It often happens that the ventilation blows into the apartment, and there is little pleasant here. In addition to the fact that stale and polluted air will reach you from there, it will also bring in unpleasant odors, and in winter also cold air.
Backdraft is a common problem for residents of high-rise buildings
Ventilation of any type has a specific purpose - to remove dirty air from the room and replace it with clean air. And if the air exchange is disrupted, then this can result in allergies or other diseases for the guests of such housing, because the immune system will be weakened. The problem with ventilation in an apartment is most often observed in buildings that were built during the Soviet era. Why is this happening? Let's figure it out.
Checking your ventilation duct
During the day, in an apartment, like any other living space, the air becomes polluted and its humidity increases. Wet and dirty air is a potential threat for the appearance and development of fungus. Your wall will be covered with plaque in no time, which is dangerous to your health. Especially if there are children living in the house. To remove such air from an apartment, a ventilation hole must be installed in it, leading into the general ventilation system of the entire building.
It's easy to check the functionality of your ventilation. Take a sheet of paper, open a window or front door, and attach the sheet to the ventilation grill:
A popular way to check ventilation draft
- a good result is when the leaf is attracted to it;
- poor ventilation in the apartment - the sheet will not even move or will begin to be thrown away from the grille.
Important! Restoring the air duct is a priority task for any owner, because every day dirty air settles in the bodies of your family members, worsening their well-being and health.
Internal unpleasant odors in the apartment and ventilation balance
First, it is recommended to pay attention to the operation of the hood and conduct a simple experiment. Take a piece of newspaper and bring it to the grate in the kitchen or bathroom
When working correctly, the newspaper will be pressed against the grate by air.
If the paper near the grille behaves motionless or deviates from it to the side, this means a malfunction of the system. This situation can occur if the design of the hood itself is broken or there is no necessary flow of clean street air.
Finding and eliminating the causes of odors
If the ventilation in the toilet stinks, then first of all you need to find out the reason. To do this, we will carry out the necessary actions:
Checking traction with a napkin
We go into the bathroom and bring a napkin to the ventilation grille. If it is attracted, then the work is going well, but if not, then you need to open the windows. Repeat the experiment. In such a situation, did the napkin get attracted to the grate? If so, then insufficient air flow creates a problem. If this does not happen, then there is a malfunction in the hood and you need to call a technician. The experiment is suitable for cool not hot weather;
Inspection of ventilation ducts
Any management company or city housing office, according to regulations, must inspect ventilation ducts at least once a year. If there is gas in the house, the test is carried out once every 6 months. This is done in summer and winter. If problems are detected, the gas is shut off until all defects are eliminated, as this is dangerous to the life of every resident. Remember, it is prohibited to independently maintain, improve or repair ventilation in an apartment building. All actions aimed at this matter must be approved by the utility services that serve your home;
Cleaning the ventilation system
To do this, you must contact the management company with a corresponding application;
Installation of the supply valve
After most people replaced wooden windows with sealed plastic double-glazed windows, natural ventilation has practically become obsolete. There is practically no air circulation when the windows are closed, which has a bad effect on the microclimate of the room and its ventilation. If you do not open the windows several times daily for ventilation, it is recommended to install a supply valve.
How does ventilation work in an apartment?
The problem when ventilation blows into an apartment most often occurs due to the lack of special devices in the air duct system that make this process forced. Therefore, it is classified as a conventional supply and exhaust system. The principle of its operation:
An example of air movement in a high-rise building
Air enters the home through various holes and cracks, and this creates a natural draft, which removes dirty air into the ventilation shaft. Restoring an air duct of this type is impossible without a supply of fresh air from the street. In Soviet-built buildings, such an influx was provided for; the same “wall-window” tandem was not tight, which ensured the necessary air influx. But now energy saving is promoted and encouraged at the state level, so everything is aimed at maximum tightness of connections. These are windows and doors with seals, and not necessarily metal-plastic ones; modern structures made of wood are also made as airtight as possible.
Important! All energy-saving designs do not allow air to enter the apartment, which means you need to think about how to improve ventilation, because in this state it will not work.
Natural air circulation in the house
Reverse draft can occur when installing metal-plastic windows and doors.
The ventilation system in a house is a complex of different technical devices, blowers and shafts, which have a single riser from the basement to the roof. Thanks to it, draft is created due to the temperature difference in the house and outside. As this difference increases, the hood will work harder.
