’s hot or cold outside, natural ventilation isn’t a viable option. As your Kitty Hawk HVAC contractors, we can install a whole-home fan, balanced ventilation system, supply ventilation system, energy recovery ventilator or heat recovery ventilator to boost your home’s airflow.
To learn more about how to improve the airflow in your Kitty Hawk home, take a look at R.A. HOY Heating & Air Conditioning’s HVAC services , or contact us today.
