Why is Ventilation so Important for Buildings?Types, & Negative Effects of Ventilation in Buildings

Ventilation in buildings is a must, or else it may become a gas house of stale air. Poor ventilation can lead to carbon build up. It can also increase the bacteria in the building. Resulting in making it hazardous for the inhabitants to live. Ventilation is a crucial process, as it replaces the stale air with fresh air.?

Over the years, the scarcity of land has led to the development of stacked building blocks. These stacks of apartments are often built nearby, sometimes neglecting use of proper ventilation.?

Factors such as the need for insulation, extreme temperature-led air conditioning, pest control, managing noise levels, and security issues contribute to the loss of ventilation in buildings.?

Moreover, As per a research paper on Exposure to indoor air pollution and its perceived impact on the health of women and their children: A household survey in a slum of Kolkata, India, published on NCBI, over 60% of the houses are overcrowded, and 70% of the houses in the region have poor ventilation.?

Why Ventilation in Buildings is Important?

Proper ventilation in buildings is of great importance as it helps remove toxins from homes. Proper ventilation also ensures the right CO2 level and air quality index in homes.?

Poor ventilation in buildings is even more harmful to inhabitants as it is more toxic than air pollution. Poor ventilation can also lead to sick-building syndrome. And can cause health issues for the people living in it.??

Ventilation in buildings helps in?

• Controlling moisture
• Improving the health of the residents?
• Managing air quality
• Controlling temperature
• Enhancing comfort level
• Managing airflow and regulation

Ventilation in Buildings - Indian Codes and Standards?

Building codes globally lay down standards for ventilation in buildings. The Indian Building Code (IS: 3362) is the code of practice for the Natural Ventilation of Residential Buildings. The code measures the ventilation needed in buildings by the number of air changes per hour. The air change refers to the ratio of the volume of outside air allowed in the room over the volume of the room in one hour.

The air change is crucial for the building as it manages the effects of moisture due to water usage, the release of chemicals from computing equipment, combustion due to cooking, odours in the home, and excess carbon dioxide inside the?building.?

Ventilation in Buildings - What are Its Different Types?

The different types of ventilation in buildings include mechanical ventilation in buildings, natural ventilation in buildings, balanced ventilation, and smoke ventilation.?

Ventilation in buildings is a must, or else it may become a gas house of stale air. Poor ventilation can lead to carbon build up. It can also increase the bacteria in the building. Resulting in making it hazardous for the inhabitants to live. Ventilation is a crucial process, as it replaces the stale air with fresh air.?

Natural Ventilation in Buildings

Natural ventilation in buildings is about using naturally available resources for the ventilation process. In the past, most buildings were ventilated using natural ways, for instance, wind-driven ventilation techniques by creating windows across the different parts of the walls.?

The design codes and standards indicate that it is easy to incorporate proper ventilation in the building design stage. Proper maintenance will help ensure an ambient temperature indoors without relying on mechanical ventilation in buildings.?

Window for natural ventilation

Windows?can be designed keeping in mind the windward side with balconies and strategic door openings that can help create natural ventilation. Pressure-driven and stack ventilation are the other ways of creating natural ventilation.?

Mechanical Ventilation in Buildings

The design of the building must provide Mechanical ventilation in buildings across all areas where natural ventilation is impossible. Demand control, personalized, and local exhaust ventilation are different mechanical ventilation techniques.?

Demand-controlled ventilation helps in ventilating spaces while conserving energy. In a demand-controlled ventilation system, the sensors track the level of CO2 in the building. At peak levels, it will indicate the ventilation system delivers the required amount of outdoor air and vice-versa.?

The personalized ventilation system allows people to control the amount of ventilation they need. This system works on delivering fresh air to the breathing zone directly. This system has a higher level of effectiveness than others, as it improves the overall indoor environment for the people.?

Local exhaust ventilation in buildings tackles the issue of indoor air contamination. The exhaust ventilation system captures the airborne toxins before they spread across the area. This system has air-cleaning devices installed to remove or minimize the effect of contaminants.?

Smart Ventilation System

Smart ventilation is all about continuity, i.e. automatic adjustment of ventilation systems from time to time to achieve the right indoor air quality. The smart ventilation system emphasizes providing ventilation while reducing energy consumption,?utility?bills and other costs.?

A smart ventilation system adjusts the rate of ventilation depending on the location of the building, level of occupancy, air quality conditions, and electricity grid needs, among others. The smart ventilation system uses sensors to transmit signals when the system needs maintenance.??

Smart ventilation systems are highly responsive and can adjust the ventilation in the building quickly. It can trigger warnings as per the indoor-outdoor temperature and air quality index.?

Ventilation in Buildings - Guidelines for Natural Ventilation

Following are the basic guidelines that one must follow to maintain natural ventilation in buildings:

• Always ensure proper airflow patterns to ventilate each part of the room.?
• Airflow direction should be from clean space to contaminated space.
• Install exhaust?fans?for discharging contaminated air and controlling humidity.
• Building ventilators must always be open.
• Always keep an exhaust fan on in wet areas.
• Use an air disinfection system in areas where no windows are present.

Poor Ventilation in Buildings - Problems It Can Cause?

Poor ventilation in buildings can cause concern as it can lead to condensation problems. Also, poor ventilation can lead to health hazards for people living in the buildings. Following are some of the issues and health concerns caused by poor ventilation in buildings:

• Growth of mould:?Poor ventilation in buildings can build mould on walls, ceilings, and even on the floor. Poor ventilation in buildings will cause an increase in the humidity level in the building. High humidity can lead to an uncomfortable environment for the inhabitants. Excess humidity can also lead to sickness in people living in the building.?
• Damage in walls:?Increase in the humidity level, and mould growth in walls can cause damage to them, leading to increased health issues and maintenance costs.?
• Allergies and spread of diseases:?Continuous rise in the humidity and mould growth in buildings can lead to the spread of viruses and bacteria and diseases such as hay fever. It can also cause respiratory issues in people living in the building.?
• Bad odour:?Poor ventilation can also lead to bad odour in the buildings. Due to the lack of ventilation, no air change can cause bad odours to remain in that closed space.

Ventilation in Buildings - Impact on Indoor Air Quality??

Proper ventilation in buildings also impacts the indoor air quality index. Especially in the post-COVID-19 era, proper ventilation has become even more important. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems must be deployed properly to ensure better air quality.?

Maintaining indoor air quality with air purifier

Further, indoor air pollution impacts the indoor air quality in a building. The major indoor air pollutants include carbon monoxide, excess moisture, the use of fuels and electricity, and pesticides, among others.?

With the lack of proper ventilation in buildings, no air change is happening, leading to a build-up of toxins. These toxins increase indoor air pollution and reduce the overall indoor air quality.?

Proper ventilation can help by bringing fresh air into the building, disposing of contaminated indoor air, and reducing moisture, diluting the pollution caused by toxins.?

Final Words on Ventilation in Buildings

Ventilation in buildings is highly important as it ensures the health of the building and the inhabitants. Several types of ventilation systems can be used, ranging from natural to mechanical and smart ventilation systems, etc. Ventilation systems help manage the buildings' overall temperature, moisture and air quality. Proper ventilation in buildings helps curb the spread of allergens and toxins in the air.?