Perpendicular pressure also has an effect on the principle of cross sections. This is a situation in which the wind blows horizontally relative to the riser. As a result, it draws air out of the ventilation.
To ensure that there is an air flow in the house and a vacuum does not form, vents are made in the foundation during the construction phase. You can also make several holes in the floor on the first floor.
This is how natural air circulation works in an apartment building. The system may not work if there is no supply ventilation or if the temperature in the house is lower than outside. The second reason occurs infrequently, so it is due to the lack of decent air flows that draft appears. Ventilation shafts in the apartment are made in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen. Air enters through the windows. The use of double-glazed windows and sealed doors significantly reduces the influx of air masses and causes reverse draft. To solve this problem, use special valves on windows or walls.
Also, air flow disruption can be caused by a system malfunction, installation of fans and hoods, or improper design. If the hood blows in the opposite direction in the apartment, you need to look for the problem and fix it.
What does a kitchen hood do?
The apartment has adopted all energy saving measures, and there are only two channels that carry out air intake and inflow. Most often, the location of the first is the wall of the bathroom or toilet, and the second is the kitchen hood. Often, residents begin to notice that in the bathroom the ventilation is blowing into the apartment. What is this connected with? The answer is simple - modern kitchen hoods are high-power appliances that have a purpose: to extract the steam generated from cooking on the stove. When the hood is not working, air exchange occurs normally, but when it is turned on, the total amount of air is taken from all rooms. This leads to a reverse draft effect in the outflow channel located in the bathroom. When the natural flow into the apartment is limited, the air will find a way out from where to blow into the home - from the ventilation.
A powerful hood can cause poor ventilation in the bathroom.
Sometimes such a problem can arise even with normally functioning ventilation in the bathroom, and all the odors from this combined system reach you. The reason for this is the lack of air in other rooms.
Restoring the air duct with this problem will not require you to perform major repairs. While the kitchen hood is running, open the door or set the window to the “ventilation” mode. This will allow air to circulate normally throughout the room, and there will be no problem with backdraft. Check this in the same way as you checked the ventilation.
Prevention
The main way to prevent the system is to clean the grate and smoke exhaust ducts from grease and other contaminants. Particular attention will be required in the winter season, when ice freezes and snow accumulates on the paths of air flows.
If the problem arose in an apartment building, then independent actions will be prohibited. To correct the backdraft, you will need to call a specialist. The owners have the right only to clean their own ventilation grill using a broom or vacuum cleaner.
If there is blowing into an apartment in a panel house, then the reason may be illegal redevelopment by neighbors. Such actions can be carried out by touching the riser, which causes air to be pulled in the opposite direction. Because of this, all the odors from bathrooms and toilet rooms come to other apartments. The problem can be solved using return plugs, selected depending on the area of the room.
Incorrect operation of the ventilation system occurs among residents of the top floors. This is provoked due to the principle of ventilation. Air circulation is possible only if it rises more than a few meters up. The problem can be corrected by increasing individual channels.
Backdraft is not only the cause of odors and mold, but also a source of harmful substances that do not go outside, but enter the room. As soon as the owners have discovered a problem with ventilation, it must be solved as soon as possible.
Other causes of backdraft in ventilation
Ventilation in an apartment can be spoiled not only by the above reasons, although they are the main ones:
- the ventilation pipe faces the wind shadow area;
- in large rooms not separated by partitions, it is very drafty;
- the ventilation duct is clogged with debris, bird nests, soot or ice;
- the wind blows from one direction;
- malfunctions of the exhaust system or mechanical fans;
- Frosty air and steam have accumulated in the ventilation duct, which prevent the draft from forming correctly.
All this is an excellent reason to restore the air duct so that breathing in the apartment is easy and pleasant, and the wall is not covered with fungus or mold.
Ventilation in Khrushchev in the bathroom and toilet
The main exhaust duct is located in the kitchen, and the one serving the bathroom and toilet is considered additional, since the total volume of air passing through it is small. Having found out the cause of poor traction, you need to analyze the operation of the entire system
What is especially important here is the presence of a full inflow, which cannot be “interrupted” by an electric kitchen hood. If this is the main reason, then it is necessary to install window or wall supply fans
These devices will restore the flow of fresh air. Their installation does not require special knowledge, but if desired, you can use the services of specialists.
Main channel and satellites
Also, an exhaust fan is installed in the ventilation hole located in the bathroom or toilet. Thanks to it, moisture and unpleasant odors will not stagnate in sanitary rooms, and the kitchen hood will not be able to draw air from the additional ventilation hole.
