ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Ventilation’

Ventilation Tip: How Attic Fans Improve Overall Home Efficiency

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

In addition to proper insulation in your attic, there are other improvements you can make. Adding an attic fan can increase ventilation and provide benefits all year long, not just in the summer. While a whole house fan can help to provide ventilation throughout the home, an attic fan may be more appropriate for your situation. Ask your contractor if you aren’t sure.

Call the ventilation experts at ACI Northwest for more information about how to help weatherize your home for year round comfort and efficiency. To get you started, we have included some of the main ways that attic fans can improve overall home efficiency and prevent moisture problems in the home.

Creating more fresh air circulation in your attic not only helps cool the home in the summer, but it can also prevent moisture related damages. In a home that is already well-insulated and has plenty of ventilation, an attic fan will help with overall efficiency by helping to remove the hot air from the attic. In addition to keeping the home cooler in the summer, it removes the heat that rises to the attic in the winter.

You don’t want all the heat in your home trapped in the attic during the winter because it will speed up the snow melting process. If temperatures drop quickly, the snow melt can freeze and create ice dams. Ice dams can cause damage to your roof, and when they start to melt, the water can get under the shingles and into your attic. This can ruin the insulation, wood, and even dry wall and ceilings if the leak is serious enough.

If you aren’t sure whether an attic fan is right for you, call the heating and cooling specialists at ACI Northwest. We can answer all your questions and provide our expert advice.

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Your HVAC System and Ventilation

Monday, June 25th, 2012

The vent system in your home is vital to the operation of your HVAC system. Without successful ventilation, your home won’t have the necessary clean air to keep you and your family healthy. So, what does proper ventilation require and how can you ensure your home has it? Here are some quick tips.

Install the Right Parts from the Start

Proper ventilation should result in even air pressure in your home to avoid problems with gas pilot lights. It should also be as energy efficient as possible and provide clean air through proper filtration and cleaning of the air that comes in. The best way to ensure your home has the ventilation needed to stay comfortable and safe for your entire family is to check the total size of the home and then measure the concentrations of certain pollutants like dander, pollen and smoke. A contractor can provide these services for you.

Energy Loss

Another major ventilation issue to keep in mind is energy loss. Ventilation tends to remove heated or cooled air from your home, forcing your furnace or air conditioner to work harder to replace it. As a result, you pay more for energy and it’s never quite comfortable inside.

To avoid this problem, ask about an energy recovery ventilator. These devices are designed to transfer heat from one environment into another. So, in the winter, heated air inside is kept inside and in the summer, cooled air is kept inside. The result is a much lower energy bill without a disruption to your ventilation sources.

Supplements to Ventilation

Proper ventilation should not only provide fresh air, but it should also ensure your home has clean air. The air outside may be fresher, but it can be filled with pollutants like pollen, dander and smoke. These should be removed before they get inside and into the lungs of your loved ones. To do this, you need a full sized air cleaning system that removes particles from the air down to 0.3 microns.

HEPA filters can do this, as will electronic air cleaners which can ionize and remove smoke and gas particles. Make sure you discuss filtration and cleaning with your HVAC contractor when they visit your home. To learn more ways to improve your home’s ventilation, give ACI Northwest a call!

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