Did you know heat rises? Or that homes are built so tightly now that the air has nowhere to go? Think about boiling water or taking a hot bath without the exhaust fan running. Where does all that hot air go? What about the moisture in the air? The truth is that it collects in the high points of your house (usually around your ceiling and in your attic), making it more difficult for you as you try to cool the house. It also increases the humidity in your home. As those water molecules expand, the air becomes hot and heavy. There are all these pockets of hot air, and the only place you are really comfortable is right near a vent. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Your air conditioner may say 75 degrees, but that’s at the air conditioner. Without proper airflow and ventilation, the farther you get from the air conditioner (or thermostat in the case of central air conditioning), the warmer the temperature. But, if the air has a way to move through your home, the cooled air can circulate. Also, proper ventilation provides a way for hot air to vent from your home.
Here are some ways that ventilation matters in keeping a comfortable home and overall improving indoor air quality.
Moisture
Nevada and Arizona may be arid and largely desert, but humidity can still be a problem. Both states rank in the top ten for mold, according to HomeAdvisor. The culprit is the moisture in the pad your home sits on and the water in the ground underneath. It is so hot in the deserts of the Southwest that it creates a big difference between the air temperature and the ground. This makes the water condense and form into droplets. Depending on how quickly your home was built, the concrete pad may not have had enough time to cure, further adding to your home’s moisture control issues.
According to the Department of Energy, air movement accounts for over 98 percent of wet air movement in the home, naturally moving from high pressure areas, like an enclosed room, to lower pressure areas, like your attic. By improving ventilation in your home, you provide a way for that air to escape, reducing the moisture in your home.
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Air Pollutants
In addition, when your home is sealed so well that air cannot get out, neither can the bad air. Whether the issue is a burnt pot roast, tobacco smoke, or carbon monoxide, without an exhaust fan or ventilation system, that air stays trapped inside your home. That can cause odors as well as health problems — neither of which you want to expose your family to.
Allergens
The same way that pollutants are trapped in your home when you lack proper ventilation, so are allergens. Seasonal issues like pollen as well as normal household problems like dust and pet dander aren’t able to get out of your house either. You and your family have to keep breathing in those allergens again and again, making managing allergy and asthma symptoms difficult if not impossible.
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Movement
When warm air doesn’t have a release, it just continues to circulate through the house, slowly, and it makes everything uncomfortable. Fans will help with the process — you can use ceiling fans to create a wind chill effect in a room, but they don’t help circulate air throughout the house. Likewise, window fans can help, but interior doors have to stay open for the air to circulate and the effect tapers off considerably the further you get from the fan. However, if you are going to get rid of the hot air, you still need to have some ventilation in the house.
For more information on ways that ventilation matters in keeping a comfortable home, call Ambient Air. We can help you assess your ventilation needs and develop a ventilation plan that will help keep your family comfortable all year round.
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