Looking for a solution to the problem
Is the ventilation in your apartment not working? And the reason for this may be the lack of air flow through natural channels, which means it’s time to take care of installing a supply valve. They put it on the window. With it, there will be a constant flow of fresh air even if the windows and doors are tightly closed. Moreover, it is adjustable, which means control of ventilation is completely in your hands.
The optimal solution to the problem is a supply valve in the wall
Its installation is quick and uncomplicated. You can call a specialist, or you can do it yourself, especially if you choose a model that is mounted on the wall. In fact, this is a round pipe that passes through the wall and is closed on both sides with grilles. It contains filters that clean the air from dust and contaminants. And the internal grille can close and open the supply valve. It is installed mainly near a window so that the air warms up.
A supply valve is not a cheap pleasure, but the benefits from it more than cover all the costs of its installation.
But what to do if restoring the air flow using the supply valve turned out to be useless and the problem has not gone away? Chances are, your vent, or even part of your home's overall ventilation system, is clogged. And such repairs to ventilation in an apartment will be more difficult and may be expensive.
It’s good if the blockage is shallow in the channel and can be cleaned right from the apartment. Most often it is cleaned with a long stick wrapped in tow or other long object. You may just need to break off the ice that covers the shaft and the problem will disappear.
Cleaning ventilation is one of the effective ways
What if this didn’t help? Then, perhaps, a mistake was made when designing the ventilation and its design was incorrect. Most often, its cause is the grille, which is located on the passage channel. Typically, one channel unites several rooms that are located vertically. To fix this, you need to put a plug at the very beginning of the channel so that the air entering it does not enter the lower channels. That's right when it rises. If this is not the case, then this leads to the formation of reverse draft.
Typically, residents of the first floors do not experience these troubles, unlike those who live above. Air rises through the common shaft channel, but without entering your ventilation sleeve. This forms a reverse draft, which means that the polluted air from the apartment has nowhere to go. Installing a plug will help eliminate this problem. Its purpose is not to allow air flows from the lower floors to pass through, which will smoothly collect in the collection channel.
You can increase air exchange using a special deflector. This is a kind of pump that takes air from the general ventilation duct, directing it to your home.
Ventilation system: types and principle of operation
Combined ventilation system
Well-functioning ventilation in a house or apartment creates comfortable conditions for its inhabitants
After all, it is very important what kind of air we breathe - filled with freshness or the aroma from fried cutlets. When the system is functioning normally, no one notices its operation
When the glass on the windows fogs up, the smells of food do not disappear, there is stagnant air in the rooms, and what’s even worse is the blowing from the hood into the apartment with the windows closed, it becomes clear that there is no ventilation.
Three types of ventilation are used in construction:
- Natural ventilation. The principle of its operation is the natural movement of air. Due to different temperatures and pressures of the atmosphere indoors and outdoors, air enters the house through windows, doors, and existing cracks. Flowing smoothly throughout the house, it leaves through vents in the bathroom and kitchen. This flow of air masses occurs when nothing interferes with them.
- Mechanical ventilation. Its work occurs using ventilation equipment. Under its influence, fresh air enters the apartment or house, and exhaust air is forced out.
- Mixed ventilation. This is the most common system, when air flows in naturally and air is removed using an exhaust system.
For their proper operation, supply and exhaust ventilation ducts are required. Without such a basis, the system does not exist.
Where to go if the ventilation is not working properly
If the ventilation is not working well or there is blowing from the vent, write a statement to the housing office, management company or homeowners association. An inspection employee must check the operation of the hood, after which a report is drawn up and a decision is issued. An examination is carried out in the process.
The examination includes checking the correctness of the system design and correct operation of the hood, compliance with building codes and requirements. In addition, if necessary, the speed of air movement is measured. If violations are identified, the problems must be corrected within 45 days from the date of the decision.
If you have already contacted the housing office and were refused to accept your application or to resolve the problems, you can write a complaint against the management company to higher authorities. How to do this, see here.
How can I fix the problem?
To restore proper operation of the ventilation system, you must first identify the root cause of the failure. It’s one thing when there is no normal draft in the ventilation of a private house, and another thing when it constantly tips over (it blows from the exhaust hole back into the room). In each case, the problem will have to be solved differently.
