What to do if the ventilation in the apartment or house does not work? Review of possible causes and solutions

Agree, ventilation is the most invisible and at the same time the most important of communications. But, unfortunately, they remember it only when its absence or poor performance is felt: the windows fog up, the smoke from the kitchen does not disappear, and the smell from the bathroom spoils the atmosphere in the entire apartment.

These are signals that air exchange has stopped or been significantly reduced. What should you do if the ventilation in your apartment does not work: what should you do to restore it? We will tell you what to do if you suddenly can’t breathe in your home/office/apartment.

You will learn what functions the ventilation system performs, how to check its functionality, and what steps to take to fix the problem. After reading the article, you will be able to check the ventilation yourself, and in some cases correct problems.

Types of ventilation systems

The classification of air ducts depends on how air flows circulate in ventilation:

• natural;
• artificial.

According to the purpose of the system, there can be:

• exhaust (remove exhaust air from the room);
• supply air (supply oxygen to the home).

The cheapest type of ventilation is natural. There is no need to purchase expensive equipment or consume electricity for its operation.

However, the natural ventilation system may not be effective in areas with adverse weather conditions.

1,2 - Inlet openings; 3 - Exhaust pipe. Calculation of correct ventilation operation is carried out using the air exchange rate method. This figure is 60 m³ for one resident of the premises

To install artificial ventilation, it is necessary to install ventilation equipment: air handling unit, air ducts, recuperator, heater, filters. The main advantage of this type is its independence from the weather. The air in the room is mechanically ventilated. The optimal solution is a combination of natural and artificial exhaust.

How ventilation works

The most common type of ventilation in our apartment buildings is natural. This is an extensive network of exhaust ducts connected into a common riser of a residential building. This channel has an outlet in every apartment: in the bathroom and kitchen.

The exhaust openings are covered with grilles. Air flow occurs spontaneously through open vents, PVC window inlets, leaks in window and door frames, ventilation valves and similar devices.

Natural ventilation is provided by gravity:

• differences in pressure and temperature indoors and outdoors;
• wind forces.

If there is no air exchange, musty air accumulates in the room, which leads to poor health of residents, windows fog up, and fungus appears. To improve the microclimate, people have to additionally ventilate their homes. In the winter season, such a step does not allow efficient use of heat and electricity.

If the natural movement of air is hampered by sealed obstacles, for example, plastic windows or an effective seal in the doorway, care should be taken to organize a forced one. In this case, it is recommended to install fans in a false ceiling or directly under the ceiling itself.

Several channels are installed:

• to provide fresh air to rooms;
• to remove it from the premises after contamination.

Living rooms are selected for air intake, and air flow is removed through exhaust openings located in kitchens, combined bathrooms, showers, separate toilets and bathrooms.

In living rooms, air ducts are not laid openly. Apart from ventilation grilles, no equipment should be installed

If the natural exhaust system in a house or apartment does not work, you need to contact the management company. Its employees will find out and eliminate the cause of the malfunction. If the methods are banal ventilation cleaning turn out to be ineffective, then a camera is lowered into the ventilation shaft, with the help of which the cause and location of the blockage is identified.

This could be a blockage created by compacted dust, or an ice plug, etc. In extreme cases, the shaft is dismantled at the level of blockage. Such work can only be carried out by employees of the management company entrusted with the management of the residential property.

How to check the functionality of ventilation?

You can check how effectively the ventilation copes with its functions yourself.

To do this you need:

• open the window;
• attach a piece of napkin or toilet paper to the exhaust duct.

If the sheet does not react in any way, the channel is clogged; if it “sticks” to the grille, then the ventilation is working properly.

It is prohibited to test the functionality of ventilation with fire (lighted match or lighter). If a lot of dust or grease deposits have accumulated in the mine, the slightest spark can cause it all to flare up.

Testing the efficiency of the ventilation system is carried out at a temperature not exceeding +5 outside. During the hot season, the physical parameters of the air inside and outside the house are equalized, which is why the natural, i.e. There is no gravitational movement of the air mass.

Causes of malfunction of the exhaust system

Let's look at the most common reasons that affect the quality of air exchange and find out how to eliminate them. Some you can handle on your own, but to solve certain types of problems you will have to seek help from employees of the housing office, management company or housing association.

Ventilation is clogged with debris

The most common reason is debris in the ventilation shaft. To identify this fact, you should remove the grate and inspect the channel using a flashlight. If the debris is within reach, you can clear the blockage with a vacuum cleaner. If the litter is too far away, residents are prohibited from removing it themselves.

The system is disrupted by neighbors

The operation of ventilation may be affected by the installation by neighbors of additional equipment, a powerful fan or kitchen hood, which forcibly remove exhaust air through the channel. The neighbors' ventilation system works fine, but the fast air flow forms a damper, which prevents the exhaust system from working properly in other rooms.

Another reason could be a change in layout by neighbors.Such actions, not approved by the housing inspection, are considered illegal. They are considered an administrative violation and entail a fine, often with a complete restoration of the components of the original layout.

