A Beginner?s Guide to Home Ventilation Systems NZ

Posted by Rajiv Partap Singh on June 13th, 2017

In most modern houses and homes in NZ, ventilation is underestimated yet it is very important as it determines who you will enjoy living at your home. Put in simple words, ventilation refers to the process of removing the stale air from the interior of the building and replacing it with fresh air from the outdoors. Your home needs adequate ventilation in order to maintain healthy environment.

The ventilation also prevents build-up of excess humidity levels in the house and also provides air for the appliances that burn fuel in order to operate. There are various types of home ventilation systems NZ but they all perform one important function of removing the allergens, cooking smells, and all the other irritants and in so doing they make the home healthier, more pleasant and much more comfortable.

How modern ventilation is done:

Modern buildings in NZ are ventilated through the combination of purpose-provided and air filtration ventilation. The purpose provided ventilation refers to the controlled exchange of air by means of mechanical and natural devices, such as for example electric extract fans and vents in the windows.

Infiltration on the other hand refers to the uncontrollable exchange of air between the interior of the building and the outside through series of air leakage paths within the building structure, mostly in the form of drafts. Most building regulations nowadays are aimed at minimizing the uncontrollable infiltration home ventilation in favour of controllable ventilation which helps improve energy efficiency.

What is the best ventilation solution for you?

There are many options and choices of home ventilation systems NZ but the ideal one for your home depends on three main factors –

• How much you want to spend,

• The amount of maintenance required by the system, and

• The level of importance you attach on energy efficiency.

 Other important considerations include the following-

• Do you want to cool, warm or filter the incoming replacement air in order to control the indoor climate as you wish?

• Aesthetics – some people do not like trickle ventilators in the widows. Others also hate the noise produced by extractor fans in their kitchen or bathrooms. If you do not like these, then you may have to install whole house ventilation system. If you, like most other homeowners do not like noise produced by the conventional ventilation systems, there are some ventilation options you can install to help reduce or get rid of this problem

If there are allergy sufferers in your home, you may need to install electrostatic filters. When building new house, the ideal ventilation system will depend on the level of energy efficiency and tightness of the building. In such case, heat recovery ventilation system may be the best option. Although HRV is effective, it is best installed in new properties where property is airtight. If on tight budget, individual extractor fans may be the best option for the wet areas in your home.