The History of Home Ventilation

The History of Home Ventilation

People have known about the need for ventilation in their dwellings since open fires were first used to warm human abodes millennia ago. Today, we have home ventilation guidelines incorporated into our Broken Arrow building codes, but this wasn't always the norm. The understanding of how much fresh air was needed to replace stale, polluted indoor air evolved over centuries of experimentation, trial and error.Here's a look at key advancements in the evolution of ventilation from natural to mechanical means:

17th Century

In 1631, England's King Charles I determined that due to home heating, bad indoor air was causing health problems. He decreed that dwellings in England must have ceilings at least 10 feet high, and windows taller than their width to provide ample natural ventilation.

Early 19th Century

In 1835 when the British Houses of Parliament were rebuilt, a ventilation system was added. Outdoor air entered into a heating chamber, then went across steam pipes before being distributed through the building's ductwork.

Late 19th Century

After completing various studies and analysis, American physician J. Billings recommended in 1893 that a minimum of 30 cfm of ventilation per occupant was needed in buildings, but 60 cfm was ideal. That minimum rate was adopted by ASHVE (American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers) in 1895. This amount of airflow could only be achieved using mechanical ventilation made possible by advancements in the electric power industry.

20th Century

Massachusetts made 30 cfm per occupant of ventilation the law in 1914. By 1925, this minimum was adopted in 22 states. In 1925, ASHRE published the first code of minimum requirements for home heating and ventilation.

21st Century

Nowadays, there are various mechanical ventilation methods used in homes and other buildings, such as:

• Exhaust fans that expel humid kitchen and bathroom air.

• Whole-house fans that draw stale air up and send it out through attic vents.

• Supply systems that introduce outdoor air into the HVAC's return ducting.

• Balanced whole-house systems with dedicated intake and exhaust ducting.

To learn about your home ventilation options for better indoor air quality, contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

How Do Your HVAC Components Coordinate?

Each part of your HVAC system has a role to play in heating or cooling your home. By learning about the process, you can develop a greater understanding of why even simple maintenance tasks, such as changing the air filter, are important. Here's how HVAC system components coordinate to create a comfortable indoor climate.

The Ventilation Cycle

Airflow is as important to the function of heating and cooling systems as breathing oxygen is for your health.Return air ducts draw old air from your home and move it to heating or cooling component of the system. Supply ducts, on the other hand, are the delivery network for the newly filtered and conditioned air into the home’s interior. Both return and supply ducts help keep your air fresher and the temperature comfortable.Ventilation problems can affect the other HVAC system components as well as your comfort. Examples include:

• Dirty ductwork — dust accumulation in ductwork results in poor air quality and dust inside other HVAC components.

• Clogged air filter — This restricts air from flowing as it should to the heart of the HVAC system. Problems caused by clogged filters can include frozen evaporator coils, an overheated blower fan, furnace shut down, and dirty ductwork.

• Inadequate ductwork— ductwork that is damaged, too large or too small will perform its role poorly and reduce the HVAC system’s efficiency.

Heating and Cooling

Your furnace performs its function by heating air flowing through its heat exchanger. If all goes well, there is sufficient airflow, and all burners, heating elements and blower fan are working well, this heated air will be pushed into supply ducts. If your ductwork is in good shape, most of the heat will remain in the air during its journey between the furnace and your registers.A similar process occurs when you use your air conditioning. Air is pushed through components in the air conditioner where it is cooled. If all goes as it should, this cooled air then flows into your home through ductwork.

To learn more about HVAC system components, please contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ioannis Pantzi/Shutterstock”

Ways to Make Sure Your HVAC System Is Debris Free While Remodeling

Are you planning a remodeling project in the near future? Don't forget to protect your HVAC system. Construction can produce dust and debris which are drawn into the air ducts and can potentially damage system components. The fan in the HVAC unit can be knocked out of alignment because of a buildup of debris and other components can also be affected by pollutants. There are steps you can take to minimize reduced air quality and damage to system components.

Tips to Protect Your HVAC System

• Reduce use of the furnace and air conditioning – Limiting the operation of the HVAC system helps to prevent pollutants from being drawn into the ductwork. This will reduce the risk of a clogged air filter.

• Keep registers closed in work areas – The outside weather conditions may mandate running the furnace or A/C during construction. Closing and sealing the registers in the area under construction will significantly limit debris from entering the air duct system. The registers may be left open in non-work areas to maintain an acceptable comfort level.

• Clean the work area often – Try to do dust-producing tasks such as cuttingand sanding outside the home whenever possible. Clean the work area often to ensure that dust is not dragged throughout your home.

• Use plastic tarps to protect non-work areas – Isolate the construction area with plastic tarps and cover furniture near the project.

• Change the air filter often – Debris may enter the HVAC system even if precautions are taken. Any buildup can be minimized by changing the air filter often. A good quality filter will help to trap debris of all sizes that enter the system.

• Inspect the ductwork – You may want to consider a professional inspection of the ductwork and HVAC components after the renovation is complete. A qualified technician can use powerful vacuum equipment to clean the air ducts and inspect the entire system for any potential problems.

Please contact Air Assurance with any concerns about HVAC protection during a remodeling project. We have been serving  the Broken Arrow Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “scyther5/Shutterstock”