Ventilation

Why You Need Ventilation

Having adequate ventilation in your home is important to help introduce fresh air and also rid your rooms of moisture and pollutants. Humid air and many of the fumes that are produced from cooking can cause mould and damp to form on your walls, as well as a build-up of potentially harmful bacteria.

How To Better Ventilate Your Home

A house with good ventilation will have a combination of natural airflow and controlled extractor fans in the rooms with the highest moisture levels. A good quality home ventilation kit allows you to remove the stale air and prevent the build-up of black mould and fungi around your home.

It’s important to remember that as a ventilator extracts the warm and musty air, it also means that cool fresh air is let in to replace it. So ensure that your home has an efficient heating system to keep your living space at a comfortable temperature.

Do You Need an Extractor Fan Or Can You Just Open A Window?

Opening your windows will naturally create airflow around your home, however, during the winter this is not an energy-efficient solution! An open window will let the elements in, and quickly lower the temperature of your home. You will need to remember to open and close the window, and of course, leaving them open can be a security risk.

In fact, as per the UK Government’s ventilation regulations, all bathrooms require a means of ventilation, which can be either an extractor fan or window that can be opened. Therefore if your bathroom does not have a window you will be required to install a ventilation duct.

Different Types of Home Ventilation

Believe it or not, there are actually three different methods of supplying your home with fresh air.

Natural Ventilation

Natural ventilation is where the air is able to flow unabated in the form of draughts near windows and doors. This is common in older houses, but these days buildings are constructed so well that they actually prevent the natural flow of air, and thus more extractors are needed.

Spot Ventilation

Spot ventilation is a controlled form of airflow, that uses fans to remove low-quality air from a local area. An example would be a kitchen extractor fan: its sole purpose is to extract the polluted gases from cooking.

Whole-House Ventilation

To improve air quality throughout the entire home, a system of ducts and fans are connected to provide each room with fresh air. Many systems also come with the capability to pre-heat the inbound air, which removes the need to put the radiators on to heat the air up.

Common Household Ventilation

Kitchen Ventilation

Cooking produces grease-laden air, smoke, and steam which will all contribute to poor air quality in your kitchen. Gas cookers produce dangerous byproducts in trace amounts: such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which is why it’s important to use kitchen extraction fans to suck out the contaminated air.

Gases from combustion appliances should be removed using a kitchen ventilation fan, which will remove the poor-quality air and vent it to the building's exterior. At Tap n’ Shower, we have a selection of low noise and energy efficiency extractor fans to ensure you’re breathing fresh filtered air.

Bathroom Ventilation

The steam from hot showers and baths will make your bathroom a humid environment. This warm air and excess moisture will then cause a build-up of mould and mildew, which not only looks unsavoury but can also lead to respiratory problems such as asthma.

To prevent mould growth, install a bathroom extractor fan to remove the moist air. Many bathroom ventilation systems have timers so that they are not constantly running when they are not required. At Tap n’ Shower we stock a range of economical and quiet bathroom fans in a variety of styles and colours that won’t ruin the aesthetic of your bathroom.