Installation of sealed plastic windows

Despite a number of advantages of new double-glazed windows (sound insulation, thermal insulation, simplicity of design), it is the windows that can cause air to stagnate in the apartment.

Unlike wooden frames, they do not allow outside air into the room. With their help, an apartment or house becomes practically airtight. There is no oxygen flow and the hood does not work

The solution is simple - arrange micro-ventilation. However, along with the air, the following penetrate into the room:

• noise;
• dust;
• cold.

In the harsh climate of the northern regions, this is not the best solution to the problem. Then it is recommended to pay attention to modern equipment. For example, MagicAir is a smart microclimate system station.

There are three cleaning filters installed inside, thanks to which clean and fresh air will circulate in the room, free of allergens and unpleasant odors.

You can set the necessary parameters even from your smartphone:

• carbon dioxide level;
• humidity;
• temperature.

This system will allow you to forget forever about problems with ventilation in your house and apartment.

If you are just thinking about replacing wooden windows with a plastic counterpart, pay attention to models with a built-in supply valve. Such a solution will solve two problems simultaneously: tightness and air circulation.

How to ensure proper ventilation?

If natural ventilation is ineffective, the only solution is a forced air circulation device. Powerful ones cope with this task exhaust systems, which eliminate air stagnation in the room and also allow you to get rid of unpleasant odors.

The system is installed in the kitchen or toilet. The equipment is started up as needed. For convenience, you can set the hood to turn on along with the light.

However, please note that the hood will only work correctly if the windows are slightly open. After all, the air drawn out by the fan must be replaced by something. And if there is nowhere to take it, then it can be taken from another hood installed by neighbors, from the toilet and other rooms.

Help solve ventilation problems supply valves, which take air from the street. To install them, a hole is made in the outer wall of the house. Today the range of supply valves is quite wide. The most popular models are those designed for installation between the window and the battery.

The valve consists of an adjustable flapper and an outer tube. The tube is protected from rainwater and debris by a grille. A soundproof box is installed inside the valve

Disadvantages of this design:

• if there is no heat source near the valve, then the cold air falls down and begins to “pull”;
• valve operation is effective only when there is a significant difference in temperature indoors and outdoors;
• in winter it can blow even from a closed valve;
• In order for the supply valve to work adequately, a necessary condition is that the hood in the room is in good working order.

Before purchasing a supply valve, it is recommended to carefully study the characteristics of the device.

Today, the popularity of breathers is growing. They supply more air than valves. In addition, thanks to the presence of built-in filters in the room where this equipment is installed, the air is cleaned all year round, and in winter it is automatically warmed up.

Another reason why ventilation in a room may not function effectively is the lack of a ventilation gap required by standards between the floor and interior doors.

Air circulation in the room is also disrupted when the interior doors fit too tightly to the floor. The required distance from the door to the floor is 2 cm. The solution to the problem will be to install a ventilation grille at the bottom of the door

Well organized ventilation in the house will allow residents to feel comfortable even with closed windows and doors.

Ventilation is not working: where to go?

A complaint about ventilation in an apartment should be sent to the management company, housing office or housing association management. The application should describe the problem in detail. After this, the appeal will be reviewed and a team will be sent to you to clean the ventilation shaft. The procedure is carried out from the roof. A sinker is attached to a long cable, which is thrown into the shaft and knocks down all obstacles in its path.

However, in our country not everything is so simple. Most often, after submitting an application, the management company delays the visit of an engineer. And even after visiting him, the problem is not solved. The fact is that the duties of fan technicians only include cleaning the exhaust duct if it is clogged. If the cause is not a clog, that's your problem.

The explanation for this outrageous fact is encrypted in the document SP 60.13330.2016 “Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Updated edition of SNiP 41-01-2003.”

According to Article 4.7, ventilation of residential premises must be carried out naturally through air flow through openings in window sashes, vents, transoms and ventilation ducts. To stimulate natural air movement, it needs to provide an influx

If previously wooden frames provided excellent air flow, modern plastic structures make the room almost airtight. There is no air flow, the hood does not work, the inspector recommends ventilating more often.

When asked why the ventilation in the house is not working, the inspector will explain that air flow needs a path and will advise keeping the windows slightly open. In this case, it is recommended to take matters into your own hands. If it is not possible to constantly open the vents and window air intake, you need to install additional ventilation equipment: exhaust or supply valve to the wall, breather or air conditioner with fresh air intake from the street.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Checking and cleaning the ventilation shaft yourself:

To maintain the tightness of the apartment and at the same time ensure free air circulation while maintaining a comfortable indoor microclimate, follow simple recommendations:

• to clean the ventilation duct, you need to contact the organization that controls the apartment building (in a private house this activity is carried out independently);
• leave windows open in micro-ventilation mode;
• Ventilate the room more often.

If the measures described above do not suit you, and you want to forget about ventilation problems forever, the optimal solution would be to install additional ventilation equipment, for example, a breather.

Want to share your own ventilation problems or how you solved them? Please write comments in the block below, ask questions about the topic of the article, post photos. It is possible that your advice will be very useful to site visitors.