While keeping the interior of the home adequately ventilated has proven benefits, the importance of garage ventilation hasn’t received as much attention. However, in a home with an attached garage, healthy air quality in the living spaces can be impacted by the garage environment.
Garage Air vs. House Air
The house wall shared with the garage often isn’t a vapor-proof barrier. Tiny cracks and gaps in the structure can allow fumes originating inside the garage to enter the house. Pollutants include exhaust from vehicles in the garage, as well as vapors from gasoline, solvents, paints and cleaning solutions that are typically stored there. Hot summer temperatures inside an unconditioned garage enhance vaporization of volatile chemicals and increase infiltration into adjacent rooms of the house even more.
Fresh Air In, Toxic Fumes Out
To reduce the accumulation of fumes inside the garage, a powered ventilation fan pulls in fresh outdoor air and flushes out toxic vapors. Usually installed in the roof or one wall of the garage, the fan draws outdoor air in through a passive vent grille in an opposite wall. The cross-ventilating action purges the garage space, exhausting fumes into outdoor air and also generating lower air pressure inside the garage. Lower air pressure, in turn, counteracts the tendency of garage vapors to infiltrate the house.Options to activate a garage ventilation fan include:
A simple manual on/off switch to run the fan as long as desired.
A manual "on" switch with an adjustable timer function that runs the fan for a preset interval before shutting it off automatically.
Sensors installed in the garage door that detect when a vehicle enters the garage and activate the fan, then turn it off automatically.
Variable-speed garage vent fans are also available to adjust to specific circumstances. For example, when activities such as spray painting are underway in the garage, or when high temperatures inside the garage make it uncomfortable to work in.
For more about the benefits of effective garage ventilation, contact Air Assurance.