To determine the presence and direction of draft, it is recommended to use a sheet of paper or special devices - anemometers
Sometimes there are tips for checking traction using a candle or lighter. It is absolutely forbidden to do this. Dust and grease from cooking on the stove gradually accumulate in the ventilation ducts. Contact of an open flame with this explosive mixture can lead to a fire or pop.
It is safest and most practical to independently determine the draft force in ventilation using plain paper. If you attach a sheet to the exhaust hole, then if the ventilation system is working correctly, it should be pulled towards the grille. If it is pulled back into the room, then the hood in the house is blowing incorrectly - in the opposite direction, which clearly indicates the presence of problems with draft.
Clogged ventilation ducts of a private house
Often in cottages the following situation arises - initially the ventilation worked properly, no changes were made to it and no new devices were installed in the premises that increase oxygen consumption. However, at some point the thrust in the system begins to drop.
The microclimate in the rooms of the house is gradually deteriorating. Moreover, this happens so unnoticeably and slowly that for the time being, none of the family members pay attention to such a problem. But then mold appears on the walls, and the air inside becomes musty.
The frequency of cleaning ventilation ducts in a private home is not regulated by law, but it is recommended to check them once every six months, if necessary, immediately cleaning them from dust accumulations
You can clean the ventilation ducts:
- a special metal brush;
- by washing with water;
- industrial vacuum cleaner.
To assess the degree of contamination and the quality of cleaning, you should use a video camera. Only this will allow you to see with your own eyes what is happening inside the ventilation duct.
When cleaning the ventilation, blockages can be found both in the internal sections of the shaft and in its upper section. The top of the ventilation pipe is often clogged with snow, ice or leaves from nearby trees. This happens when there is no deflector or cap on it.
Birds also like to make nests inside the ventilation pipes of country cottages; heat constantly flows from the house - what else does a bird need in winter?
To eliminate all blockages, it is necessary to completely inspect all existing ventilation ducts in the house, from the exhaust vents in the rooms to the outlet on the roof. A narrowing can form anywhere in the system.
If the ventilation pipe does not yet have a protective cap on top, then it must be installed after cleaning. It will reduce the risk of re-clogging and provide increased ventilation draft.
Insufficient air flow
Old houses used to have wooden windows and doors everywhere. Due to their low airtightness, they were constantly draughty, which caused a lot of trouble in winter.
However, these drafts directly participated in air exchange. They provided the necessary air flow. At the same time, the ventilation ducts worked exclusively for exhaust.
Modern double-glazed windows, when closed, completely interrupt the flow of air necessary for ventilation of rooms in a private house
To ensure the proper flow of air masses, the following are installed or arranged:
- window valves;
- supply openings in the walls;
- additional air ducts through the subfloor;
- mechanical fans for organizing forced ventilation.
According to sanitary standards, the air in the living room must be completely replaced with completely fresh air at least once an hour. At the same time, in kitchens and rooms with stoves, boilers or fireplaces, air exchange should be many times higher, since oxygen consumption is greater in them.
Poorly designed ventilation
If the thrust drop occurs from time to time for a couple of hours, then the reason for this usually lies in a banal change in the weather. When calculating the system, the designers did not take something into account, and as a result, during a sudden cold snap, the ventilation in a private house blows inward, rather than pulling out as it should.
This problem can only be solved by completely recalculating the ventilation system.
If a tall tree has grown next to a private house, then it can also cause backdraft in the ventilation shaft
Before ordering a new ventilation project, you should carefully inspect all its components. It is quite possible that dirt has adhered to the ventilation grille or the blades of the duct fan. As a result, the channel has narrowed quite a bit - most of the time the system works properly, but occasionally it crashes. In this case, simply cleaning is enough.
A new tall building next to the cottage, a change in the geometry of the roof, the installation of a satellite dish - all this can lead to a decrease in traction. If obstacles appear in the path of the wind, then in the area of the top of the ventilation pipe the initial air pressure parameters change. And then the speed of its movement through the ventilation ducts drops.
In order for the draft in the ventilation pipe to be constant and sufficient, its top point must be at a certain height relative to the roof canopy
To increase draft in the ventilation shaft, a deflector should be installed on top. It creates a slight vacuum around itself, causing air from the house to rush into this void.
Deflectors are most effective in windy weather. If the street is calm, then such a device will be of no use. In such a situation, it is possible to increase traction only with the help of mechanical stimulation - a fan.
And the last point - in order to prevent the draft from tipping over, the ventilation grilles on the hoods in the rooms should be replaced with check valves. When there is a flow of air from the ventilation into the room, they close, blocking the hole.
